Kim Sun-a

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Kim Sun-a
Born (1973-10-01) 1 October 1973 (age 50)
Daegu, South Korea
EducationBall State University - Piano Major
Kyung Hee University - Theater and Film
OccupationActress
Years active1996–present
Agents
Korean name
Hangul
김선아
Hanja
Revised RomanizationGim Seon-a
McCune–ReischauerKim Sŏna

Kim Sun-a (Korean김선아; born October 1, 1973) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her title role as Kim Sam-soon in the popular television series My Lovely Sam Soon (2005). Other notable series include City Hall (2009), Scent of a Woman (2011),The Lady in Dignity (2017), Should We Kiss First? (2018), Children of Nobody (2018) and Secret Boutique (2019).

Early life[edit]

Kim Sun-a was born in Daegu in 1973.[1] She is the eldest of three siblings, with a younger brother and sister. When Kim was in middle school, her family immigrated to Japan, and she spent much of her adolescence in Chōfu, Tokyo, where she learned to speak Japanese fluently.[2]

In 1993, Kim enrolled at Ball State University in Indiana, United States as a Piano major (she also became fluent in English).[3]

Career[edit]

While in South Korea for summer vacation in 1996, Kim stood in for a friend in a modeling job, thus inadvertently making her entertainment debut. Despite her inexperience in show business, she left college and subsequently appeared in a Hanbul Cosmetics commercial with the slogan "I felt his scent on a strange woman," which jump-started her career. She then appeared in a music video by Kim Hyun-cheol, and in 1997 began getting cast in supporting roles on TV but did not emerge as a star. Kim would first become well known as a film actress, debuting in the big-budget box office failure Yesterday,[4] but going on to play a lead role as a student teacher in the unexpected hit Wet Dreams.[5][2] Initially Kim had considered a singing career and successfully auditioned to join Park Joon-hyung and Park Jin-young's project mixed-gender group "GOT6" in 1997 but left the following year to pursue acting. The group then became the five-piece boy band g.o.d. Kim's identity as the anonymous female singer who was originally part of "GOT6" was only revealed by Park Joon-hyung and confirmed by Kim herself in 2015.[6][7]

Following her film success, Kim began to establish a niche for herself in comedies, often appearing as a straight-talking and not particularly demure comic heroine. She appeared in three films in 2003: a memorable cameo appearance in the period comedy Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield, opposite Im Chang-jung in the commercially successful The Greatest Expectation, and together with Cha Tae-hyun in the little-watched Happy Ero Christmas.[8] In 2004 she took the lead role in S Diary as a jilted woman who decides to get revenge on her ex-boyfriends.[9]

The early part of 2005 saw her star in the action-comedy She's on Duty,[10] but she would follow up by returning to the realm of TV dramas. It proved to be the best move of her career, as My Lovely Sam Soon ended up becoming the most-watched drama of 2005.[11] The forthright, independent personality she displayed in her leading role as a woman who finds unexpected success in life as a baker endeared her to women across Korea, and later Asia, establishing her as a top star.[2][12] Later that year, Kim decided to finish her college degree by transferring to Kyung Hee University as a Theater and Film major (she graduated in 2009 and received an Achievement Award from the College of Art and Design).[13]

Her first post-Sam Soon project was supposed to have been the movie Thursday's Child, but the project ran into problems midway through filming. The film production company Yoon and Joon sued Kim for breach of contract and damages worth ₩1 billion, claiming that the actress was liable for their losses of more than ₩2.3 billion. She won the lawsuit in 2007, with the Seoul Central District Court ruling that Kim bore no responsibility for the shutdown of the movie.[14] After undergoing script revisions and a change of director and lead actress (to Yunjin Kim), Thursday's Child was eventually renamed and released as Seven Days.

