Kim Hye-Soo 김혜수 [Drama “Under the Queen’s Umbrella” | Movie “Smugglers”]

[rubie]

May 5, 2017

Kim Hye Soo Spreads Love At Baeksang Arts Awards By Hugging Junior Actresses

Source: Soompi by D. Druther

Kim Hye Soo seemed to have plenty of friends at this year’s Baeksang Arts Awards!

The veteran actress was one of many popular celebrities in attendance for the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards on March 3, where she was nominated for Best Actress in a Film for “Familyhood.”

After the event was over, netizens began circulating photos of her captured off camera at the award show, where she was seen warmly greeting some of the junior actresses in attendance with a hug.

During the event, the actress appears to have run into her “Coin Locker Girl” co-star Kim Go Eun, who was among the nominees for Best Actress in a Drama for “Goblin.”

In another set of photos, Kim Hye Soo is joined by actresses Chun Woo Hee, Han Ye Ri, and Park Bo Young, who all appear to be all smiles while giving her their full attention as she speaks. In one image, she holds onto Chun Woo Hee’s hand in a supportive, friendly gesture, and in another, she pulls “Age Of Shadows” star Han Ji Min in for a big hug.

Meanwhile, Kim Hye Soo lost to “Last Princess” actress Son Ye Jin. However, she still appears to have had plenty of fun that night!

Source (1)

[rubie]

May 10, 2017

‘Signal’ to begin airing in Japan next month

(From left) Lee Je-hoon, Kim Hye-soo and Cho Jin-woong star in “Signal.” (CJ E&M)

The tvN drama “Signal” will begin airing in Japan next month, CJ E&M announced Tuesday.

The hit thriller series, which achieved an average of 12.5 percent viewership, stars Lee Je-hoon, Cho Jin-woong and Kim Hye-soo. The series was praised here as a well-made TV drama with solid acting and a tightly-constructed plot. 

The Japanese arm of CJ E&M introduced “Signal” as an award-winning series that represents the recent growth of Korean dramas.

Penned by Kim Eun-hee and directed by Kim Won-seok, “Signal” revolves around a walkie-talkie that transports its users to past crime scenes where they can get information that can be used to solve the case in the present time.

The series ran from Jan. 22 to March 12 on CJ E&M’s cable channel tvN.

The series will air Fridays and Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. starting June 9 on Mnet Japan.

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)

[rubie]

May 18, 2017

Song Kang-ho, 'the most trusted actor'

Source: Hankyung.com via Hancinema.net

Spoiler

Song Kang-ho is the most entrusted actor.

Data Spring Korea conducted a survey of 15,307 people from the 13th to 17th on who they relied on the most to watch a movie and Song Kang-ho came in first with 28.3%.

Song Kang-ho debuted with a play in 1991 and starred in movies "Green Fish", "The Quiet Family", "Shiri" and more. He is now one of the most wanted actors in the film industry.

Furthermore, he starred in "The Foul King", "Memories of Murder", "The Host", "Secret Sunshine", "Thirst", "Snowpiercer", "The Attorney", "The Throne" and so many more.

After Song Kang-ho came Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik and Kim Hye-soo and they are all active actors and actresses.

Meanwhile, Song Kang-ho is starring in the new movie "Taxi Driver" which is based in Gwangju in the 1980s.

[rubie]

June 17, 2017

June Movie Actor Brand Reputation Rankings Revealed

Source: Soompi by DY_Kim

Kim Ok Bin is the first actress to top the monthly movie actor brand reputation rankings!

The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed the June brand reputation rankings for movie actors based on interaction, media, communication, and community indexes of 80,571,958 pieces of big data. This is a 22.24 percent increase from the 65,914,318 pieces of big data analyzed for the May ranking.

