Uhm Ji-won

South Korean actress From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Uhm Ji-won

Uhm Ji-won (Korean: 엄지원; born December 25, 1977)[3][4] is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading roles in the films Tale of Cinema (2005), Hope (2013), The Silenced (2015), Missing (2016), and the television dramas Birthcare Center (2020), and Little Women (2022).

Quick Facts Born, Education ...
Uhm Ji-won
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Uhm in August 2023
Born (1977-12-25) December 25, 1977 (age 47)
Daegu, South Korea[1]
EducationKyungpook National University (Department of Geography)[2]
OccupationActress
Years active1998–present
AgentC-JeS Studios
Spouse
Oh Young-wook
(m. 2014; div. 2021)
Korean name
Hangul
엄지원
Hanja
Revised RomanizationEom Ji-won
McCune–ReischauerŎm Chiwŏn
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Career

Summarize
Perspective

Uhm Ji-won made her acting debut in the late 1990s, and after an early role in the Korean tokusatsu series Vectorman, went on to appear in a number of films and television drama series. In 2004, she appeared alongside Han Suk-kyu and Lee Eun-ju in The Scarlet Letter,[5] receiving a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.[6]

In 2005, Uhm played a leading role in Hong Sang-soo's Tale of Cinema, and was praised for giving an "engaging, emotionally nuanced dual performance" as fictional actress Choi Young-shil.[7] The film required her to perform her first nude scene, and she later remarked that, "After stripping in front of the camera, I felt that I could now take any role."[8]

Uhm starred alongside Yoo Ji-tae and Kim Ji-soo in the 2006 film Traces of Love, portraying a survivor of the 1995 Sampoong Department Store collapse who still suffers from psychological trauma years later. She prepared for the role by studying news and documentaries of the event, as well as reading through various psychology texts.[9] Uhm was once again nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards,[10] and later won the same category at the Chunsa Film Art Awards.[11]

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Uhm during Private Eye post-production press conference in February 2009

After a cameo in director Kim Jee-woon's 2008 epic western The Good, the Bad, the Weird,[12] and a leading role in another Hong Sang-soo art film Like You Know It All,[13] she was cast in her first period film, Private Eye.[14][15] Uhm returned to lighter fare in 2010 with the romantic comedy series The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry.[16]

In 2011, Uhm appeared an episode of BBC World's The Third Eye, a documentary series that spotlights up-and-coming countries. The installment of the eight-part segment on Korea is interspersed with interviews with Uhm giving her opinions on Korean culture, domestic movies and the Korean Wave. It also featured footage from her 2010 sex comedy movie Foxy Festival.[17][unreliable source?] Uhm, who was interviewed in Korea, was chosen in light of her impressive acting skills, natural charm and English fluency, producers said.[18]

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Uhm in November 2013

From 2012 to 2013, she starred in family dramas by renowned TV writer Kim Soo-hyun, Childless Comfort and Thrice Married Woman.[19][20] This was followed by a well-received supporting performance in the gangster comedy Man on the Edge.[21]

Uhm then played the mother of a sexually assaulted child in Hope; she said it was the first movie where she let go of everything, calling it one of her best works.[22] Uhm won Best Actress at the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, and received nominations at the Blue Dragon Film Awards and the Baeksang Arts Awards. This was followed by period mystery-thriller The Silenced,[23][24] and fantasy thriller The Phone.[25] This was followed by kidnapping drama Missing,[26] which won her Best Actress award at the Women in Film Korea Awards. Uhm then featured in crime action film Master.[27]

In 2017, Uhm made a small-screen comeback in SBS' legal thriller Distorted, playing a public prosecutor.[28] In 2019, Uhm starred in the body-swap comedy drama Spring Turns to Spring.[29] The same year, she starred in the zombie comedy film The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale.[30][31][32] In May 2019, Uhm signed with new agency C-JeS Entertainment.[33]

Personal life

Uhm is a member of Yeongwol Eom clan.[34] She is a devout Protestant Christian, and together with Han Hye-jin was part of a church group called HaMiMo.[35]

Uhm began dating architect Oh Young-wook in 2013; Oh is the founder of well-known architectural firm ogisadesign d'espacio architects (oddaa), and has also published several books on travel and art.[36][37] They married on May 27, 2014, at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul.[38][39] Later on April 6, 2021, she announced on her YouTube channel that she and her husband have amicably divorced and that they will remain just friends.[40]

Philanthropy

On March 12, 2022, Uhm made a donation 10 millions to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the massive wildfire that started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk and has spread to Samcheok, Gangwon.[41] On March 17, 2022, Uhm made a donation 10 millions to Save the Children's Children's Rights Film to help victims of the Ukrainian-Russian war.[42]