After a three-year hiatus caused by legal and contractual disputes, Kim finally got back to work in 2008, starring in the big-screen comedy Girl Scout,[15] and the poorly received TV drama Night After Night (also known as When It's At Night).[16] 2009's City Hall, where she played a low-ranking city official whose life takes a turn when she wins a pageant and later becomes the mayor, was a modest hit, with fans crediting its success to Kim's chemistry with her co-star Cha Seung-won.[17][18]

Originally cast as the lead actress for 2010's I Am Legend, Kim quit before filming started due to issues with the production (she was replaced by her good friend Kim Jung-eun). Instead she chose the 2011 melodrama Scent of a Woman, which centers on a spinster who, after slaving herself at a travel agency for many years, is diagnosed that she only has six months left to live, and decides to live the rest of her life happily, turning in her resignation and leaving for a vacation of luxury.[19][20] She next starred in the movie Pitch High (in Korean, Fighting Spirit), in which she played the supportive wife of a second string baseball pitcher.[21]

In the 2012 romantic comedy series I Do, I Do, Kim's character is a workaholic shoe designer who gets pregnant after a one-night stand with a much younger newbie employee, then meets a charming obstetrician.[22][23] She returned to the big screen in 2013 thriller The Five, based on the popular webtoon by Jeong Yeon-shik, in which Kim played a woman who plots revenge against the serial killer who murdered her family and left her crippled (her performance later won Best Actress at the 34th Golden Cinema Festival).[24][25]

In 2015, Kim was then cast in Masked Prosecutor, about a prosecutor by day who turns into a masked vigilante by night; Kim plays the chief of a detective squad in the violent crimes unit.[26] In October 2015, Kim signed an exclusive contract with management agency C-JeS Entertainment.[27]

In 2017, Kim starred in the mystery thriller series The Lady in Dignity, playing a woman from a poor family whose ambition is to become a member of the upper class.[28] The series was a commercial and critical success, becoming JTBC's highest rated drama with a single episode rating of 12.065%.[29] In December 2017, Kim left C-JeS Entertainment and signed with new management agency Good People Entertainment.[30]

In 2018, Kim starred in the romance melodrama Should We Kiss First?, playing a divorced flight attendant who finds a new love,[31][32] and mystery thriller drama Children of Nobody.[33][34]

Personal life[edit]

In early 2008, Kim was involved in another controversy. Na Hoon-a, a successful trot singer with a career spanning over 40 years, was falsely rumored to had been castrated by yakuza, because he was having an affair with the mistress of a gang boss. The mistress was wildly guessed at, with the names of actresses Kim Hye-soo and Kim Sun-a thrown around (both issued official denials). Na ended up holding a press conference in which he almost stripped in order to prove the rumor was untrue, and demanded that the media apologize to the two actresses.[35][36]

In 2015, Kim won the lawsuit she had filed against a plastic surgery clinic in Busan for breaching her publicity rights by using her name and photos in their advertising without her permission; she received ₩25 million in damages.

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Yesterday May
Wet Dreams Yoo-ri
2003 Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield Gyebaek's wife Cameo
The Greatest Expectation Mi-young
Happy Ero Christmas Heo Min-kyung
2004 S Diary Na Jin-hee
2005 She's on Duty Chun Jae-in
2007 The Worst Guy Ever Passerby Cameo[37]
2008 Girl Scout Choi Mi-kyung
Sweet Lie First love Sun-a Cameo[38]
2010 Attack the Gas Station 2 Herself Cameo[39]
2011 Pitch High Oh Yoo-ran
2013 The Five Go Eun-ah
2016 Operation Chromite Kim Hwa-young Special appearance[40]

Television series[edit]

Year Title Role
1997 Bang-ul-i
Three Guys and Three Girls
New York Story
White Christmas
1998 Winners
Love and Success Lee Mi-ran
Forever Yours Hwang Ji-young
MBC Best Theater: "Her Flower Pot No. 1" Oh Hyun-ah
1999 MBC Best Theater:
"A Scent of That Winter's Day"
Joo-yeon
Jump
Love Story: "Sunflower"[41]
2000 Joa, Joa[42] Woon Jo-ah
Golden Era[43] Lee Joo-young
2003 Pretty Woman Cameo
2005 My Lovely Sam Soon Kim Sam-soon
2008 Night After Night Heo Cho-hee
2009 City Hall Shin Mi-rae
2011 Scent of a Woman Lee Yeon-jae
2012 I Do, I Do Hwang Ji An
2013 Competition of Roses Shen Wei
2015 The Man in the Mask Yoo Min-hee
2017 The Lady in Dignity Park Bok-ja
2018 Should We Kiss First An Soon-jin
Children of Nobody Cha Woo-kyung
2019 Secret Boutique Jenny Jang
2022 The Empire[44] Han Hye-ryul
2023 Queen of Masks[45] Do Jae-yi