An actress took first place for the first time as Kim Ok Bin received a total score of 8,360,523. Goo Chang Wan, head of the Korean Business Research Institute, explained that she captured the attention of media with the film “The Villainess.” He added, “From the link analysis of film actress Kim Ok Bin’s brand, ‘Complicated,’ ‘Kill,’ and ‘Dangerous,’ came up the most, while ‘Villainess,’ ‘Chae Seo Jin,’ and ‘Cannes,’ came out high for the keyword analysis. The positivity-negativity analysis showed 63.89 percent positive reactions.”

Second place went to Kim Soo Hyun with a total score of 6,470,523, while Jo In Sung took third with 5,726,813.

Check out the top 20 below:

1. Kim Ok Bin
2. Kim Soo Hyun
3. Jo In Sung
4. Gong Yoo
5. Yeo Jin Goo
6. Lee Jung Jae
7. Im Siwan
8. Jung Woo Sung
9. Ahn Jae Hong
10. Kim Moo Yeol
11. Song Kang Ho
12. Yoo Ah In
13. Hwang Jung Min
14. Sol Kyung Gu
15. Kim Hye Soo
16. Jun Ji Hyun
17. Byun Yo Han
18. Kim Myung Min
19. Hyun Bin
20. Park Sung Woong

Source (1)

[rubie]

July 23, 2017

Casting these actors and actresses would guarantee success at the box office!
Korean investment companies in the film industry have selected the 2017 version of [magic potions at the B.O.] or box office champions ~

Source: Korea Star Daily, translated by Barbara at LBH soompi via EverythingLBH.com



Who are the big time actors in the 2017 “Chungmuro” edition that guaranteed box office success? There exists a galaxy of stars in the movie circle that would induce audiences to voluntarily purchase movie tickets. They are named “box office guaranteed success”, “trustworthy actors” or “ magic potions at the box office”. They are the darlings of movie producers and distributors, and they attract large capital investments. Movie Investors like these stars and cast them in their movies because they can assure the investors that they can get back their investments. These major producers: CJ E&M, Lotte Entertaiment, Mega Box Plus M, Showbox and New Entertainment have voted and selected the 2017 edition of “Chugmiro box office magic potions”. The total scores are based on their votes.

Leading the pack among actors is Song Kang Ho absolutely. 



The number 1 “Box Office Magic Potion” is Song Kang Ho. Four out of the 5 giant production companies selected him and the remaining company voted him second. He is the current highest paid Korean actor, commanding KRW1,000,000,000 per movie. This high salary reflects his popularity, To put it bluntly, he is the first “go to guy” for all scripts that require an actor over 40 years oid. Investors said: “Song Kang Ho remains number one over many years because he possesses all the qualities that the Korean audience like in an actor: humor, sensitivity, dominance and acting skills that no one can match. 



Comprehensive ranking for the runner-up is Ha Jung Woo. Among the five giant production companies, one even voted him for the first place. His biggest attraction is his affinity with the audience. Investors said: “No matter what role he is given, he is able to portray the character is his own distinctive style. In addition, he has a special relationship with the audience. His success in the movies ”Terror Live” and “The Tunnel” which were adapted from webtoons elevated even more the trust audience has in him.



Comprehensive ranking for third place is Lee Byung Hun. With “Inside Men” , he earned the investors’ trust. They feel that “Lee Byung Hun has amazing acting skills which are very attractive. Whenever a Lee Byung Hun movie is mentioned, everyone looks forward to it. Furthermore, he has uncanny vision in choosing scripts. Therefore whether it is the script or his acting are worthy of trust.”



Comprehensive ranking for 4th place is Hwang Jung Min. He acts at least in one movie per year. By virtue of “Ode to My Father” and “Veteran” he became an actor with audience surpassing 10,000,000 in each of the two movies. Furthermore, most of his works return easily the capital to his investors, making him naturally the darling of investors. 



Comprehensive ranking for fifth place is Gang Don Won. Among actors in their 30s, his appearance, acting and box office strengths are the most balanced. His work ethic is serious and his crew loves him. Professional revealed: "Although his box office results have not been good lately, but he possesses a distinctive aura and is widely accepted as an actor by the film industry.



