Kvolution

✨ Han Hyo Joo

2003–2006: Beginnings

Han was first discovered in a teenage beauty pageant organized by food corporation Binggrae in 2003. She began her acting career in the sitcomNonstop 5 and the gangster comedy film My Boss, My Teacher. Han later raised her profile by starring in Spring Waltz, the fourth and final installment of TV directorYoon Seok-ho's "season drama" series.

In 2006, director Lee Yoon-kicast Han in the starring role in his low-budget independent film Ad-lib Night, which follows a young woman who rediscovers herself through an eerie overnight encounter with strangers. She won the Best New Actress awards at theKorean Association of Film Critics Awards and Singapore International Film Festival for her performance.

2007–2010: Breakthrough roles and overseas popularity

Han then starred in two highly successful TV projects and rose to fame - KBS daily dramaLike Land and Sky with Park Hae-jin in 2007, and SBSmasked-adventurer seriesIljimae with Lee Joon-gi in 2008. Both dramas drew solid viewership ratings nationwide throughout its run with high viewer ratings and launched Han into a household name. Afterwards, she was cast in another indie film, Ride Away, which debuted at the 2008Jeonju International Film Festival.

Han then filmed the Korean-Japanese telecinema co-production Heaven's Postman, which also featured pop starJaejoong from TVXQ (nowJYJ). After several postponements, it was released in theaters in late 2009, and broadcast on TV in 2010.

Han's breakthrough came inBrilliant Legacy costarring Lee Seung-gi, which became a massive hit in 2009, reaching a peak viewership rating of 47.1%. It catapulted Han to stardom, and after the drama's conclusion, she experienced a sharp rise in endorsement deals and media requests for interviews, as well as increased pan-Asian popularity. Later that year Han wrapped up her starring role in the musical drama Soul Special, which aired on KBS Joy.

In 2010, Han took on the titular character in MBC's 49th anniversary project Dong Yi, The series became a hit during its run both domestically and across Asia. Han won several acting awards for her portrayal ofChoi Suk-bin, including theDaesang (Grand Prize) award at MBC Drama Awards and the coveted Best Actress award atBaeksang Arts Awards.

2011–2015: Film roles

In 2011, Han played a blind telemarketer opposite So Ji-sub's ex-boxer in the melodrama film Always.Helmed by director Song Il-gon, it premiered as the opening film of the 2011Busan International Film Festival. Han later contributed voice narration to the "barrier-free" version of Japanese film My Back Page, which features descriptive audio and subtitles for people with hearing or visual impairments.

Han then played the queen toLee Byung-hun's Gwanghae in the 2012 blockbuster period film Masquerade, which became one of the highest-grossing Korean films of all time. She followed that withLove 911, an unlikely romance between a doctor and a firefighter (Go Soo).

In November 2013

In 2013, Han starred oppositeSol Kyung-gu and Jung Woo-sung in action thriller Cold Eyes, a remake of the 2007 Hong Kong film Eye in the Sky. The film dominated the box office after its release and became one of the biggest domestic hits of 2013 Han received acting recognition for her performance, winning Best Actress from the Blue Dragon Film Awards and Buil Film Awards.

In 2014, Han and Love 911costar Go Soo reunited inMyohyangsangwan ("View ofMount Myohyang"), which depicts the rendezvous of a South Korean painter and aNorth Korean waitress in a North Korean restaurant. Theshort film is a collaboration bycontemporary artists Moon Kyung-won and Jeon Joon-ho, and combined a theatrical plot, experimental imagery, dance and performance art.

She then ventured into the overseas market by starring in her first Japanese film, Isshin Inudo's Miracle: Debikuro-kun no Koi to Maho ("Miracle Devil Claus' Love and Magic"). Set during the Christmas season, the film is a love story about a kind bookstore employee (played by Masaki Aiba from J-pop boyband Arashi) who meets three women.

In 2015, Han starred in themusical biopic C'est Si Bon, which depicted the ups and downs of the folk music group Twin Folio, which was active from the 1960s to 80s. Famous for its live performances, C'est Si Bon was the name of a popular music lounge located inMugyo-dong in the 1970s, where Twin Folio got its start; Han played the group's muse. This was followed by romantic comedy film The Beauty Inside, where Han's character falls in love with a man who changes to different people every day.

Later that year, Han got together with Yoo Yeon-seokand Chun Woo-hee, both of her co-stars in The Beauty Inside, again for Love, Lies, a movie which depicts the last story of gisaeng during the Japanese occupation in the 1940s.

2016–Present: Television comeback

In 2016, Han returns to the small screen with MBC's fantasy thriller series Walongside Lee Jong-suk.Helmed by director Jung Dae-yoon who directed She Was Pretty and writer Song Jae-jung whose previous works include Nine: Nine Time Travels and Queen In-hyun's Man, expectations rises when this also marks Han's small screen comeback after 6 years. She won the Top Excellence award at the 5thAPAN Star Awards and MBC Drama Awards for her performance in W.

In 2017, Han will star in the thriller Golden Slumberalongside Kang Dong-won.She was also cast in Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, an alternate reality action film based on theJapanese animated flick of the same name.