Biography
- Full Name: Hwang In-yeop (황인엽)
- English Name: Ryan Leon
- Date of Birth: January 19, 1991
- Zodiac: Capricorn
- Height: 185 cm (6’11)
- Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts at Philippine Women’s University, Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International High School
- Agency: KN STUDIO
- Instagram: @hi_high_hiy
Facts
Hwang In-yeop was born in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, to a family of 4 people, including his mother, father, and a 3-year-younger brother. His younger brother is the YouTuber Inof.
Hwang In-yeop lived in the Philippines during the course of his high school and college, leading to him adopting the English name Ryan Leo. His dream in high school is to become a fashion designer, leading to him pursuing a model career and a fine arts degree.
Prior to establishing his own agency KN Studio with his long-time manager, Hwang In-yeop signed with model agency YG Kplus, before joining actor management company KeyEast.
The actor is known to be ambidextrous, meaning he can do most tasks with both hands. He has already completed his mandatory military service.
Career
Hwang In-yeop started his career as a runway model in 2017, thanks to his tall stature (185 cm) and striking features. His background in fashion gave him a unique edge, allowing him to stand out in the competitive modeling industry.
In 2018, Hwang In-yeop made his acting debut in the web drama “Why”. In 2019, he continued acting via the web series “Freshman”, and made his TV debut as a supporting actor in the historical K-drama “The Tale of Nokdu”.
In 2020, the actor gained recognition after playing the school bully Goo Ja-sung in the K-drama “18 Again”, a remake of the 2009 US film “17 Again”.
Within the same year, Hwang In-yeop was shot to stardom as the second male lead of the drama adaptation “True Beauty”, drawing attention with his signature “bad boy” vibe. Additionally, the actor made his film debut via the independent short film “Swimming Bird”, where he starred alongside actress Lee Ji-ah.
Hwang In-yeop then continued to play a major character in the Netflix musical series “The Sound of Magic”, even contributing to the OST of the series.
Most recently, he became a hot topic for his role in the 2024 drama “Family by Choice”, showing explosive chemistry with co-star Jung Chae-yeon.
Personal Life and Controversies
- Dating rumors:
Due to his chemistry and sweet SNS updates with “Family by Choice” co-star Jung Chae-yeon, there have been speculations about a relationship between the two. The actor himself has mentioned this, explaining that he and the actress were just close and approached their scenes with a serious mindset.
- Controversies:
Despite the 2022 drama “Why Her” gaining huge praise, the love-line between Hwang In-yeop and actress Seo Hyun-jin received heavy criticisms. In particular, the romance is deemed as unnecessary and ruining the female lead’s character, while Hwang In-yeop’s acting skills were also questioned.
During his time working on “The Sound of Music”, the actor admitted that his acting hasn’t improved due to being constantly casted as characters with one-sided love.