The number 1 female actress “Box Office Magic Potion” is Son Ye Jin. 

The Leading lady that guarantees success at the box office is absolutely Son Ye Jin. Her appearance in “The Last Princess” last year gave her a big hand. Two of the five giant production companies voted her number one. The remaining three companies voted her in second place. She received a total of 22 points. Although there is a big price gap between actors and actresses, Son Ye Jin is the highest paid actress. Investors said: “ Let us say that Son Ye Jin has very few failures in her works; her work ethic is great, her image is good. If you take into account her looks and acting skills, she is absolutely the champion.” 

Kim Hye Soo received comprehensive ranking for the runner up. She is a very balanced actress. Most of the professionals in the business considered that her dominance in acting is what attracts her to her audience. They praised her: “From the moment Kim Hye Soo decided to act in a movie, the value of the movie rises.” 



Comprehensive ranking for third place is Jun Ji Hyun. As her works are not numerous, there is a huge ripple effect whenever there is an announcement that she will act in a movie. Professionals analyzed as follows: “She does not act in too many movies, but every appearance is enough to release public curiosity. Her popularity will rise to heated levels. However what is uncertain is whether the movie would be successful, unlike Son Ye Jin who has been proven in her works. Her image and popularity are really good, but the feeling of stability is lacking. 



Han Hyo Joo ranks fourth. Although investors put a lot of emphasis on the age and sex on their analysis, but strictly from the acting point of view, Han Hyo Joo is trusted by her audience. Investors said: “Whenever Han Hyo Joo is casted in a lead role, there is never any objection. She is steadfast, and steady actress. Her looks, acting skills, friendliness, positively striving image are very balanced. 



Comprehensive ranking for fifth place is Jeon Do Yeon who received Best Actress in the Cannes Film Festival. Professionals have this to say: “ Although her acting skills are very solid, but her choice of scripts are very different. Rating for her works has wide margins. She received praises for her acting, but her box office disappoints and is regretful. 

[rubie]

July 26, 2017

Kim Hye-soo to star in "National Nonpayment"

Source: STAR MBN via HanCinema.net

Actress Kim Hye-soo is starring in the new movie "National Nonpayment".

"National Nonpayment" is about the untold story of the IMF negotiations during the foreign exchange crisis. It is directed by Choi Gook-hee.

Kim Hye-soo has been in numerous movies such as "The Thieves", "The Face Reader", "Coin Locker Girl" and more.

"National Nonpayment" is in the finishing stages of casting and will crank in later this year.

[rubie]

July 30, 2017

July Movie Actor Brand Reputation Rankings Revealed

Source: Soompi by D. Kim   

Spoiler

Movie actor brand reputation rankings have been released for the month of July.

The Korean Business Research Institute analyzed 139,284,258 pieces of big data from June 28 to July 29, looking at interaction, media, communication, and community indexes.

Song Joong Ki topped the list with a total brand reputation index of 23,494,489. Song Kang Ho followed up in second place with a total score of 11,510,210, while Gong Yoo came in third place with a score of 10,810,929.

Check out the top 25 rankings below:

1. Song Joong Ki
2. Song Kang Ho
3. Gong Yoo
4. Kim Soo Hyun
5. Lee Jung Hyun
6. So Ji Sub
7. Im Siwan
8. Jun Ji Hyun
9. Hwang Jung Min
10. Yeo Jin Goo
11. Yoo Hae Jin
12. Ahn Jae Hong
13. Lee Kyung Young
14. Jung Woo Sung
15. Lee Byung Hun
16. Kim Ok Bin
17. Hyun Bin
18. Yoo Ah In
19. Han Ji Min
20. Park Hyo Joo
21. Han Hyo Joo
22. Lee Jung Jae
23. Jo In Sung
24. Kim Hye Soo
25. Ha Jung Woo

Source (1)

[rubie]

August 3, 2017

KIM Hye-soo Suits Up for NATIONAL BANKRUPTCY DAY
SPLIT Director Readies IMF Crisis Drama

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

Korean star KIM Hye-soo has signed up to be the lead actress in the IMF crisis drama National Bankruptcy Day (translated title). The film is the sophomore directorial outing for SPLIT (2016) director CHOI Kook-hee.

