Yunjin Kim
Yunjin Kim | |
---|---|
Born | Kim Yun-jin November 7, 1973 Seoul, South Korea |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1996–present |
Spouse | Jeong Hyeok Park (2010–present) |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 김윤진 |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Gim Yunjin |
McCune–Reischauer | Kim Yunjin |
Yunjin Kim (born November 7, 1973) is a South Korea-born American [1][2][3] film and theater actress. She is best known for her role as Sun on the American television series Lost, and as the North Korean spy Bang-Hee in the South Korean film Shiri. She currently stars as Dr. Karen Kim in the ABC drama series Mistresses.
Early life
Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea on November 7, 1973. She immigrated to the United States with her family in 1980.[4][5] They lived on Staten Island, New York. She joined the middle school drama club in the 7th grade and performed in the musical My Fair Lady.
Kim attended high school at the prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, a public high school located in Manhattan. From there, she went on to study drama at the London Academy of Performing Arts and later earned her BFA degree in drama at Boston University. Kim has remarked that in her zeal to become Americanized quickly, she studied acting, academics and pronunciation with equal intensity. She is also a trained dancer and martial arts fighter.[6]
Career
After graduation, Kim devoted herself full-time to acting. She garnered several minor parts on MTV, in soap opera-style dramas on ABC, and on the off-Broadway stage. In 1997, she starred in Splendid Holiday, a Korean TV drama shot on location in New York. Kim decided to return to Korea. She was cast in the TV drama Wedding Dress and was also invited to act in Lee Kwangmo's feature Spring in My Hometown, although she ended up not taking this role.[citation needed] Her breakthrough debut came in the 1999 film Shiri, South Korea's first blockbuster film. Shiri became the highest grossing film in Korean history at the time. In November 2000, she continued her association with KangJeGyu in The Legend of Gingko.
After acting in a Japanese film and a feature set in Los Angeles, Kim appeared in the sci-fi feature Yesterday. Then in 2002, Kim took the lead role in Ardor, the feature film debut of documentarist Byun Young-ju. The film was invited to screen in a non-competitive section at the 2003 Berlin film festival.
In 2004, Kim started appearing in the U.S. television series Lost, which ran for six seasons.
In May 2006, Maxim named Kim number 98 on its annual Hot 100 List.[7] In October 2006 she was featured on the cover of Stuff, as well as an inside spread.
In 2013, she had a leading role in the ABC drama series Mistresses.[8]
Personal life
Kim married her former manager Jeong Hyeok Park in March 2010 on the island of Oahu, after shooting her final scenes for Lost.[9]
Filmography
Film
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1999 | Shiri | Lee Myung-hyun / Lee Bang-hee | |
2000 | The Legend of Gingko | Yeon | |
2001 | Rush! | Seo-yeong | |
2002 | Iron Palm | Ji-ni | |
2002 | Yesterday | Kim Hisu / No Hisu | |
2002 | Ardor | Mi-heun | |
2005 | Diary of June | Seo Yun-hee | |
2007 | Mother | ||
2008 | Seven Days | Yoo Ji-yeon | |
2010 | Harmony | Jeong-hye | |
2011 | Heartbeat | Chae Yeon-hee | |
2012 | The Neighbor | Kyung-hee | |
2014 | Ode to My Father | Young-ja |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Splendid Holiday (화려한 휴가) | ||
1997 | Foreboding (예감) | Jang Se-young | 16 episodes |
1998 | Wedding Dress drama (1997) (웨딩 드레스) | Gina | 22 episodes |
1999 | Love in 3 Colors (유정) | Jang Hee-ju | 56 episodes |
2004–10 | Lost | Sun-Hwa Kwon | Main role, 88 episodes |
2013–present | Mistresses | Karen Kim | Main role, 39 episodes |
Video games
Year | Title | Voice role |
---|---|---|
2007 | Lost: Via Domus | Sun-Hwa Kwon |
2012 | Sleeping Dogs | Tiffany Kim |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | 36th Grand Bell Awards | Best New Actress | Shiri | Won |
1999 | 19th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Best New Actress | Shiri | Won |
2002 | 23rd Blue Dragon Awards | Best Actress | Milae | Won |
2006 | Asian Excellence Awards | Outstanding Television Actress | Lost | Won |
2006 | 12th Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Lost | Won |
2007 | 44th Grand Bell Awards | Best Actress | Seven Days | Won |
2008 | 29th Blue Dragon Awards | Best Actress | Seven Days | Nominated |
2009 | 35th Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Television Actress | Lost | Nominated |
2015 | 52nd Grand Bell Awards | Best Actress | Ode to My Father | Nominated |
References
- ^ "Actress Kim in Lost as Sun".
- ^ William Keck (January 15, 2006). "Actress Kim gets 'Lost' in generous gifts, jewels". USA Today. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
- ^ Jae-Ha Kim (April 13, 2005). "Asian stars are rising – Latest TV breakthroughs look like the real deal". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on April 9, 2008. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
- ^ "소개 (Introduction of Kim's early life)".
- ^ Todd Gilchrist (August 29, 2006). "Interview: Yunjin Kim". IGN Entertainment, Inc.
- ^ "Yunjin Kim Pictures, Blog, Interviews, News, Trivia, Yunjin Kim Biography". Buddytv.com. 1973-11-07. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
- ^ http://www.maxim.com/hot-100/2006-hot-100-0
- ^ Matt Webb Mitovich Lost's Yunjin Kim Finds Role on ABC's Mistresses, TV Line, March 16, 2012
- ^ "Lost's Yunjin Kim gets married in Hawaii". CNN. March 30, 2010.
External links
- 1973 births
- Living people
- Actresses from New York City
- American female singers
- American television actresses
- Boston University College of Fine Arts alumni
- People from Staten Island
- People from Seoul
- South Korean emigrants to the United States
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses
- Actresses of Korean descent
- American voice actresses
- American video game actresses
- South Korean actresses
- Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni
- Alumni of the British American Drama Academy