Debut works

Right after graduating from college in 1985, Nam appeared in playwright Jeong Ha-yeon's play Water Bird, Water Bird at Dongin Theater in Daejeon.^[11] In the same year in spring, he applied to Ildong Pharmaceutical and was hired in the sales department. He spent five years working in Daejeon and his final year was in Seoul. During his time in Daejeon, he also worked in a theater company two years after become sales. He even created an 'actor study group' with his friends and later founded his own theater company called 'Geumgang', where he served as its representative for two years.^{[6][8][9][10]}

In 1991, Nam quit his job as a salesperson at a pharmaceutical company after working for six years. Nam admitted that his decision was quite reckless because he was married with two kids.^[12][13] He didn't quit his sales job to do theater, but he searched for something fun, and the conclusion he arrived at was theater.^[14]

His first play as a full-time actor was a reprisal of his role in 'Son of Man' in 1991. In 1992, he was cast as a guest performer in a theater company other than his own, in an experimental play called 'Mask of Fire' that portrayed the immorality and futility of power. At the time, the head of the theater company and director, Chae Yoon-il, knew each other well and asked Nam if he would be interested in performing the play in Seoul. Despite not being able to offer any guarantees or cover lodging costs, Chae Yoon-il liked Nam's work and hoped to work with him in Seoul. Nam saw this as an opportunity to advance his career and eagerly accepted. He moved permanently to Seoul when he turned 35 in Korean age, and his debut in Seoul with 'Mask of Fire' was a turning point for him.^{[6][11][15][16]}

Encountering the next work 'Birds Cry Calling My Name' marked a pivotal moment for Nam to pursue his artistic career in Seoul.^[11]

In 1995 Nam did Kim A-ra's play Journey with Oedipus. Nam portrayed the character Jocasta, who was the mother of Oedipus and later became his wife. This role helped him establish himself as a theater actor in Daehangno and brought him fame. It was the first play for which he received a fan letter, which he fondly remembers with a smile.^[17] Nam mentioned that this work made him aware of the infinite possibilities of theater.^[11][18]

In 1996, Nam performed with Park Ji-il in play Sad Song of Sorrow. This work dramatised Jeong Chan's Dongin Literary Award-winning novel.

Park Ji-il is a young man from the airborne unit who works as a theatre actor in Poland, 'Park Un-hyung', and Nam Myung-ryeol appears as a reporter and novelist 'Yoo Sung-gyun' who arrived in Poland to interview musician Henrik Kuretsky.^[19]

Big screen debut

In 1997, Nam made his debut in Chungmuro with minor roles in 'Ji Sang Manga' and 'One Eight Eight Arms'. The following year, he had a small role in director Im Sang-soo's debut film 'Girls' Dinner', and also his first supporting role in director Kang Je-gyu's 'Shiri' (1998). In recent years, he has been more prominent in the film industry. He played a supporting role in 'The Whistleblower' (2014), and in 2016, he took on his first lead role in the low-budget independent film 'My House', which was invited to the 17th Jeonju International Film Festival's Cinemascape Division. Over the past year, he has appeared in significant supporting roles in 'The King', 'Silence', 'Memorial Night', and this year's 'The Detective: Returns'. He has also been more active in dramas lately. Despite being a well-known actor in the theater world, he seems to be focusing on supporting roles in movies without any sense of despair. Based on his recent performances, it appears that he is content with his current trajectory.^[6]

It took several years for him to gain recognition as an actor. The early 2000s were a particularly unstable time for him. Financial difficulties and the mental stress of wondering whether he would be able to perform on stage added to his anxiety. Despite the challenges, he persevered and continued to make choices as an actor, knowing that there was always the possibility of losing his relevance in the industry.^[16][20][21]

In 2012, he played the role of Thomas Stockman, a doctor who fights against collective egoism in Daejeon Arts Center's play Enemy of the People.^[22]

In 2013, he won the acting award at the 50th Dong-A Theater Awards for his play 'Alibi Chronicles'.^[23]

He is participating as a writer for 'Flower Shop', a newsletter published by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture's Seoul Theater Center, where theater performers leave short reviews on plays. Since 2017, he has also been a member of the jury for the theater section of the 'Edaily Culture Awards'.^[11]

Film

Television drama

Music video

Radio program

• Classic Reading & Radio Biography (EBS Radio)
• 2014|2014 EBS Reading radio reading series (EBS FM)

Audio Book

• Amryu of Choi In-joon read by Nam Myeong-ryeol^[28]
• Life coordinates
• The Sand Man by Ernst Hoffmann, read by Nam Myeong-ryeol

Musical concert

Theater

Theater 2000–2010

Theater from 2010

State honors