Though plot details are scarce, the film will focus on the difficult IMF negotiations that took place behind the scenes during the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, which had a profound effect on the economy of Korea.

A star since the 1990s, KIM is known for her depictions of strong female characters in modern Korean cinema, in films such as Tazza: The High Rollers (2006), The Thieves (2012) and Coin Locker Girl (2015). Last year, she led the comedy Familyhood to commercial success and will next be seen as the number two in a splintering gang in the action-drama A Special Lady. 

Director CHOI made his feature debut last year with the bowling drama SPLIT starring YOO Ji-tae, LEE Jung-hyun and LEE Da-wit, which was invited to several festivals. Prior to that he made a number of shorts and was an assistant director on Hong Sangsoo’s Tale of Cinema (2005).

National Bankruptcy Day will begin shooting at some point in the latter half of the year. The film will be produced by hitmaker ZIP CINEMA, the company behind Master (2016), The Priests (2015) and Cold Eyes (2013), while CJ Entertainment will distribute.

[rubie]

August 15, 2017

Kim Gi-cheon, "Kim Hye-soo captured my name on the search portal"

Source: Newsen via HanCinema.net

Kim Gi-cheon appeared on the KBS 2TV show "1 VS 100".

He claimed he still had the picture he took with Kim Hye-soo. He said, "When we were in the drama "The Queen of Office", there was an episode where it seemed like I was the main character. My name was number 1 on a portal site. She captured my name and sent it to me and she was very happy for me. I was grateful to know that she thought of me that much".

MC Jo Choong-hyeon asked, "But I heard that you couldn't ask Kim Hye-soo for a picture yourself?" Kim Gi-cheon answered, "When I see celebrity, I want to ask them for pictures and show it off to my friends, but I can't bring myself to do that. One time, she asked me to take a picture first and I still have that picture. I change cell phones, but I always carry that picture with me".

[rubie]

September 1, 2017

Korea's Beauty and the Beast Couple, Kim Hye Soo and Yoo Hae Jin

Source: SportsChosun via HanCinema.net

One of the most popular and celebrated celebrity couples in South Korea was actress Kim Hye-soo and actor Yoo Hae-jin. They earned the nickname of "Beauty and the Beast Couple" couple in Korea and many people still wish for them to get back together after their 2011 breakup. Today, let's take a look at the time line of their relaitonship from meeting, to dating, to after their break-up based on a Sports Chosun article.

The two stars met in the movie, "Kick the moon" back in 2001. Fast forward to five years later when they reunited in the legendary movie, "Tazza: The High Rollers". Their relationship escalated rather quickly. According to one entertainment reporter, they got close becaue they shared same interest - pets. Actress Kim Hye-soo had six puppies at the time and actor Yoo Hae-jin had a cat. As they talked about their animal friends, they got very close.

Also, Yoo Hae-jin has a great interest in art, and Kim Hye-soo was very much into painting at that time. Yoo Hae-jin helped and advised her in art here and there, which led to the couple falling in love.

Then, around 2007, a scandal rumor arose. There were many witnesses saying they saw Kim Hye-soo near Yoo Hae-jin's house or that they saw Kim Hye-soo showing up to Yoo Hae-jin's shooting set and so on. There was even a rumor circulated that the two would marry.

Finally, on January 1st, 2010, a date was captured by paparazzi. According to one source, their dates were all very secretive. Soon, they both moved within five minutes driving distance from each other and Yoo Hae-jin started to join in Kim Hye-soo's family gatherings.

