Edited by Hwang Hong Sun
Translated by Kim Hoyeun
Kim Tae Ri, who was enjoying her normal college life, had a life-altering experience when she joined the theater club. She was greatly impressed by how people cheered her when she was performing on stage, and she decided to walk the path of an actor.
After falling in love with the theater, Kim Tae Ri graduated from college and joined the theater company Iru, where she officially began her acting career. While experiencing various stages and short films, she saw the announcement for the audition for director Park Chan Wook’s new film, The Handmaiden. Although the audition was highly competitive as the competition ratio was 1500:1, Kim Tae Ri passed the audition by showing a confident presence in front of Park Chan Wook himself. Director Park Chan Wook later said that he chose Kim Tae Ri in only five minutes for her unique looks and bold attitudes.
Based on the British novel Fingersmith, The Handmaiden tells the story of Suk Hee entering the mansion of wealthy Hideko as a maid. Kim Tae Ri played Suk Hee, who intentionally approaches Hideko for her property, but ends up falling in love with her. Even with the fact that she was a rookie, she unraveled the increasingly complex emotions of the character with daring performances. She also led the movie admirably, showing off her strong presence among prominent actors such as Kim Min Hee, Ha Jung Woo and Jo Jin Woong.
Kim Tae Ri’s passionate performances in The Handmaiden was followed by the box office success and favorable critics. The movie was officially invited to the Cannes International Film Festival and won BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film for the first time in Korean film history. Kim Tae Ri also won Best New Actress Awards in most Korean film festivals.
After making back-to-back hits with films 1987: When the Day Comes �and Little Forest, and tvN drama Mr. Sunshine, Kim Tae Ri has now established herself to be a top star This summer, she will meet with the audience with her new film Space Sweepers, which she starred in with Song Joong Kim and Yoo Hae Jin. We’re already looking forward to the charisma that Kim Tae Ri, who plays the role of Captain Jang Sun Jang, will show.
