Kim Min-hee (actress, born 1982)
Kim Min-hee (born March 1, 1982) is a South Korean actress and model.
Kim Min-hee | |
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![]() Kim in 2015 | |
Born | |
Education | Dankook University - B.A. and M.A. in Theater and Film Studies[1] |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1999–present |
Agent |
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Korean name | |
Hangul | 김민희 |
---|---|
Revised Romanization | Gim Min-hui |
McCune–Reischauer | Kim Minhŭi |
Career
Kim Min-hee began modeling when she was in middle school, and soon appeared as a cover girl in teen magazines. In 1999, she was cast in the campus drama School 2 as a rebellious high school girl, which launched her to stardom. She became a popular young star at barely 20 years old, appearing in TV dramas and movies. However, a string of poor acting performances brought her negative criticism. Critics and viewers disparagingly called her an "attractive but blank actress," more famous for being a fashion icon and actor Lee Jung-jae's then-girlfriend.[2]
In 2006, after reading the synopsis of TV series Goodbye Solo, Kim knew that she wanted the role of Mi-ri more than anything, saying "I was ready to do anything to play her." She begged renowned screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung to cast her, and though Noh turned her down five times, Kim would not give up, and her determination eventually convinced Noh to see her hidden potential. Vowing to start over from the bottom, Kim went through strict acting training which included basic vocal and respiratory exercises; she got a hold of the script before anyone else, and continued to analyze the role and practice every day. Kim said that until Goodbye Solo, she hadn't been sure what to do with the rest of her life, but the drama made her feel that acting was her true calling, like she'd "finally opened up the first page of the textbook." She received good reviews for her performance, and despite the drama's low ratings, the role transformed her career.[2]
Her succeeding movie roles helped solidify her career reinvention, beginning with 2008's Hellcats (also known by its Korean title I Like It Hot or Some Like It Hot), a light-hearted comedy that explored the lives and loves of three women at different stages of womanhood. Kim played an aspiring screenwriter in her twenties who's agonizing over her insecure career and shaky romance with a deadbeat musician boyfriend. Reviews praised her "compelling performance,"[3][4] and she later won Best Actress at the Baeksang Arts Awards and the Busan Film Critics Awards.[5]
Kim then joined the all-star cast of Actresses (2009), a semi-improvisational mockumentary directed by E J-yong (whom she had previously worked with in Asako in Ruby Shoes). Set during a Vogue Korea photo shoot, Kim gets upset in the film over a remark by a staffer that men don't find skinny women like her attractive, as compared to her more voluptuous costar Kim Ok-bin.[6][7][8] A supporting turn as a reporter in conspiracy film Moby Dick followed in 2011.[9][10]
Kim further stretched the limits of her acting range in psychological thriller Helpless (2012), adapted from Miyabe Miyuki's novel All She Was Worth (in Japanese, "one-way train/fire chariot to hell"). She said she had absolute trust in director Byun Young-joo and never even checked the monitors,[11] and Byun was likewise complimentary, saying, "I ended up adding more scenes for her to act because she was just exceptional. She knew what she was doing, and knew she was able to pull it off. She was rarely nervous throughout the production. She's got no fear and is always confident."[12] Kim said the role gave her a chance to show what she was capable of as an actress, adding, "I feel differently about acting now. I often feel a tremendous sense of achievement and really enjoy doing this job."[13][14][15][16][17] Displaying a striking screen presence as a mysterious girl who disappears without a trace while her bewildered fiancé discovers a trail of falsified information, Kim received several acting nominations and won Best Actress at the Buil Film Awards.[18]
After her contract with Lee Byung-hun's agency BH Entertainment ended in late 2012, Kim signed with Management Soop, which also handles the career of her friend Gong Hyo-jin.[19]
In 2013, Kim again earned raves for her performance in Very Ordinary Couple. Unlike the typical romantic comedy, the relationship drama told a more realistic story of an on-and-off couple of three years.[20][21] During her acceptance speech as Best Actress at the 2013 Baeksang Arts Awards, Kim thanked her costar Lee Min-ki and director Roh Deok, who "helped shape (her) character Young on the screen."[22][23] Action-noir No Tears for the Dead followed in 2014, in which she played a grieving woman who becomes a hitman's target.[24]