One of the entertainment section reporter stated, "I actually saw them once. I had gotten a call that they were watching a movie together, so I snuck to the movie theater and waited for them to come out. When the movie was finished, Yoo Hae-jin came out first, in casual t-shirt and jeans. However, Kim Hye-soo's style was on whole another level with her white one-piece dress matched with an army jacket, radiating sexiness. They exited about five minutes apart from each other, probably trying not to be noticed".

The news of the birth of Korea's Beauty and the Beast couple at first made everyone confused and curious. Public sentiment was that they were an odd couple, but people were happy for them and decided that they suited each other with their classy mindsets.

The two broke up in 2011, ending their three-year relationship. There were many rumors behind their break up as some talked about how Kim Hye-soo was all for a marriage but Yoo Hae-jin wasn't ready for a marriage, or their personalities were too different; Kim Hye-soo seems very extroverted whereas Yoo Hae-jin seems quite introverted. The official statement released by the press read that they weren't spending much time together because of their busy schedules and that their relationship ended naturally.

We will never know the true reason behind their break-up, but it was surely a sad moment for all when we heard the news. Even after their break-up, they are still one of the most popular celebrity couple of all time in South Korea because of their classy, adult ways. It is said that even though their relationship ended, they still support and care for each other as best friends and there are many instances of their friendly encounters.

One of those would be Kim Hye-soo attending the VIP premiere showing for Yoo Hae-jin's new movie, "A Taxi Driver", on the 25th of last month to support him.

Also in the tvN awards in the beginning of this year, the two exchanged a friendly greetings as Kim Hye-soo put her hand on Yoo Hae-jin's shoulder when she saw him and Yoo Hae-jin placed his hand on hers. When the moment was sighted, the audience at the awards and the internet went a little wild at how cute they still are.

When an interviewer at one Blue Dragon Film Awards asked Yoo Hae-jin who was the most beautiful actress of the night, he immediately answered, "Kim Hye-soo, of course".

It is truly a beautiful relationship these two have, especially considering how most of the couples who have broken up tend to be angry at or avoid each other. Personally, I'm still waiting for this beautiful couple to get back together one day, but even if that does not happen, my wish is for them to find happiness in their lives that they both deserve.

By Lily Lee

[rubie]

Time for another Kim Hye Soo movie in the 10 million club after The Thieves ~

August 29, 2017

The Faster, the Higher
The Time Taken by Surpassing 10 Million Viewers

by CHO Meanjune / KoBiz

The speed at which popular Korean films are passing the 10,000,000 viewer “blockbuster” mark has tripled. At least this is the case in a simple, parallel comparison of the time it took Silmido (2003), the first Korean film to accomplish the 10 million admissions feat, and A Taxi Driver, the 15th and most current film to do so. The amount of days needed for a film to become a blockbuster has gradually and steadily been decreasing over the past 15 years with a few, but notable deviations. The fastest to reach the over 10 million admissions mark is Roaring Currents (2014), becoming the highest grossing local film of all time with 17,615,039 moviegoers while CHOI Dong-hoon’s independent fighter action flick Assassination (2015) surpassed 10 million viewers on the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan on August 15th, 2015.

There is a close correlation between the time taken to exceed 10 million viewers and the number of screens. Masquerade (2012) and Miracle in Cell No.7 (2013), which had 810 and 787 screens respectively, took more than 30 days to surpass the milestone while The Thieves (2012), which was shown on 1,072 screens, managed the feat in only 22 days. The three Korean movies that surpassed the 10 million viewer mark within 20 days all started off with more than 1,500 screens. Among the 10 million viewer toppers, TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016) recorded the highest screen share with 1,788 screens.

[ohmyno]

Just wanted to say thank you rubie for all the updates!

[rubie]

September 14, 2017

 

K-dramas to screen at major French TV festival

Korea has been invited as the honorary guest country to Festival de la Fiction TV, a prominent drama festival funded by the French government.

