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Sharon Choi

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Sharon Choi
최성재
Photo of Sharon Choi
Choi at the 2020 Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Born1994 or 1995 (age 29–30)
Seoul, South Korea
Alma materUniversity of Southern California
Occupations
  • Interpreter
  • director

Sharon Choi (born Choi Sung-jae; 1994 or 1995) is a South Korean[1][2] interpreter and film director. She came to prominence as director Bong Joon-ho's Korean–English interpreter during the 2019–2020 film awards season, which saw Bong's film Parasite winning the Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Best Picture. During both ceremonies and others, Choi assisted Bong and other Parasite cast and crew members, such as actor Song Kang-ho, in delivering award acceptance speeches. During such appearances, Choi's interpreting skills garnered significant media attention and praise.

Choi later served as a dialect coach for actress Greta Lee on the 2023 film Past Lives, which was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Early life and education

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Choi was born in 1994 or 1995 in Seoul, South Korea.[3][2] She moved to the United States at a young age and returned to Korea when she was ten years old. Choi attended the Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies in Yongin and the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California.[2]

Career

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During the press tour for the 2018 film Burning, Choi interpreted for director Lee Chang-dong. She met Bong Joon-ho in April 2019 when she was asked to interpret for one of his phone interviews, and accompanied him at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where his film Parasite won the Palme d'Or.[4] Choi continued as Bong's interpreter throughout the 2019–2020 film awards season, including at the 77th Golden Globe Awards, the 72nd Writers Guild of America Awards, and the 92nd Academy Awards.[5] In April 2021, she interpreted for Bong as he presented the award for Best Director at the 93rd Academy Awards.[6]

The success of Parasite resulted in widespread visibility for Choi, and she received praise from industry figures and audiences for her nuanced interpretations of Bong's speeches and interviews.[5][7] Zack Sharf of IndieWire described Choi as "the undisputed MVP of Oscar season",[4] and The Korea Herald credited her with generating excitement for Parasite among American audiences in the run-up to the Academy Awards.[8] Some people in South Korea practiced English by watching videos of Choi's interpretations.[9] She gained an internet fanbase and was frequently praised on Twitter and in the comments sections of Bong's interviews.[3][10] In July 2020, she received the YoungSan Diplomat Award from the nonprofit Seoul Forum for International Affairs for "her role in enhancing South Korea's national image".[11]

In addition to her work as an interpreter, Choi is a film director and producer.[9][12] She directed Self Portrait, a short film that was screened at CAAMFest in 2019.[9] She co-produced the 2020 short film Mother of Three, directed by Han Jun-hee.[13] In February 2020, TheWrap reported that Choi was working on a screenplay about the awards season.[14] She later refuted the reports in a Variety essay and instead announced that she was writing a screenplay for a film set in Korea.[12] Bong himself has publicly expressed interest in Choi's scripts.[15]

In 2021, Choi served as a dialect coach for actress Greta Lee on the 2023 film Past Lives, directed by Celine Song. Lee praised her agility with translating between Korean and English, calling her a "genius".[16] Past Lives was later nominated for Best Picture at the 96th Academy Awards. In 2021, Choi also hosted the StrangeLand audio podcast alongside Ben Adair, about the 2003 Miracle Mile Murders in Koreatown.[17]

References

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  1. ^ 이, 혜운 (2020-07-15). "[LA 단독 인터뷰] '봉준호의 입' 샤론 최 "너무 주목받아 겁나요"". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-09-25.
  2. ^ a b c Si-soo, Park (February 12, 2020). "Woman of mystery: What we know about Bong's interpreter Sharon Choi". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Hoad, Phil (January 2, 2020). "Sharon Choi: how we fell for Bong Joon-ho's translator". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Sharf, Zack (February 18, 2020). "Bong Joon Ho's Translator Sharon Choi Publishes Essay on Her 'Parasite' Oscar Season Journey". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Coleman, Nancy (February 10, 2020). "Translating for Bong Joon Ho at the Oscars: Aspiring Director Sharon Choi". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  6. ^ Mauch, Ally (April 25, 2021). "Parasite Director Bong Joon Ho's Interpreter Sharon Choi Returns by His Side at 2021 Oscars". People. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  7. ^ Carras, Christie (April 25, 2021). "'Parasite' director Bong Joon Ho returns to Oscars with interpreter Sharon Choi". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  8. ^ "Bong Joon-ho's interpreter wows US film industry amid award-winning rally of 'Parasite'". The Korea Herald. January 10, 2020. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Youn, Soo (February 10, 2020). "You probably know Sharon Choi as 'Parasite' director Bong Joon-ho's interpreter. But she's a filmmaker, too". The Lily. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  10. ^ Mack, David (February 10, 2020). "There's A Ton Of Love And Memes For The Interpreter Of 'Parasite' Director Bong Joon-Ho". Buzzfeed News. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  11. ^ "'Parasite' director Bong's interpreter Choi receives prestigious diplomacy award". The Korea Herald. July 1, 2020. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  12. ^ a b Song, Sandra (February 19, 2020). "Bong Joon Ho Translator Sharon Choi Isn't Making a Film About Awards Season". Paper. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  13. ^ "Mother of Three". Los Angeles Pacific Film Festival. Visual Communications. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  14. ^ Pond, Steve (February 11, 2020). "'Parasite' Director's Korean American Interpreter Wants to Make Her Own Movie – About the Oscar Season". TheWrap. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  15. ^ Bong Joon Ho and 'Parasite' Sweep Oscars – Full Backstage Interview, retrieved 2021-06-08
  16. ^ "Full Actress Roundtable: Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Lily Gladstone, Greta Lee & More". YouTube. The Hollywood Reporter. 4 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  17. ^ "Hosts". Strangeland. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
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