Shin Sung-rok had wanted to become an actor since high school, so when an injury cut short his career as an amateur basketball player, he decided to major in Theater and Film at Suwon University, though he later dropped out. Shin made his acting debut in 2003, but found it difficult to find acting jobs since directors were reluctant to cast the 189 centimeter-tall aspiring actor in supporting or minor roles. Thinking he would have a better chance if he gained more acting experience and honed his craft on the stage, Shin switched gears and joined the theater company Hakchon. When Shin performed in his first musical Moskito, there were only 20-25 audience members in the 500-seat hall. Despite feeling depressed and frustrated, he said the experience made him strong and helped him become an actor with plenty of guts. While doing the musical Dracula, Shin was cast in his first substantial onscreen role, in the risqué cable drama Hyena. Supporting roles in dramas and films followed, notably in Thank You and My Life's Golden Years. He also appeared on season 1 of the MBC dating reality showWe Got Married as a "fake couple" with female comedian Kim Shin-young. Mainstream breakthrough still eluded Shin, but in theater his star was rising. In 2007, Shin was picked from 400 auditionees for the lead role Solomon in Dancing Shadows, a musical adaptation of the realist play Forest Fire by celebrated Korean playwright Cha Beom-seok. He later received a Best New Actor nomination from the Korea Musical Awards. As Shin starred in one hit musical after another, he continued to impress critics with his acting performances, his strong and powerful baritone vocals and his delicate and clear alto notes. He is now considered a top musical star, even drawing fans from outside Korea to his shows. Definitely Neighbors further boosted his TV profile; for his role as a difficult chef who falls in love with an older divorcee, Shin won Best Supporting Actor in a Weekend/Daily Drama at the 2010 SBS Drama Awards. His most popular drama yet was the romantic comedy My Love from the Star, in which he appeared as a villainous businessman. This was followed by supporting roles in the 2014 series Trot Lovers, Liar Game, and The King's Face. Despite branching out to film and television, Shin has maintained that his heart will always belong to the stage, and has stated, "I feel more affection toward the stage . I think it is the stage where actors learn life and understand the meaning of acting. It is where I learned how to act and where I gained confidence. I think the core of my life will remain on the stage". "The musical is like my old home and it made me what I am now, so I can't stop performing the musicals however busy I get"