 

It is the first time a non-French-speaking, non-European country has been invited as the festival’s honorary guest. 

 

Producers, writers and directors of popular Korean drama series will attend the festival. 

 

Three Korean drama series have been invited for screening -- MBC’s “W,” a fantasy romance written by Song Jae-jung and directed by Jung Dae-yoon and Park Seung-woo; tvN’s “Signal,” a sci-fi crime thriller written by Kim Eun-hee and directed by Kim Won-seok; and “The Package,” set to begin airing on JTBC in October, written by Chun Sung-il and directed by Jeon Chang-geun. 

 

Kim Hye-soo (left) and Cho Jin-woong star in “Signal.” (tvN)

 

Lee Jong-suk (left) and Han Hyo-joo star in “W.” (MBC)

 

Screenings of Korean dramas are slated for Thursday and Friday.

 

Following the screenings, the Korean guests will lead talks at a forum about trends in Korean drama and exporting formats.

 

They will also meet with executives from major French television companies TF1, Canal+ and Gaumont Television to discuss French distribution and remakes of Korean dramas. 

 

Festival de la Fiction TV is a festival funded by the French government and features drama series from major French networks. Some 35,000 festivalgoers and 2,000 TV industry personnel attend the event each year. 

 

The competition category this year features 41 drama series, including 25 French dramas, 10 European dramas and six drama series from other French-speaking countries. 

 

“We hope this event will serve as an opportunity to export Korean dramas to Western Europe, which has been a dry area,” said Kim Rak-kyun, the head of global business at the Korea Creative Content Agency. “It signifies a rise in Korean dramas’ status in the world.” 

 

The annual festival, in its 19th edition this year, began Wednesday and runs to Sunday in France’s southwestern city of La Rochelle. 

 

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com) 

[rubie]

Photo List: Dynamic Acting Studio, Seoul  @d.a.studio_korea

 

Talented, admirable and respectable Korean actors

 

#HwangJungMin #JeonDoYeon # ChoJinWoong # ChunWooHee
#NaMoonHee #YooHaeJin #HanSukKyu # KimHyeSoo 
#SongKangHo #SulKyungGu# MoonSoRi #KwakDoWon 
#OhDalSu #BaeDooNa #JoSeungWoo #KimHyeJa  
#LeeSunGyun #GongHyoJin # KimYoonSeok #JangJinYoung 
#LeeByungHun #KimYunJin #GoHyunJung #ParkHaeIl

 

[rubie]

September 25, 2017

 

LEAFF Battens Down the Hatches for THE FORTRESS
13 Korean Films Head to London
 

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

 

Joseon Era battle drama The Fortress has been invited to open this year’s 2nd London East Asian Film Festival (LEAFF), which kicks off on October 19th. This year’s LEAFF competition will include HUH Jung’s horror film The Mimic, LEE An-gyu’s KIM Hye-soo gangster thriller A Special Lady, KO Bong-soo’s wrestling indie Loser’s Adventure and the documentary Dancing with Jikji from WOO Kwang-hoon and David Redman.

 

Featuring LEE Byung-hun, KIM Yun-seok and PARK Hae-il in the lead, the film chronicles the King of Joseon’s retreat to the Namahansanseong Fortress, where he and his advisors faced a siege by the Qing Dynasty. The latest production by Silenced (2011) and Miss Granny (2014) director HWANG Dong-hyuk, The Fortress bows in Korea on October 3rd, just in time for this year’s Chuseok holiday season.

 

Other Korean films will take part in the ‘LEAFF Selection’, such as LEE Joon-ik’s Anarchist from Colony, RYOO Seung-wan’s The Battleship Island and PARK Hoon-jung’s V.I.P., while the ‘Stories of Women’ strand will feature KIM Jong-kwan’s The Table and CHO Hyunhoon’s Jane. 

