Biography
Who is Kim Hee-sun?
Early life and career beginnings
Kim Hee-sun was born in Daegu, South Korea. During her middle school years in 1992, she won a beauty contest known as the Fair Face Beauty Contest. This victory led to early work as a model for various teen magazines. By 1993, while she was a high school sophomore, she appeared in a television commercial for Lotte Samkang crab chips.
Following that advertisement, Kim secured her first acting role in the program Dinosaur Teacher. That same year, she also gained experience as a presenter for the music program Live TV Music 20. These early opportunities established her presence in the South Korean entertainment industry before she reached adulthood.
Rise to television fame
Throughout the mid-to-late 1990s, Kim experienced significant popularity by starring in a string of successful television dramas. Her well-known appearances during this period included Men of the Bath House, Propose, Wedding Dress, and Forever Yours. She also appeared in the series Sunflower and Tomato.
In 1998, she starred in the television series Mister Q. Her performance in this production earned her the top prize at the SBS Drama Awards. At twenty-one years old, she became the youngest performer to receive the Grand Prize, or Daesang, at that ceremony. This accomplishment secured her reputation as a leading television actress in South Korea.
Film career and international projects
Kim transitioned to film with her debut in the 1997 movie Repechage. She later took on the role of a Mongolian general's daughter in the big-budget martial arts fantasy film titled The Myth. Released in 2000, this movie provided her with extensive exposure in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. She learned to speak Mandarin for her role opposite Jackie Chan.
Her filmography also includes the 2001 movie Wanee and Junah, where she portrayed an animator, and the 2003 melodrama A Man Who Went to Mars. Later, she appeared in the 2011 Chinese epic The Warring States and the independent film Paper Flower, which she confirmed in 2018. Although her film career proved more challenging than her television work, these projects helped her establish a presence across Asian markets.
Later television work and personal life
After a hiatus to focus on her family, Kim returned to television in 2012 for the period romance Faith. She subsequently hosted the talk show Hwasin, Controller of the Heart in 2013 and starred in the drama Wonderful Days in 2014. Her performance in the 2015 series Angry Mom, where she played a mother returning to high school, received critical praise.
In 2017, she starred in The Lady in Dignity, which became the highest-rated JTBC drama at the time of its broadcast. She later appeared in the mystery series Room No. 9 in 2018 and the science fiction romance Alice in 2020. In 2022, she portrayed a grim reaper in the fantasy series Tomorrow. Outside of work, she married businessman Park Ju-young in 2007 at the Seoul Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel and has one daughter.
Birthday and age
Kim Hee-sun was born on June 11, 1977, which makes Kim 49 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Kim shares the date with 51 other famous people.
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