Lee Dong-min (; born March 30, 1997), known professionally as Cha Eun-woo (), is a South Korean singer and actor under the label Fantagio. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Astro.
Early life
Cha Eun-woo was born on March 30, 1997 in the city of Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province. He attended Suri Middle School and Suri High School before graduating from Hanlim Multi Art School in 2016. He studied at Sungkyunkwan University, majoring in performing arts.
Career
2013–2015: Career beginnings
Cha debuted as an actor in 2014 with a minor role in the film My Brilliant Life. He was the fourth trainee to be officially introduced with the . In August 2015, Cha, along with the other members of Astro, participated in the web-drama To Be Continued.
2016–present: Debut with Astro, solo activities and rising popularity
Astro debuted on February 23, 2016, with the EP Spring Up. In August, Cha participated in the Chuseok special variety show, Replies That Make Us Flutter. In September, he participated in another Chuseok pilot program, Boomshakalaka.
Cha was announced as a host of Show! Music Core alongside Kim Sae-ron, Lee Soo-min and Xiyeon from 2016 to 2018. In 2016, he also starred in the web drama My Romantic Some Recipe.
In 2017, Cha was cast in the KBS2 drama Hit the Top and starred in the web drama Sweet Revenge.
In 2018, Cha starred in the web drama Top Management. He was later cast in the JTBC romantic comedy series Gangnam Beauty, his first leading role on television. He saw a rise in popularity after the series aired and was included in GQ Korea's "Men of the Year".
In 2019, Cha starred in the historical drama Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung alongside Shin Se-kyung. He played the role of an royal prince who became a romance novelist, and won the Excellence Award for an Actor and Best Couple Award with Shin at the MBC Drama Awards. In December, he was announced as a cast member of the new variety show Handsome Tigers alongside Joy, Lee Sang-yoon, Yoo Seon-ho, and Seo Jang-hoon.
In April 2020, Cha joined SBS television show Master in the House as a fixed cast member. At the 2020 SBS Entertainment Awards, he won the Rookie Award for his role on the show. In December 2020, he starred in the tvN coming-of-age romance drama True Beauty based on the webtoon of the same name, playing a high school student alongside Moon Ga-young.
In June 2021, he left Master in the House. In November 2021, Cha released "Don't Cry, My Love", a ballad song featuring a piano performance, for the official soundtrack of the comic Under The Oak Tree.
In 2022, Cha recorded "Focus on Me" for the soundtrack of the Kakao webtoon The Villainess Is a Marionette, released on February 22. He then played the role of a Navy officer in Hwang In-ho's urban terror action film Decibel which was released in November 2022. Later that year he starred in TVING drama Island alongside Kim Nam-gil, Lee Da-hee and Sung Joon, playing the role of an exorcist priest. On December 30, Fantagio released an official statement stating that Cha had decided to renew his contract with the agency.
In 2023, Cha is set to star in the webtoon-based fantasy romance drama A Good Day to Be a Dog. On June 1, Cha was confirmed for Wonderful World led by veteran actress Kim Nam-joo with premiere scheduled for the first half of 2024. On October 18, Cha released "Jealousy" It’s a remake, originally by Yoo Seung-beom for the official soundtrack of the drama A Good Day To Be A Dog, 2023 version of 'Jealousy' is reinterpreted by Cha Eunwoo with his unique warm vocals, giving an even warmer feeling. On October 27, Cha became the first Asian artist to receive the Global Icon Award on MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2023, a special award given to honor the achievements of global activities as an artist.
Other ventures
Endorsements
In February 2021, Cha became Penshoppe's international ambassador. In March, he was selected as the brand model for Noona Holdak Chicken. In May, Cha was chosen as a new model for clothing brand O'Neill. In July, Cha became a brand ambassador for Burberry. Cha was then chosen as Konvy's first presenter, as well as a model for Mackiss Company's Now We Are soju and the health functional food Perilla in the Eyes. In August, Cha was selected as a model for Samhwa Foods, and the new muse of Dashu Perfume.