Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Kim Hoyeun
Kim Ji Won, who won the nickname “OranC Girl” for her bright smile in a soft drink commercial, has been showing great performances on all screens for the past 10 years. And this is thanks to her solid performances in projects that allowed her to imprint her presence as an actress.
Kim debuted back in 2011 with the film Romantic Heaven, and later that same year, she took on the role of Kim Ji Won, a student who has no clear dream but is getting good grades, in the sitcom High Kick: Revenge of the Short Legged. And with an episode in which she is taken to the police station wearing a traditional Indian costume as she repeatedly says, “Will you marry me? I’m pretty,” trying to prove her innocence while pretending to be a foreigner, she left a deep impression on the public. She once recalled her first sitcom as the project that “allowed her to enjoy the school life” she missed since she started practicing acting in earnest as a middle school student.
In the hit drama The Heirs, Kim has been cast as Yoo Rachel, an heir to a chaebol family. Unlike her previous roles as a rather ordinary student who did not have much antipathy toward the world, for The Heirs, she digested a character that can be considered a villain in a way for the first time. The actress once said that 80% of the character is different from her real self, but she perfectly portrayed Yoo Rachel with cold expressions and words. Then in Descendants of the Sun, she played First Lieutenant Yoon Myung Ju, who throws away her pride and solely dives into her first love. With this project, Kim took home three awards at the 2016 KBS Drama Awards – Excellence Award (Actress in a Miniseries), Best New Actress and Best Couple.
Then in 2017, she starred in Fight For My Way as Choi Ae Ra, a department store employee at the information desk who dreams of becoming an announcer, and showed wonderful chemistry with Park Seo Joon. The scene where she suddenly changes her face and acts charming, saying, “I’m not pretending. I was just born pretty,” as soon as her opponent put on a sour face was parodied by other celebrities throughout the year. Kim Ji Won did not just play a cute or lovely role, but also showed a deft performance of freely taking in and out her winsomeness whenever necessary.
Now, Kim Ji Won has cemented her status as a rom-com queen yet again with her captivating performance as Hong Hae In in Queen of Tears. She’s effortlessly embodied the confidence and regality of a third-generation chaebol heiress and delivered a nuanced portrayal of the character’s internal turmoil after getting a sudden terminal illness diagnosis. The outpouring of positive reviews has sparked renewed interest in Kim Ji Won’s past projects, making fans eager to see what captivating roles she tackles next.
If you’re looking for a different side of Kim Ji Won from her character in Queen of Tears, then check out the 2022 JTBC drama My Liberation Notes. In this drama, Kim Ji Won delivers a captivating performance as the quiet and taciturn Yeom Mi Jung. Her portrayal of a character with a deep inner world was met with critical acclaim. Her line, “Worship me,” has become so iconic that it’s still considered one of the drama’s most memorable moments even after its conclusion. The romance between her and her co-star, Son Suk Ku, also brought many viewers to tears.
Editor Seo Hayne: I like actors as they faithfully lead through their long running-time. I also like idols who accomplish everything on stage within 3 minutes.
