She is one of South Korea's most sought after and critically acclaimed actresses,[4][5] particularly known for her versatility in pulling off roles in various genres such as action, comedy, horror, drama, sports and medical.[6][7][8]
Jeon Hae-rim was scouted by an agency when she was a senior high school student. The actress stated, "Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed of becoming an actress. When I was a senior in high school, an agency contacted me after seeing my picture at a photography studio." She later graduated with a degree inBachelor of Film and Television (BFTV) fromDankook University. In 2012, the actress revealed that she had failed over 100 auditions before her debut, "I passed my college entrance and written exams and was accepted to the department of theater and film. Before my debut, I auditioned for 100 or so projects but didn't get the roles."[9]
Jeon candidly revealed that she adopted "Ha Ji-won" as her stage name as a favor for her previous manager as it was the name of his first love. "When I was about to debut, the first love of my manager's name was Ha Ji-won. I think he wanted to at least use the name of his love that was not fulfilled. The first time I heard the name Ha Ji-won, I thought it was pretty and also bold."[10]
Ha Ji-won made her TV debut in the 1996 teen drama,New Generation Report: Adults Don't Understand Us. She continued playing supporting roles in dramas,Dragon's Tears andDangerous Lullaby in 1998 and 1999 respectively.[11][12] But it was through the popular high school dramaSchool 2, in which she played the role of a troubled teen, that she started to gain fame as an actress.[13][12]
In 2001, Ha had her first leading role inBeautiful Life, where she played the role of achaebol hotelier's daughter, oppositeKim Rae-won.[22] This was followed by another starring role inDays in the Sun oppositeJi Sung.[23]
In 2002, she appeared inAhn Byeong-ki's in horror movie,Phone. The film was a huge success in South Korea and was also a hit in Italy,[24] officially dubbing her as "Asia's Horror Princess".[7][25]FollowingPhone in the same year wasYoon Je-kyoon'sAmerican Pie-inspired movie,Sex Is Zero, co-starringIm Chang-jung.[26] The movie was the third most popular Korean movie in 2002 and ranked fifth among all films released in that year,[27] winning Ha the Popularity Award at the 39thBaeksang Arts Awards.[28]
In 2003, Ha starred in her first historical drama,Damo.[29][30]Damo was highly popular among viewers in their 20s and 30s and turned into a cultural phenomenon.[31] Ha's performance as a lowly police detective was highly praised and she was given the Top Excellence award at theMBC Drama Awards.[32]
In November 2009
That year, she also she began dabbling into music and released her first album;Home Run, with the lead single being of the same name as the album & featuringPsy.
In 2006, Ha starred inHwang Jini, a period drama based on the real-life history of the character ofHwang Jini, who lived in 16th-centuryJoseon and is considered the most famousgisaeng in the Korean history.[42][43] The series was a huge ratings success,[44] giving rise to a boom in gisaeng-themed entertainment—musicals, TV dramas, films, even cartoons.[45][46] Ha's performance won her the Grand Prize (Daesang) at the2006 KBS Drama Awards.[47]
In July 2011
In 2007, Ha challenged herself in the role of a female boxer in the comedy film,Miracle on 1st Street.[48] Coming from the team behindSex Is Zero, the movie became the fifth most popular movie in that year.[49] She then took on the role of a pianist inMiracle of a Giving Fool, which was based on a popularwebcomic and won her the Popularity Award at the 44thBaeksang Arts Awards.[50]
In 2009, Ha worked with DirectorYoon Je-kyoon for the third time in the blockbusterdisaster filmHaeundae.The movie was funded byCJ Entertainment with a budget estimated at US$10–15 million, one of the largest for a Korean production.[51]Haeundae was met with both critical and commercial success. It was the fourth highest-grossing film in South Korea then, giving Ha the honor of "The 10 Million Movie Actress" for bringing more than 10 million audiences.[52] She then starred inPark Jin-pyo'smelodramaCloser to Heaven.[53] Ha's heartfelt performance in the film won her the Best Actress Award at the 30thBlue Dragon Film Awards and 46thBaeksang Arts Awards.[54][55]