Music video[edit]

Year Song title Artist
2000 "I Realized Too Late" Yoo Ji-min
"Serenade" Jinu
"I Didn't Go to School" Ryang Hyun, Ryang Ha
"Time Out" J
2007 "Three People" Lee Ki-chan

Musical theatre[edit]

Year Title Role
2000 Guys and Dolls

Accolades[edit]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2002 23rd Blue Dragon Film Awards Best New Actress Wet Dreams Nominated
2003 26th Golden Cinematography Awards Best New Actress Yesterday Won [46]
24th Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Leading Actress The Greatest Expectation Nominated
2004 2nd CGV Viewer's Choice of the Year Awards Best Actress Won [47]
40th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress (Film) Nominated
Most Popular Actress (Film) Won [48]
41st Grand Bell Awards Best New Actress Nominated
27th Golden Cinematography Awards Most Popular Actress Won [49]
2005 6th Korea Visual Arts Festival Photogenic Award, TV Actress category My Lovely Sam Soon Won [50]
Korea Green Foundation 100 People Who Brightened Our World Won [51]
MBC Drama Awards Grand Prize (Daesang) Won [52]
Top Excellence Award, Actress Won
Popularity Award Won
Best Couple Award with Hyun Bin Won
10th Asian Television Awards Best Actress Runner-up
18th Grimae Awards Best Actress Won [53]
2006 1st Seoul International Drama Awards Nominated
42nd Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress (TV) Nominated
2007 19th Korean Broadcasting Producers Award Best Performer, TV Actress category Won [54]
2008 MBC Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress Night After Night Nominated
2009 Kyung Hee University - College of Art and Design Achievement Award Won [13]
SBS Drama Awards Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama Special City Hall Won [55]
Top 10 Stars Won
2011 1st Hong Kong Cable TV Awards Best Actress Nominated
China Entertainment Television Top Ten Hottest Asia Award Scent of a Woman Won
SBS Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Weekend/Daily Drama Won [56]
Top 10 Stars Won
2012 48th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress (TV) Nominated
MBC Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries I Do, I Do Nominated
2014 34th Golden Cinema Festival[57] Best Actress The Five Won [58]
2018 54th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress (TV) The Lady in Dignity Nominated [59]
6th APAN Star Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Should We Kiss First? Nominated [60]
2nd The Seoul Awards Best Actress Nominated [61]
31st Grimae Awards Won [62]
SBS Drama Awards Grand Prize (Daesang) Won [63][64]
Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Monday-Tuesday Drama Nominated
Best Couple Award with Kam Woo-sung Won
MBC Drama Awards Grand Prize (Daesang) Children of Nobody Nominated
Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Wednesday-Thursday Drama Won [65]
2019 SBS Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Secret Boutique Nominated
2023 14th Korea Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress Queen of Masks Won [66]

State honors[edit]

Name of country, award ceremony, year given, and name of honor
Country Award Ceremony Year Honor Ref.
South Korea National Tax Service[note 1] 2004 Prime ministerial commendation [68]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Honors are given at the Taxpayers' Day ceremony by National Tax Service.[67]

References[edit]

