Biography
Who is Song Hye-kyo?
Early life and education
Born in Daegu, Song Hye-kyo experienced a difficult start, as doctors initially doubted she would survive infancy. Her parents eventually registered her birth for February 26, 1982, although her actual date of birth was November 22, 1981. Following her parents' divorce, she lived with her mother. They relocated to the Gangnam District in Seoul.
During elementary school, she trained as a figure skater but stopped in the eighth grade. She attended Ewha Girls' High School, where teachers noted her cheerful personality despite her own introverted self-perception. She pursued higher education at Sejong University and Chung-Ang University, majoring in Film Arts.
Rise to fame
In 1996, the fourteen-year-old student won first place in the SunKyung Smart Model Contest. This victory launched her entertainment career as a model for a school uniform brand. She soon secured a minor role in the television drama First Love. Her career progressed through various sitcoms, most especially Soonpoong Clinic.
However, her major breakthrough arrived in 2000 with the KBS drama Autumn in My Heart. The show became a major success across Asia, establishing her as a key figure in the Korean Wave. By 2003, she gained further popularity starring in the gambling drama All In alongside Lee Byung-hun. This series reached peak viewership ratings of 47.7 percent. The following year, she secured her status as a top Asian star by co-starring in the romantic comedy series Full House.
Film roles and international ventures
Song transitioned to film in 2005 with My Girl and I, a remake of a Japanese movie. She later played the lead in the 2007 film adaptation of Hwang Jin Yi. Seeking to challenge herself, she acted in the 2008 American indie film Make Yourself at Home, a psychological thriller.
In 2011, she starred in the film A Reason to Live, which she described as a personal turning point. That same year, she became the first Asian performer to sign with the French agency Effigies. She later learned Cantonese and martial arts for her supporting role in The Grandmaster, a biographical film directed by Wong Kar-wai.
Career resurgence and awards
In 2013, she returned to television for the melodrama That Winter, the Wind Blows, which topped ratings in its time slot. She earned the Daesang, the highest television award, at the 2nd APAN Star Awards for this performance.
Her next major project was the 2016 romantic drama Descendants of the Sun. This series achieved big popularity, with viewership ratings hitting 41.6 percent in Korea and billions of views on international streaming platforms. Song won the Daesang at the 2016 KBS Drama Awards alongside her co-star Song Joong-ki. She has continued to work in both film and television, with well-known recent roles in the series The Glory and the film Dark Nuns.
Birthday and age
Song Hye-kyo was born on November 22, 1981, which makes Song 44 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Song shares the date with 32 other famous people.
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