 

This year’s festival focus turns its eye to the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival and will feature LEE Yong-sun’s I’ll Just Live in Bando, KIM Kwang-bok’s The End of April and JEON Kyu-hwan’s THE END, as well as several shorts.

[rubie]

September 25, 2017

 

‘A Special Lady’ Poster Release...Kim Hye Soo’s Noir Once Again

 

Source: BNTNews

 

 

[by Ent Team] Kim Hyesoo returns again through noir. 

 

On September 25th, ‘A Special Lady (Director Lee An Gyu)’s Distributor, Kidari Ent released the following news. “’Miok’ (eng. A Special Lady) has been decided as the title from the working title ‘precious lady’ and the movie is set to premier on November 9th. We are revealing the beautiful and cruel noir poster.” 

 

‘A Special Lady’ is a noir film telling about the battle of the #2 person in a crime syndicate, Hyunjung (Kim Hyesoo), the troubleshooter Sanghoon (Lee Sunkyun) and the one who is chasing them at their necks, Prosecutor Choi (Lee Hee Joon). 

 

The revealed poster overwhelms viewers’ attention with Kim Hyesoo’s changed image. The unique styling is eye-catching. Her image of blonde short hair that she has styled for the first time since debuting and the red leather jacket that matches her hair leave a strong impression. 

 

Not only that, Hyunjung’s strong determined gaze facing the camera is raising anticipation about the movie storyline. The words, ‘now…let’s end this’ give the impression that the characters are at the edge, at the last chance of catching the other, raising the curiosities of audiences. 

 

Meanwhile, as the most challenging work of Kim Hyesoo’s filmography, ‘A Special Lady’ will capture the fall theater. The movie premiers on November 9th. (photo by Kidari Ent) 

[rubie]

September 27, 2017

 

Veteran actresses struggle to land on roles

 

By Park Jin-hai The Korea Times

 

Veteran actresses in their late 30s and 40s struggle to find characters that suit their experience and abilities. 

 

The film and TV industries complain of a shortage of young actresses in their 20s, while older and more experienced actresses say their chances of appearing on screens are getting smaller because many TV dramas and movies shun them. 

 

Actresses in their 40s are as gorgeous as younger actresses and are eager to devote themselves to acting. Yet those veteran actresses have a hard time finding decent roles befitting their names. It is in stark contrast to actors in a similar age group who are bagging diverse roles and building their careers. 

 

Although some dramas such as "Good Wife" needed actresses in their 40s, and "Woman of Dignity" cast two lead actresses Kim Sun-a, 43, and Kim Hee-sun, 41, who stole the show, it is rare for veteran actresses to find such projects. 

 

Choi Kang-hee, 40, after finishing her latest project "Queen of Mystery," said in an interview that she was in a bad slump and recovered by landing the title role in the drama. 

 

"I saw the range of characters I can play is drastically reduced," she said. "I felt that that I couldn't be in romantic comedies forever with younger male partners. But at the same time, I was not suited to feature, say, as a married woman with kids." 

 

An official of a local entertainment agency said: "It is true that film distributors prefer projects where actors take leading roles. Although those A-list veteran actresses receive diverse offers, it is another matter whether those projects can actually receive investment and secure screening. 

 

"Although actresses of that age group have a higher desire to be challenged by diverse roles and expand their acting spectrum, it is hard to find such projects. Instead of considering if it is a leading role or supporting role, it would be better for them to find scene-stealing roles that can make them outshine the lead actors." 

 

Kim Hye-soo left a strong impression in "Signal," even though her part was small, and Bae Doo-na, co-star of "Stranger," is known to choose films that are good rather than for how big the potential role is. 

 

Some actresses become directors and create the characters they want to play. Veteran actress Moon so-ri, 43, recently made her directorial debut with her new film "The Running Actress. " The semi-autobiopic comedy features her as the main character, showing her struggling with her career, family life and public perception. In the film, Moon plays a middle-aged actress who has a hard time landing roles she wants but receives offers to play other parts such as a single mom butcher with a grown-up child. 

