Song Hye-kyo
- Actress
In addition to dominating her own country, Song Hye-Kyo has left a lasting impression on the global scene thanks to her stunning beauty, extraordinary acting abilities, and captivating presence. As a model who transitioned into acting, Song has become one of Asia's most well-known and significant actors thanks to her gifts, attractiveness, and contributions to Korean entertainment. Over the years, she has established herself as one of South Korea's most attractive women and even gained recognition as the pinnacle of beauty in the nation of South Korea as a whole.
Song Hye Kyo was born on November 22, 1981, in Daegu, South Korea. She grew up in a middle-class family with her parents and older brother. Her parents divorced when she was a young girl and her mother raised her. They moved from her birthplace in Daegu to the Gangnam District in Seoul, where she trained as a figure skater in elementary school, but quit when she was in the eighth grade. From a young age, Song was interested in the arts, particularly in acting. In 1996, she began her career in modeling at the tender age of 14 as Song, who was back then a third-year junior high school student, won first place in the SunKyung Smart Model Contest, and she made her entertainment debut as a model for the school uniform company. This opportunity would lead to her being cast in a small role in her first television drama, First Love (1997).
Song Hye Kyo would go on to star in several different sitcoms and dramas, most notably "Soonpoong Clinic (1998)." But the actress wouldn't become well-known until 2000 when she co-starred with Song Seung-Hun and Won Bin in the lead part of the well-liked KBS drama "Autumn in My Heart (2000)." Because of the romantic melodrama's widespread appeal, Song became well-known in Korea and throughout Asia. The show was a big hit at the time and is now frequently regarded as a classic, setting off a trend in Korean melodramatic television that is now known as the "Korean Wave" and helping to pioneer the genre. In 2003, her popularity continued to climb when she played a leading role alongside Lee Byung-Hun in the gambling drama "All In (2003)", which drew solid viewership ratings nationwide throughout its run with a peak viewer rating of 47.7 percent. The following year, she co-starred with singer Rain in the hit romantic comedy series "Full House (2004)." The drama achieved pan-Asia success and established Song as one of the most well-known Korean actresses in Asia.
In early 2005, She went to San Francisco to study English and later traveled to Seattle. Song took time off to recharge herself after Full House. "I have had a good rest. It was a good opportunity to reflect on myself," said Song. She returned to Korea on March 5, 2005. The same year, She made her big-screen debut in My Girl and I (a Korean remake of Crying Out Love in the Center of the World), which was panned by audiences and critics alike. Vocal about her dissatisfaction with typecasting in the roles she was being offered, she took on different roles the following year.
She made her TV comeback in late 2008 with the Korean Drama "The World That They Live In (2008)" (also known as Worlds Within), a series set at a broadcast station in which Song and Hyun Bin played drama PDs who work together and fall in love. In 2010, she starred in "Camellia (2010)", an omnibus pic made up of three short films directed by three Asian directors. Each episode is set in the past, present, and future of the city of Busan. In the film's final segment 'Love for Sale', Song and Gang Dong-won play former lovers who forget their memories about each other which later leads them to a fatal destiny.
Song then played a documentary filmmaker who finds the strength to forgive the 17-year-old boy who killed her fiancé but instead of redemption, only finds greater tragedy in A Reason to Live, which was released in October 2011 after several delays. Song was a huge fan of director Lee Jung-Hyang and had actively sought her out. Though she had difficulty getting into character, she said she fell in love with the script and felt her acting had matured. She considers the film "a turning point" in her life.
In 2011, she became the first Asian actress to sign a contract with the French global agency Effigies, paving the way for her possible entry into the European market. She released a photo essay book in 2012 titled It's Time for Hye-Kyo.
Song reunited with the writer and director of Worlds Within in "That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013)", a 2013 remake of the 2002 Japanese drama Ai Nante Irane Yo, Natsu ("I Don't Need Love, Summer"). She played a blind heiress in the melodrama, opposite a con man pretending to be her long-lost brother (played by Jo In-Sung). That Winter, the Wind Blows placed number one in its time slot during most of its run, and Song and Jo were praised for their performances. Song won the Daesang (or "Grand Prize"), the highest television award, at the 2nd APAN Star Awards.