  1. ^ 연예인 '고무줄 나이' 밝혀지지 않은 스타는? (in Korean). Sports Chosun. 31 October 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "Actors and Actresses of Korean Cinema: Kim Suna" Archived 2018-02-24 at the Wayback Machine. Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  3. ^ "[씨네피플]김선아 "꽃치마 '공주'가 애들 혼좀 빼놨죠"". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 6 November 2002.
  4. ^ "탤런트 김선아 영화 데뷔". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 22 May 2001.
  5. ^ "김선아, <몽정기>에서 섹시한 선생님되다". Cine21 (in Korean). 2 May 2002.
  6. ^ "We Can See Korea Trip (part 2)". 2 Days & 1 Night. Season 3. Episode 414. 18 October 2015. KBS2.
  7. ^ "'명단공개' 김선아,god 원년멤버였다…'멤버들과 동고동락'". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 24 October 2016.
  8. ^ "<위대한 유산><황산벌><내 이름은 김삼순>의 배우 김선아". Cine21 (in Korean). 30 December 2005.
  9. ^ "몰래카메라로 찍고 싶은 그녀, <S다이어리>의 김선아". Cine21 (in Korean). 27 October 2004.
  10. ^ Kim, Gyu-han (11 March 2005). (인터뷰) <잠복근무> 김선아 - 진심은 내 영화의 힘. MaxMovie (in Korean). Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  11. ^ "MBC Drama Sparks Kim Sam-soon Syndrome". The Chosun Ilbo. 4 July 2005.
  12. ^ "Kim Sun-a Gains Weight to Win Hearts". The Chosun Ilbo. 20 July 2005.
  13. ^ a b "김선아 34살 늦깎이 '대학졸업' 공로상 수상 "대학원 진학하겠다"". Newsen (in Korean). 18 February 2009.
  14. ^ "Kim Seon-ah Wins Breach-of-Contract Suit". The Chosun Ilbo. 14 December 2007.
  15. ^ Ki, Sun-min (11 June 2008). "No pain, no gain for the streetwise ajumma squad". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. ^ "Night after Night premiered on June 16, 2008 and actress Kim Seon-a plays the main character Hur Cho-hee". MBC Global Media. 2 July 2008.
  17. ^ Han, Sang-hee (21 April 2009). "City Hall to Bring Public Officials to TV". The Korea Times.
  18. ^ Oh, Jean (29 April 2009). "More romantic comedy for prime time". The Korea Herald.
  19. ^ Park, So-jung (1 June 2011). "Kim Suna, Lee Dong-wook and Um Ki-joon cast in new drama". 10Asia.
  20. ^ Lee, Ga-on (4 November 2011). "Actress Kim Suna's Song Picks". 10Asia.
  21. ^ Hong, Lucia (16 February 2010). "Kim Suna and Kim Ju-hyeok cast in new drama movie". 10Asia.
  22. ^ Hong, Lucia (17 May 2012). "Kim Suna, Lee Jang-woo's I Do I Do to air later this month". 10Asia.
  23. ^ Oh, Jean (25 May 2012). "Kim, well-shod, chic and ready for her close-up". The Korea Herald.
  24. ^ Sunwoo, Carla (30 January 2013). "Kim Sun-a to make way back to the big screen". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  25. ^ Jeon, Su-mi (29 January 2013). "Kim Sun Ah to Star in The 5ive Hearts". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013.
  26. ^ Jin, Min-ji (11 April 2015). "Actors team up on Masked". Korea JoongAng Daily.
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  30. ^ Park, Jin-young (23 December 2017). "김선아, 굳피플과 전속계약..이영애·양세종과 한솥밥". OSEN.
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  32. ^ "Veteran actor Kim Sun-a still finds time to practice". Korea JoongAng Daily. 3 May 2018.
  33. ^ "[단독]김선아·이이경, MBC '붉은달 푸른해' 주인공 확정". Ilgan Sports (in Korean). 28 September 2018.
  34. ^ "Kim Sun-a discusses 'fun' thriller 'Children of Nobody'". Kpop Herald. 20 November 2018.
  35. ^ Park, Sang-woo (26 January 2008). "Na Hoon-a denies gangster rumors, drops his trousers". Korea JoongAng Daily.
  36. ^ "Na Hoon-a and the Posion of Celebrity Rumor". The Chosun Ilbo. 28 January 2008.
  37. ^ "내 생애 최악의 남자' 카메오들, 탁재훈의 요청에 흔쾌히 출연". Star News (in Korean). 1 September 2007.
  38. ^ "김선아, '달콤한 거짓말' 본명으로 카메오 출연 눈길". My Daily (in Korean). 24 December 2008.
  39. ^ "김선아, 영화 '주유소습격사건2' 카메오 출연". Asiae (in Korean). 26 November 2009.
  40. ^ "'인천상륙작전' 김선아에 박성웅까지, 주연 못잖은 특별출연". Herald POP (in Korean). 5 August 2016.
