In over 20 years of her career, Jun Ji Hyun epitomizes what it means to be an iconic actress.
Jun Ji Hyun remains to be a sought-after South Korean actress without active social media promotion. That seems to be odd in this age, but it adds allure and enigma to her stable following.
In a way her victorious arrangement of separating work and real life activities really create admiration from her fans. With little to nothing information about her private life, the clamor to peel off the layers of her candid moments is always there. And we are still waiting if we can see her in a variety show guesting.
Successfully switching from small and big screens, she has sustained two decades of artistic merits. Consistently reinventing herself to challenge new faces in varying roles, Jun Ji Hyun herself is a definition of her own ingenuity.
The Year Was 2001: Jun Ji Hyun gifted us with the iconic film “My Sassy Girl”
Widely recognized as her breakout role, My Sassy Girl is a classic Korean film that you won’t watch only once. Her endearing chemistry with Cha Tae Hyun propelled both their careers to stardom.
Prior to her role as “the girl” in the film, Jun Ji Hyun had flaunted her budding immersive portrayals in her debut film White Valentine in 1999. That year, she also starred in star-studded family drama, Happy Together which is a trove of all the popular A-list actors we know of today.
Subsequently, her work in Il Mare, a fantasy-romance film narrated in two distinct timelines, is another gem not to be missed by any romance story enthusiast.
The Years That Defined The Meaning Of Being An Actress For Jun Ji Hyun
Over two years after the sleeper hit My Sassy Girl, Jun Ji Hyun surprisingly returns with psychological horror flick, The Uninvited. Between 2003 and 2009, her roles still carry her Korean sweetheart label after starring in two romance themed series: Windstruck and Daisy.
While Windstruck carry the same rom-com spirit that made viewers love her, the film Daisy explored more emotions to the then rising actress. Unapologetic in wanting to expand her range, her works in A Man Who Was a Superman and Blood: The Last Vampire decks a statement that she is a talented actress in unlikely roles. The latter is internationally co-produced and stars foreign actors.
The Years of Her Global Popularity
Spearheading the Korean wave, and finishing the challenge of her first decade as an actress, Jun Ji Hyun has blossomed to become a rare diamond actress. She was on a success rampage both in film and television from 2011 to 2017.
Continuing her foray in the international market scene, she top-billed the film adaptation of popular novel Snow Flower and the Secret Fan in 2011. In the subsequent year, she joins the powerhouse cast of box office hit caper movie The Thieves. Her chemistry with Kim Soo Hyun was loved by fans immensely.
Proving to be a lucky season for the actress, Jun Ji Hyun achieved her prestigious Daesang awards for her role in My Love From The Star in 2013. A nod to the interesting chemistry she shared with the bankable actor since The Thieves.
At the same year, she received critical acclaim for her role in action thriller film, The Berlin File.
Scoring her second film to join the famed 10-million club roster of highest-grossing films, Jun again proved her mettle in portraying the role of a sniper in period espionage action film, Assassination in 2015.
Three years after her well-loved role of top actress Cheon Song-yi, she suited up to the mermaid role in another top-rating drama The Legend of the Blue Sea opposite Lee Min Ho.
In between her thriving career, Jun Ji Hyun is happily married and mother to two children. She is currently filming for highly-anticipated series Mount Jiri.
Happy Birthday Jun Ji Hyun!
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