5 K-dramas That Made #ParkShinhye Our Hallyu Queen
No guts, no glory – that’s how Park Shin-hye has risen to become one of K-drama’s biggest stars
ELLE Singapore’s September cover star, Park Shin-hye, is only 27 but has amassed 14 years of acting experience under her slender belt. We round up her top five performances.
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN (2003)
Who did she play?
The teenage Han Jung-suh, later played by Choi Ji-woo. Jung-suh loses her mother to brain cancer as a child, and her first love Cha Sung-joo leaves her to study abroad. Her evil stepmother bullies her while her stepsister tries to kill her. She loses her memory – regains it and her man, but becomes blind from eye cancer. She then discovers she has brain cancer, and dies on the beach in his arms.
ELLE rating: <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
How did this make her career?
It was her drama debut. Besides Choi Ji-woo, Stairway to Heaven also featured mega-stars like Kwon Sang-woo and Kim Tae-hee. Although she appeared only in the first few episodes, her poignant portrayal of the long-suffering female lead touched hearts all over the world.
Did you know?
Baek Sung-hyun, who portrayed the teenage Cha Sung-joo, reunited with Shin-hye after 13 years when he appeared opposite her in Doctors. “We had lots to chat about – it’s like fate brought us back together again after so long,” he said. The happy occasion called for a wefie on Instagram – his was captioned “Jung-suh, love always comes back to you! Kekekeke!”, a play on the line that Kwon Sang-woo made famous in the drama. Hers was “Sung-joo oppa, now you want to be friends because you’ve become Dr Pi?
YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL (2009)
Who did she play?
Go Mi-nyo, an aspiring nun who takes her twin brother’s spot in a K-pop boyband. Hilarious antics ensue as she tries to gain acceptance from fellow members (Jang Geun-suk, Lee Hong-ki and Jung Yong-hwa) while keeping her identity a secret.
ELLE rating: <3 <3 <3 <3
How did this make her career?
It restored her love for acting. “The sudden attention I received after Stairway was tough to handle because I was just a kid. And though I was offered roles, worrying about box office and television viewership was so stressful! Acting with Geun-suk and others my age in Beautiful helped me enjoy acting again…Acting became comfortable again,” she recalls.
Did you know?
The friendship between the leads is running strong – Shin-hye even starred in an MV for Hong-ki’s solo record! “We both started as child actors and have known each other since we were kids. She gives me relationship advice, like what not to do with girls. But I know she hasn’t had many boyfriends!” Hong-ki revealed in a radio interview.
THE HEIRS (2013)
Who did she play?
Cha Eun-sang, a girl who receives a welfare scholarship to Jeguk High School. She has to choose between the hot-headed Jeguk heir Kim Tan andhis frenemy Choi Young-do. Her spitfire personality comes in handy when she has to face down “Queen Bee” characters Rachel Yoo and Lee Bo-na.
ELLE rating: <3 <3 <3 <3
How did this make her career?
The Heirs not only cemented her position as a Hallyu star but also allowed her to prove her acting chops. “I had so many crying scenes in this drama – because of love, but also because of my character’s strained relationship with her mother. I thought back to my time as an 18-year old, and remembered how I fought with my mother, and with my friends, and poured those feelings into my portrayal as Eun-sang,” she said.
Did you know?
She ad-libbed that famous scene during which she grabbed Lee Min-ho’s clothes while kissing. “The director instructed me to put my hands on his face while kissing. But when we started filming I grabbed his clothes in shock instead – I didn’t know that had been caught on camera!” So who would she pick between Min-ho and Kim Woo-bin? “If only I could have a mix of them both!” she jokes. “Lee Min-ho made the set really fun with his pranks, and he’s really stylish. But Kim Woo-bin offered a very good listening ear when I was feeling down.”
PINOCCHIO (2014)
Who did she play?
Choi In-ha, an aspiring TV journo with the “Pinocchio” syndrome – she gets hiccups whenever she lies. She gets hired as a journalist by her mother, who is a successful news anchor, but discovers that the older woman’s questionable reporting skills led to the death of a friend’s parents. ELLE rating: <3 <3 <3 <3
How did this make her career?
This was Shin-hye’s first “grown-up” role and she relished the experience. “I know there are people who say I always take the same roles. But I believe that I am offered those roles in those specific genres because they suit me the best. I don’t feel the need to break a stereotype just for the same of doing it,” she says confidently.
Did you know?
There was a battle on-set for the director’s affection, according to Shin-hye. “Lee Jong-suk and I had both worked with Director Jo. So if there was something we needed, we’d go directly to him. But… this was the first time I had a male co-star who people called ‘pretty’!” she laughs.
DOCTORS (2016)
Who did she play?
A rebellious high-school student Yoo Hye-jung is inspired by her science teacher Hong Ji-hong to become a neurosurgeon. When the duo meet again 13 years later, sparks fly between them. ELLE rating: <3 <3 <3 <3
How did this make her career?
The fourth of Shin-hye’s winning drama was a success she didn’t expect. She says, “I figured it was impossible for every drama to do well, so this could be my ‘time’ to fail. I told myself not to be disappointed even if the drama didn’t do well.” This was also her first time doing fight scenes, which she described were so tough she couldn’t get out of bed the next day.
Did you know?
There’s a nine-year gap between Shin-hye, an ambassador for skincare brand Mamonde, and her male lead, Kim Rae-won. To make the difference less visible, he became more conscientious with skincare. “I applied masks when I was free. I even went the aesthetic clinic for facials while shooting the drama – something I’ve never done in my 20 years as an actor!”
Cr.
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