Kim next starred in Hong Sang-soo's critically acclaimed film Right Now, Wrong Then (2015), which won her Best Actress at the Busan Film Critics Awards.[25] Kim shot to international stardom for her performance in the award-winning film The Handmaiden, Park Chan-wook's 2016 film adaptation of Fingersmith set in 1930s Korea.[26][27] Park called her "the most coveted a-list actress at the moment."[28]
In 2017, Kim became the first Korean actress to win the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival for her performance in the film On the Beach at Night Alone.[29] In 2018, she starred in Grass and Hotel by the River.[30]
Kim starred in The Woman Who Ran (2020) which won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival.[31] In 2020, The New York Times ranked Kim sixteenth on its list of "The 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century".[32]
Personal life

In June 2016, Kim was reported to be having an affair with Hong Sang-soo, the director of the film Right Now, Wrong Then, in which she starred as the lead actress in 2015.[33] At the Seoul premiere of On the Beach at Night Alone in March 2017, Kim and Hong openly admitted their affair.[34]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2000 | Asako in Ruby Shoes | Mia |
2002 | Surprise Party | Hwang Mi-ryung |
2008 | Hellcats | Ami |
2009 | Actresses | Kim Min-hee |
2011 | Moby Dick | Sung Hyo-kwan |
2012 | Helpless | Kang Sun-young |
2013 | Behind the Camera | |
Very Ordinary Couple | Jang Young | |
2014 | No Tears for the Dead | Mo-kyung |
2015 | Right Now, Wrong Then | Yoon Hee-jung |
2016 | The Handmaiden | Lady Hideko |
2017 | On the Beach at Night Alone | Young-hee |
Claire's Camera | Jeon Man-hee | |
The Day After | Song Ah-reum | |
2018 | Grass | A-reum |
Hotel by the River | A-reum | |
2020 | The Woman Who Ran[35] | Gam-hee |
Television series
Year | Title | Role | Network |
---|---|---|---|
1999 | School 2 | Shin Hye-won | KBS1 |
2000 | Look Back in Anger | Lee Hye-jung | KBS2 |
2000 | Juliet's Man | Bol Yeo-woo | SBS |
2002 | Age of Innocence | Ji-yoon | |
2004 | My 19 Year Old Sister-in-Law | Choi Soo-ji | |
2006 | Goodbye Solo | Choi Mi-ri | KBS2 |
2008 | Love Marriage | Lee Kang-hyun |
Variety show
Year | Title | Network | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Inkigayo (Popular Music) | SBS | Host with Ahn Jae-mo , April 23 – December 31, 2000 |
Awards
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Young Actress | School | Won |
2000 | SBS Drama Awards | Best New Actress | Juliet's Man | Won |
2002 | Netizen Popularity Award | Age of Innocence | Won | |
2006 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress | Goodbye Solo | Nominated |
Best Couple Award with Lee Jae-ryong | Nominated | |||
2008 | 44th Baeksang Arts Awards[5] | Best Actress | Hellcats | Won |
7th Korean Film Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
9th Busan Film Critics Awards | Best Actress | Won | ||
KBS Drama Awards | Netizen Award, Actress | Love Marriage | Nominated | |
Best Couple Award with Kim Ji-hoon | Nominated | |||
2012 | 48th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actress | Helpless | Nominated |
21st Buil Film Awards[18] | Best Actress | Won | ||
33rd Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
2013 | 4th KOFRA Film Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |
49th Baeksang Arts Awards[22] | Best Actress | Very Ordinary Couple | Won | |
22nd Buil Film Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
14th Women in Film Korea Awards | Best Actress | Won | ||
34th Blue Dragon Film Awards[36] | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
Popular Star Award | Won | |||
2016 | 3rd Wildflower Film Awards | Best Actress | Right Now, Wrong Then | Nominated |
16th Busan Film Critics Awards[25] | Best Actress | Won | ||
21st Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
25th Buil Film Awards | Best Actress | The Handmaiden | Nominated | |
37th Blue Dragon Film Awards[37] | Best Actress | Won | ||
16th Director's Cut Awards[38] | Best Actress | Won | ||
Austin Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
Cine 21 Awards | Best Actress | Won | ||
2017 | 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |
22nd Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
International Cinephile Society Awards[39] | Best Actress | The Day After | Won | |
67th Berlin International Film Festival[40] | Best Actress | On the Beach at Night Alone | Won | |
55th Gijón International Film Festival[41] | Best Actress | Won | ||
26th Buil Film Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
2018 | 23rd Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |
International Cinephile Society Awards | Best Actress | Runner-up | ||
Faro Island Film Festival | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
5th Wildflower Film Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
12th Asian Film Awards | Best Actress | The Day After | Nominated | |
2019 | 6th Wildflower Film Awards | Best Actress | Grass | Nominated |
2020 | Cine 21 Awards[42] | Best Actress | The Woman Who Ran | Won |
References
- "김민희" Archived February 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Epg (in Korean). Retrieved September 30, 2012.