Filmography

Film

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes
1999 Vectorman: Counterattack of the Evil Empire Princess Radia
2000 The Record Older sister
2002 Over the Rainbow Kim Eun-seong
2003 Mutt Boy Kim Jeong-ae
2004 The Scarlet Letter Han Su-hyeon
2005 Tale of Cinema Choi Young-shil
2006 Running Wild Kang Joo-hee
Traces of Love Yun Se-jin
2007 Epitaph Professor Park's daughter Cameo
Scout Kim Se-young
2008 The Good, the Bad, the Weird Na-yeon Cameo
2009 The End short film
Private Eye Soon-deok
Like You Know It All Gong Hyeon-hee
Invitation Woman short film
2010 Romantic Debtors Kim Mu-ryeong
Foxy Festival Ji-su
2013 Man on the Edge Fortune Teller Myung
Hope Kim Mi-hee
2015 The Silenced Headmistress
The Phone Jo Yeong-soo
2016 Missing Ji-sun
Master Shin Gemma
2019 The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale Nam-joo
2021 The Cursed: Dead Man's Prey Im Jin-hee [43]
2023 Jung_E Lee Se-yeon Netflix film; special appearance[44]
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Television series

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role
2002 Golden Wagon Hwang Soon-jung
2004 Into the Storm Oh Jung-hee
Magic Ha Yeon-jin
2008 On Air Herself (cameo, episode 5)
2010 The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry Jung Da-jung
2011 Sign Jung Woo-jin
2012 Can Love Become Money?[45] Yoon Da-ran
My Kids Give Me a Headache Ahn So-young
2013 Thrice Married Woman Oh Hyun-soo
2017 Distorted Kwon So-ra
2019 Spring Turns to Spring Lee Bom
2020 The Cursed Im Jin Hee
Birthcare Center Oh Hyun-jin
2022 Little Women Won Sang-ah[46]
2024 The Trunk Lee Seon[47]
2025 For Eagle Brothers Ma Kwang-sook[48]
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Web series

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Ref.
2023 Cruel Intern Choi Ji-won [49][50]
2025 When Life Gives You Tangerines Na Min-ok
Hong Rang Min Yeon-ui [51]
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Variety shows

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Notes
2008–2010 TV Entertainment Tonight MC
2010 Road for Hope Charity documentary
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Music video appearances

More information Year, Song title ...
Year Song title Artist
2007 "Goodbye" (Korean: 안녕) KCM
2009 "Maze" (Korean: 미로) Pearl (Korean: 진주)
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Musical theatre

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Ref.
2009 Our Sweet Days of Youth Hye-rin [52][53][54]
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Awards and nominations

More information Year, Award ...
Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2003 24th Blue Dragon Film Awards Best New Actress Mutt Boy Nominated
2004 25th Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Supporting Actress The Scarlet Letter Nominated [6]
2006 27th Blue Dragon Film Awards Traces of Love Nominated [10]
2007 15th Chunsa Film Art Awards Best Supporting Actress Won [11]
2008 5th Max Movie Awards Scout Won [55]
2009 18th Buil Film Awards Like You Know It All Nominated
2010 18th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards Excellence Award, Actress in a Film Romantic Debtors Won [56]
2011 3rd Asia Jewelry Awards Sapphire Award Won
SBS Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama Special Sign Nominated
2013 22nd Buil Film Awards Best Supporting Actress Man on the Edge Nominated
50th Grand Bell Awards Nominated
Korean Film Actor's Association Top Film Star Award Hope Won [57]
34th Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Leading Actress Nominated
33rd Korean Association of Film Critics Awards Best Actress Won [58]
2014 50th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress (Film) Nominated
51st Grand Bell Awards Best Actress Nominated [59]
SBS Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama Thrice Married Woman Nominated
2016 36th Golden Cinema Festival Best Actress The Phone Won [60]
21st Chunsa Film Art Awards Best Supporting Actress The Silenced Won [61]
52nd Baeksang Arts Awards Best Supporting Actress (Film) Nominated
2017 SBS Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Monday–Tuesday Drama Distorted Nominated
18th Women in Film Korea Awards Best Actress Missing Won [62]
2018 7th Marie Claire Film Awards Marie Claire Award Won
2019 MBC Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Wednesday-Thursday Miniseries Spring Turns to Spring Nominated
2021 57th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress (TV) Birthcare Center Nominated [63]
2022 A-Awards A-Awards Passion Little Women Won [64]
30th Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards Top Excellence Award, Actress Won [65]
2023 9th APAN Star Awards Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Won [66]
Excellence Award, Actress in a Short Drama O'PENing - Summer Cold Nominated [67]
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References

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