In 2014, Song reunited with Gang Dong-Won in My Brilliant Life (2014), E J-Yong's film adaptation of Kim Ae-Ran's bestselling novel "My Palpitating Life", about a couple who watched their son suffering from Progeria, grow old prematurely.
Song Hye Kyo was born on November 22, 1981, in Daegu, South Korea. She grew up in a middle-class family with her parents and older brother. Her parents divorced when she was a young girl and her mother raised her. They moved from her birthplace in Daegu to the Gangnam District in Seoul, where she trained as a figure skater in elementary school, but quit when she was in the eighth grade. From a young age, Song was interested in the arts, particularly in acting. In 1996, she began her career in modeling at the tender age of 14 as Song, who was back then a third-year junior high school student, won first place in the SunKyung Smart Model Contest, and she made her entertainment debut as a model for the school uniform company. This opportunity would lead to her being cast in a small role in her first television drama, First Love (1997).
Song Hye Kyo would go on to star in several different sitcoms and dramas, most notably "Soonpoong Clinic (1998)." But the actress wouldn't become well-known until 2000 when she co-starred with Song Seung-Hun and Won Bin in the lead part of the well-liked KBS drama "Autumn in My Heart (2000)." Because of the romantic melodrama's widespread appeal, Song became well-known in Korea and throughout Asia. The show was a big hit at the time and is now frequently regarded as a classic, setting off a trend in Korean melodramatic television that is now known as the "Korean Wave" and helping to pioneer the genre. In 2003, her popularity continued to climb when she played a leading role alongside Lee Byung-Hun in the gambling drama "All In (2003)", which drew solid viewership ratings nationwide throughout its run with a peak viewer rating of 47.7 percent. The following year, she co-starred with singer Rain in the hit romantic comedy series "Full House (2004)." The drama achieved pan-Asia success and established Song as one of the most well-known Korean actresses in Asia.
In early 2005, She went to San Francisco to study English and later traveled to Seattle. Song took time off to recharge herself after Full House. "I have had a good rest. It was a good opportunity to reflect on myself," said Song. She returned to Korea on March 5, 2005. The same year, She made her big-screen debut in My Girl and I (a Korean remake of Crying Out Love in the Center of the World), which was panned by audiences and critics alike. Vocal about her dissatisfaction with typecasting in the roles she was being offered, she took on different roles the following year.
She made her TV comeback in late 2008 with the Korean Drama "The World That They Live In (2008)" (also known as Worlds Within), a series set at a broadcast station in which Song and Hyun Bin played drama PDs who work together and fall in love. In 2010, she starred in "Camellia (2010)", an omnibus pic made up of three short films directed by three Asian directors. Each episode is set in the past, present, and future of the city of Busan. In the film's final segment 'Love for Sale', Song and Gang Dong-won play former lovers who forget their memories about each other which later leads them to a fatal destiny.
Song then played a documentary filmmaker who finds the strength to forgive the 17-year-old boy who killed her fiancé but instead of redemption, only finds greater tragedy in A Reason to Live, which was released in October 2011 after several delays. Song was a huge fan of director Lee Jung-Hyang and had actively sought her out. Though she had difficulty getting into character, she said she fell in love with the script and felt her acting had matured. She considers the film "a turning point" in her life.
In 2011, she became the first Asian actress to sign a contract with the French global agency Effigies, paving the way for her possible entry into the European market. She released a photo essay book in 2012 titled It's Time for Hye-Kyo.
Song reunited with the writer and director of Worlds Within in "That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013)", a 2013 remake of the 2002 Japanese drama Ai Nante Irane Yo, Natsu ("I Don't Need Love, Summer"). She played a blind heiress in the melodrama, opposite a con man pretending to be her long-lost brother (played by Jo In-Sung). That Winter, the Wind Blows placed number one in its time slot during most of its run, and Song and Jo were praised for their performances. Song won the Daesang (or "Grand Prize"), the highest television award, at the 2nd APAN Star Awards.
In 2014, Song reunited with Gang Dong-Won in My Brilliant Life (2014), E J-Yong's film adaptation of Kim Ae-Ran's bestselling novel "My Palpitating Life", about a couple who watched their son suffering from Progeria, grow old prematurely.