After taking a four-year break from dramas, Ha made a very successful comeback through the 2010 hit drama,Secret Garden, written by famous writerKim Eun-sook.[56] She played the role of a stunt woman, who magically switches bodies with a wealthyCEO character (played byHyun Bin). Proven to be a commercial success, the drama series brought in high domestic ratings and garnered much interest regarding its fashion, catchphrases and music.[57][58] Ha was awarded the prestige Best Actress at theGrimae Awards.[59]
Ha then starred inscience fiction3D film,Sector 7.[60] Although the film failed to do well in South Korea, it was a hit in China, garnering over 20 million yuan in China after just one week, beating previous records set by200 Pounds Beauty at 16 million yuan.[61] Ha had spent eight hours a day swimming and training with weights to get in shape for the role, obtained a scuba diving certificate and motor license in a week to "immerse" herself in character.[62]
In January 2015
In 2012, Ha starred inalternate history dramaThe King 2 Hearts oppositeLee Seung-gi, playing the role of aKorean People's Army Special Operations Forces Officer who married a South Korean crown prince as a political strategy.[63] It was also revealed that Ha had studied the North Korean dialect to make her portrayal of the character more realistic and genuine.[64] Ha then acted in sports filmAs One, playing the role of a South Koreantable tennis player.[65][66] As Ha had simultaneously portrayed a North and South Korean character on the small and big screen,[67] she was dubbed as "The Flower of Reunification" for crossing boundaries of the two nations.[68]
In 2013, Ha was awarded her second Daesang award for her performance as thetitular character in the hit historical dramaEmpress Ki.[69][70] The drama achieved high viewership ratings throughout its run on MBC,[71] and was also well-received overseas; particularly in Taiwan.[72]
In 2015, Ha was cast byHa Jung-woo to play his character's wife in his self-directed movie,Chronicle of a Blood Merchant, a film adaption of the bestselling 1995 Chinese novel of the same title written byYu Hua.[75] Following that, Ha, alongside actorLee Jin-wook starred in the Korean remake of the 2011 hitTaiwanese dramaIn Time with You, titledThe Time We Were Not in Love.[76] However, in contrast to her previous dramas,The Time We Were Not in Love received low ratings and Ha's performance was called into question.[77][78] However, the show has received popular ratings among international post-broadcast audiences.[79]
In 2017, Ha starred inManhunt, an international co-production by Hong Kong directorJohn Woo.[82][83] She played a female assassin in the film.[84]Ha returned to the small screen with MBC's medical dramaHospital Ship, which started airing in August 2017.[85] She plays an ambitious surgeon who finds herself on a hospital ship.[86]She won the Top Excellence Award at theMBC Drama Awards for her role.[87]
In 2018, Ha joined tvN's space themed variety show,Galileo: Awakened Universe, her first variety show since debut.[88]
In 2019, Ha returned to the big screen with the romance melodramaChocolate.[89]
In 2020, she starred inPawn,[90] a COVID-19 delayed, human drama film.
In 2022, it was announced that Ha would hold fan meetings in Japan on 25 November in Tokyo and 27 November in Osaka.[91] In October, Ha made her return to the small screen withCurtain Call after five years absence.[92]
Ha Ji-won made an appearance in themusic video ofWax's debut song, "Mother's Diary" in 2000. Soon after, she performedWax's song, "Oppa" on stage.[93]
Ha released her debut albumHome Run in 2003. The eponymoussingle from the albumHome Run, featuring singerPsy, was later used as theOST forReversal of Fortune.[94]
After an eight-year hiatus on stage, Ha performed with her labelmatesAA for their debut at the K-pop Super Concert in 2011.[95]
On 13 June 2014, Ha released a digital single, "Now in This Place", for the fans who had been supportive of her dramaEmpress Ki. The lyrics of the song was written by the scriptwriter ofEmpress Ki, Jung Kyung Soon; and composed and produced by popular music producerJae Chong (also known as Jung Jae-yoon).[96]
In June 2015, Ha released a self-written song, "You Are Zoe", featuringZE:A's Heechul. She personally wrote the song while working onOnStyle'sGo Go with Sister in Grasse, France. The track was composed by singer The Film.[97]
In 2012, Ha gave a lecture on movie production in China as part of CJ CGV's cultural exchange program Toto's Workroom.[98] As part of her contract with fashion label Crocodile Lady, Ha launched her own "Secret Jeans" line and designed a handbag for the brand which was sold for 179,200 won ($157).[99]The same year, she published her first bookThis Moment.[100]
