Ahn Sung-ki debuted in the film Twilight Train in 1957 at the age of five. In 1959, he was named Best Child Actor at the San Francisco International Film Festival for the movie Defiance of a Teenager. In 1980, he received the Best New Actor citation at the 19th Grand Bell Awards for the film A Fine, Windy Day. He then won Best Actor for Film at the Baeksang Arts Awards for four straight years in 1982 to 1985 for the following movies: Mandala, Village in the Mist, The Flower of the Equator, and Deep Blue Night. In 1989, he once again collected the Baeksang Best Actor trophy for his performance in the 1988 film The Age of Success, followed by one more win in 1991 for Who Saw the Dragon’s Toenails. In 1994, he picked up his seventh Best Actor win as well as the Grand Prize at the 30th Baeksang Arts Awards for the hit buddy cop film Two Cops. He and his Two Cops co-star Park Joong-hoon were also hailed Best Actors at the 32nd Grand Bell Awards. In 2006, he reunited with Park Joong-hoon in the comedy drama film Radio Star, in which Ahn Sung-ki received the Best Actor trophy at the 44th Grand Bell Awards. Moreover, the two actors once again shared the Best Actor citation at the 27th Blue Dragon Film Awards for their performance in Radio Star. In 2012, Ahn Sung-ki’s work in the courtroom drama movie Unbowed gave him another Best Actor trophy at the 48th Baeksang Arts Awards. Also in 2012, Ahn Sung-ki and Lee Byung-hun became the first Asian actors to leave their hand and foot prints on the forecourt of the Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

Ahn Sung-ki has been married to art professor Oh So-young since 1985. They have two sons together. The actor is close friends with veteran singer Jo Yong-pil.