  41. ^ "<시사평> SBS「TV영화」 '러브스토리'". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 26 November 1999.
  42. ^ "웃음속에서 느껴지는 일상의 감동'..SBS, 새일요 아침극 '좋아좋아'". The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). 27 April 2000.
  43. ^ "단조로운 전개...'국희'와 닮은꼴 .. MBC새수목드라마 '황금시대'". The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). 26 April 2000.
  44. ^ Ha, Kyung-heon (August 31, 2022). "김선아, JTBC 새 주말극 '디 엠파이어:법의 제국' 카리스마 스틸 첫 공개" [Kim Seon-ah, JTBC's new weekend drama 'The Empire: Empire of Law' charismatic stills released for the first time] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Retrieved September 4, 2022 – via Naver.
  45. ^ Oh Seung-hyun (January 5, 2023). "가면의 여왕' 김선아·오윤아·신은정·유선 출연확정…질투X욕망 스릴러 [공식입장]" ['Queen of the Mask' Kim Sun-ah, Oh Yoon-ah, Shin Eun-jung, and Yoo Seon confirmed... Jealousy X Desire Thriller [Official Position]] (in Korean). X-ports News. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Naver.
  46. ^ "황금촬영상 신인상에 박해일, 김선아". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 26 March 2002.
  47. ^ "최고의 영화 '살인의 추억', 최고의 배우 송강호, 김선아". Newsis (in Korean). 30 December 2003.
  48. ^ "백상예술상 대상에 강우석ㆍ김희애(대체)". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 26 March 2004.
  49. ^ "촬영감독이 뽑은 최고 신인 영화배우 원빈ㆍ김효진 수상". Herald POP (in Korean). 25 March 2004.
  50. ^ "김선아 god 김종국, '대한민국 영상대전' 포토제닉상 수상". Star News (in Korean). 20 November 2005.
  51. ^ "오 행자 '2005년 세상을 밝게 만든 100인' 선정". Naver (in Korean). 19 October 2006.
  52. ^ "TV Networks Hand Out Awards". HanCinema. The Korea Times. 1 January 2006.
  53. ^ "김명민-김선아, 촬영감독 선정 '그리메 연기자상' 수상". Star News (in Korean). 7 December 2005.
  54. ^ "Song Il-gook Voted TV Performer of the Year". HanCinema. KBS World. 16 February 2007.
  55. ^ Ko Jae-wan (4 January 2010). "Jang Seo-hee wins grand prize at SBS Drama Awards". 10Asia.
  56. ^ "Han Suk-kyu reclaims glory at SBS Drama Awards". Asiae. 1 January 2012.
  57. ^ Formerly known as Golden Cinematography Awards.
  58. ^ "하정우, 34회 황금촬영상 대상..고수·김선아 남녀주연상". Osen (in Korean). 22 December 2014.
  59. ^ "제54회 백상예술대상, TV·영화 각 부문별 수상 후보자 공개". JTBC (in Korean). 6 April 2018.
  60. ^ "이병헌·손예진·아이유 APAN스타어워즈 노미네이트". Star News (in Korean). 27 September 2018.
  61. ^ "'제2회 더 서울어워즈' 10월27일 개최, 드라마-영화 각 부문별 후보공개". iMBC (in Korean). 28 September 2018.
  62. ^ "[N이슈] 장혁X김선아X정채연, '2018 그리메상' 연기자상 수상". News1 (in Korean). 7 December 2018.
  63. ^ "Double win". Korea JoongAng Daily. 2 January 2019.
  64. ^ Lee, Jihyun (January 1, 2019). [SBS 연기대상] 감우성·김선아, 공동 대상..베스트 커플상까지(종합) [[SBS Drama Awards] Gam Woo-sung, Kim Sun-ah, co- grand prize.. Best Couple Award (Comprehensive)]. News1 (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 31, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  65. ^ Jung, Yu-jin (December 31, 2018). 소지섭 ‘데뷔 23년 만에 첫 대상’(mbc연기대상)[포토엔HD] [So Ji-sub Soo'First Debut in 23 Years' (mbc Drama Awards)[Photo and HD]]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 31, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2020 – via Naver.
  66. ^ Kim, Yang-soo (October 14, 2023). "[종합] '코리아드라마어워즈' 이성민 대상…오정세x김선아 최우수상" [[Overall] 'Korea Drama Awards' Lee Sung-min Grand Prize...Oh Jung-seh x Kim Sun-ah Best Actress]. Joy News 24 (in Korean). Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  67. ^ Sullivan, Martin (July 8, 2020). "K-Pop Stars Promote South Korean Tax Compliance". Forbes. Archived from the original on July 8, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  68. ^ "기사 인쇄 | 송강호·김선아 모범납세 표창 받아" [Article Printing | Song Kang-ho and Kim Seon-ah received a commendation for model tax payment]. Kyunghyang Shinmun. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-31.

External links[edit]