- Shin, Hae-in (March 16, 2006). "Actress Kim Min-hee enjoys limelight again". The Korea Herald via Hancinema. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Lee, Hyo-won (January 27, 2008). "Hellcats Is Charmingly Off-Tune". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Yang, Sung-jin (January 8, 2008). "Hellcats rejects men, holds girl-only party". The Korea Herald. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
- "The 44th PaekSang Arts Awards Sparkles with Stars". KBS World. April 24, 2008. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
- Lee, Hyo-won (November 17, 2009). "Actresses to Present Off-Screen Personas Onscreen". The Korea Times. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- Lee, Ji-hye (November 23, 2009). "Actresses is a miracle achieved, says Koh (Part 1)". 10Asia. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- Lee, Ji-hye (November 23, 2009). "Actresses is a miracle achieved, says Koh (Part 2)". 10Asia. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- Lee, Hyo-won (June 2, 2011). "Conspiracy flick is painstakingly real". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- Hong, Lucia (May 24, 2011). "Kim Min-hee cast as female lead in new thriller". 10Asia. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- Lee, In-kyung (January 29, 2012). "Kim Min Hee Brings the Mystery for Train". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Lee, Claire (March 8, 2012). "Director explores financial, social horrors". The Korea Herald. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- "Kim Min-hee Anything But Helpless in New Movie Role". The Chosun Ilbo. March 3, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Lee, Nancy (February 16, 2012). "Kim Min Hee Thinks Happiness is Close By". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Lee, Jin-ho (March 10, 2012). "Interview: Kim Min Hee was Always Confident about Her Acting". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Lee, Jin-ho (March 13, 2012). "Kim Min Hee Opens Up About Love and Future". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- Son, Hye-young (February 11, 2013). "Kim Min Hee, The Cherry Blossom Girl". 1st Look Magazine via enewsWorld. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
- Hong, Jeong-won (October 5, 2012). "최민식-김민희, 부일영화상 남녀주연상 수상 (BIFF)" [Choi Min-sik-Kim Min-hee, Best Actor and Actress at Buil Film Awards (BIFF)]. Newsen (in Korean).
- Lee, Tae-ho (August 14, 2012). "Kim Min-hee signs exclusive contract with Gong Yoo's agency". 10Asia. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- An, So-hyoun (March 3, 2013). "Kim Min Hee Says She's Honest in Love Relationships". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- Han, Jae-hee (April 4, 2013). "Kim stretches her acting chops". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on April 9, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- Lee, Claire (May 10, 2013). "Ryu Seung-ryong wins top prize at Paeksang". The Korea Herald. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- Lee, Hye-ji (May 10, 2013). "On the Scene: 2013 Paeksang Arts Awards: He Said, She Said". 10Asia. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- Kenigsberg, Ben (June 19, 2014). "A Hit Man Repents, With Barrels Blazing". The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- "YOO Hae-jin and KIM Min-hee Take Acting Honors". Korean Film Council. December 16, 2015.
- Kim, June (December 10, 2014). "KIM Min-hee and KIM Tae-ri Confirmed for FINGERSMITH". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
- "Actress wearing 'invisible' scarlet letter". The Korea Times. February 23, 2017.
- Jin, Eun-soo (May 3, 2016). "The Handmaiden generates a buzz". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
- "Kim Min-hee wins best actress award in Berlin film festival". The Korea Times. February 19, 2017.
- Kristen Yoonsoo Kim (April 26, 2019). "In the Maze of Love: Hong Sang-soo and Kim Min-hee's Intricate Tales of Romance". The Nation. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- Roxborough, Scott (March 2, 2020). "Berlin: Cinema Guild Takes U.S. Rights to Hong Sang-soo's 'The Woman Who Ran'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- Dargis, Manohla; Scott, A. O. (November 25, 2020). "The 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century (So Far)". The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- "Actress wearing 'invisible' scarlet letter". The Korea Times. February 23, 2017.
- "Hong Sang-soo Speaks About Romance with Star". The Chosun Ilbo. March 14, 2017.
- "Hong Sangsoo and KIM Min-Hee Return to Berlin Competition with THE WOMAN WHO RAN". Korean Film Biz Zone. January 31, 2020.
- "HOPE Scores Best Film at 34th Blue Dragon Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone. November 25, 2013.
- "INSIDE MEN Deemed Best Film at 37th Blue Dragon Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone.
- "NA Hong-jin Nabs Best Director from Director's Cut Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone.
- "ICS Cannes Awards 2017 are revealed". Icsfilm.org. May 28, 2017.
- "Prizes of the International Jury". Berlinale. February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
- "Kim Min-hee wins best actress at Gijon Int'l Film Fest". The Korea Herald. November 27, 2017.
- "[스페셜] '씨네21'이 선정한 올해의 영화인①". Cine 21 (in Korean). December 31, 2020.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kim Min-hee. |
- Kim Min-hee at HanCinema
- Kim Min-hee at the Korean Movie Database
- Min-hee Kim at IMDb