 

jinhai@ktimes.com

[rubie]

October 10, 2017

 

Woman-oriented action noir, a challenge for actress Kim Hye-soo

 

By Shim Sun-ah

 

SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Yonhap) -- Since the bulk of her work lately was dramas and sexy roles, being cast as the lead in a women-oriented action noir film presented a considerable challenge for actress Kim Hye-soo.

 

"I am a coward who's different from the public image of me, so whenever I'd been offered an action film I always thought I could not do it," the 47-year-old star said at a press conference in Seoul for her new film, "A Special Lady," on Tuesday. But the film's interesting story and characters captured her mind, leading her to stake her career on the challenge, she said.

 

Actress Kim Hye-soo poses for photographers during a news conference for "A Special Lady" at a cinema in southern Seoul on Oct. 10, 2017. (Yonhap)

 

After doing the movie, she gained confidence that she can expand her filmography to the action genre.

 

"What I confirmed this time was that I have very good physical fitness as I expected," she said. "I felt like I was dancing, not the action that I was learned to do. I thought it could have been my last time doing a noir film but now that has changed. I want to be better prepared next time."

   

In "A Special Lady," Kim plays Hyeon-jeong, an underboss of an organized crime ring who grew it into a promising business group. She dreams of leaving the criminal world and making a new start. However, her loyal subordinate and fixer Sang-hoon (Lee Sun-kyun) can't understand her and helps prosecutor Choi (Lee Hui-joon) take revenge on her.

 

Director Lee An-gyu said that he simply began from the desire to produce a female-oriented action noir because there are already countless films out there featuring cool guys.

"Kim came up in my mind as the only option for the role of Hyeon-jeong," he said.

 

Kim showed her charismatic image as a female cop in the 2016 tvN series "Signal" and the female boss of a criminal ring in the 2014 Korean film "Coinlocker Girl."

   

She also touched on the lack of female-centric titles in the Korean film industry.

"I think you'll all know the reality facing actresses. This is not a problem limited to Korea after all. There are also only a few films led by women in Hollywood and most European countries," she said.

 

She expressed hope that there will be more films like "A Special Lady" to enhance the diversity of the local film industry.

 

"A Special Lady" is set to open in local theaters on Nov. 9.

 

 

sshim@yna.co.kr

[rubie]

October 10, 2017

 

Noir film led by Kim Hye-soo invited to multiple int’l film fests

 

Kim Hye-soo stars in “A Special Lady.” (Cine Guru Kidari Ent)

 

The upcoming crime action flick “A Special Lady” has garnered attention from numerous international film festivals.

 

The film has been invited to Spain‘s Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival and London East Asia Film Festival, the film’s distributor Cine Guru Kidari Ent said Tuesday. 

 

The noir film stars Kim Hye-soo, 47, as a beautiful, cruel gang boss, and Lee Sun-gyun as her hired assassin. 

 

It is the debut feature of director Lee An-gyu, who previously worked with acclaimed director Kim Jee-woon on the 2008 film “The Good, the Bad, the Weird.” 

 

The film will compete in the Sitges’ Orbita category, which spotlights genre films of both critical and commercial value, where another Korean film, “The Battleship Island,” is a contender, among others.

 

Jeong Byeong-gil’s “The Villainess” will screen in the official fantastic competition of the festival, which runs until Oct. 15.

 

“A Special Lady” will screen in the Korean film category at the Hawaii film fest, Nov. 2-12, and in the official competition category of London’s East Asia film fest, Oct. 19-29. 

 

“A Special Lady” will open in theaters on Nov. 9.

 

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com) 

[rubie]

October 10, 2017

 

Actress Kim Hye-soo

 

 

South Korean actress Kim Hye-soo poses for the camera during a publicity event for her new movie "Miok" at a theater in southern Seoul on Oct. 10, 2017. The crime action film will screen in South Korea on Nov. 9. (Yonhap) (END)