Althoughorgan donation was not common in South Korea at that time in January 2005, Ha Ji-won made the pledge to donate hercornea through the Organ Donation Center of Love. The actress shared, "When I was in crisis of becoming blind in May of 2004 because of damaged cornea in my left eye while filming, but one prisoner sent me a letter expressing his willing to donate his own cornea to me, I was very thankful and greatly touched. I want to be of help to the visually impaired. It's shocking and pitiful that we import cornea from other countries."[112][113]
Ha has also played an active role in helping underprivileged and disabled children, running a donation project namedSmile Again Foundation with Gangnam-gu Family Welfare Center. The project was supplemented by Ha Ji-won's fan club members while she went the extra mile to ensure the sustainability of the project.[114] Ha was conferred thePrime Minister's Award for the '2008 Family Month Event', in recognition of her consistent and active hard work in contributing to programs for poor and handicapped families.[115]
In 2012, Ha donated the proceeds from her first book,At This Moment, to charity. The recipients of the book earnings, children's aid groupChoi Kyung Joo Foundation andYonsei University Hospital, announced their decision to set up a scholarship for prospective arts students and to subsidize treatment for deaf and blind children respectively. Sponsored by Ha, the organization has set up a "Hartist" (Ha + artist) scholarship to sponsor students who dream of careers in art.[116]
Together with fellow actorSong Joong-ki, Ha attendedMedical Korea 2013 Sharing Medical Treatment Commemorative Event, an event hosted by theMinistry of Health and Welfare, promoting greater international co-operation for medical technology and positive medical tourism. During the event, both actors spent time with recovering children and received an award for their previous efforts in promoting the sharing of medical services.[117]
In 2015, Ha, fashion iconKo So-young, andfigure skaterYuna Kim designed bags in cooperation with the Italian luxury brandFendi. The bags were offered via Seoul Peekaboo Project auction to raise funds for the charity. As Operation Smile's Ambassador, Ha decided to donate the proceeds from the bag she designed to Operation Smile, aNGO that performs cleft lip and cleft palate surgery and delivers postoperative and ongoing medical therapies to children in low and middle income countries.[118]
In 2016, Ha donated 100 million won (US$83,604) to help victims of ferry disaster.[119]
In 2013, Ha was reported to be leaving Wellmade STARM, her agency for ten years. She declined all the calls sent by other agencies with giant contracts and decided to establish her own one-person agency Haewadal Entertainment (lit. Sun and Moon Entertainment) instead.[120][unreliable source?] Also in the same year, Ha signed withUnited Talent Agency, one of the largesttalent agencies in the world, for herHollywood venture.[121][122]
After establishing her own agency, Haewadal Entertainment, Ha simultaneously signed a contract with BM+ Entertainment to manage her activities abroad.[123] In the same year, Ha signed with Invincible Plan to manage her Chinese ventures.[124]
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^Park, Jeong-seon (19 October 2022).커튼콜' 하지원, 3년 만에 안방극장 복귀...고두심 "예쁜 손녀 같아 [Curtain Call' Ha Ji-won returns to the small screen after 3 years... Go Doo-shim "Looks like a pretty granddaughter"].JTBC (in Korean).Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved19 October 2022 – viaNaver.
^Han, Hyeon-jeong (1 January 2023).강하늘·도경수·박진희·하지원, 무더기 최우수상[KBS 2022 연기대상] [Kang Ha-neul·Do Kyung-soo·Park Jin-hee·Ha Ji-won, Top Excellence Award [KBS 2022 Drama Awards]] (in Korean). Maeil Business.Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved1 January 2023 – viaNaver.
^Hwang, Soo-yeon (1 January 2023).붉은 단심' 3번 거절했는데..." 이준·강한나·이혜리, 미니시리즈 우수상 [KBS 연기대상] [Single Heart Red' was rejected 3 times..." Lee Joon·Hanna Kang·Hyeri Lee, Miniseries Excellence Award [KBS Drama Awards]].X-ports News (in Korean).Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved1 January 2023 – viaNaver.
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^Choi, Hye-jin (1 January 2023).이준·강한나·이혜리, 우수상에 울컥 "많은 생각 스쳐가" [2022 KBS 연기대상] [Lee Joon·Kang Han-na·Lee Hye-ri, "Many thoughts pass by" at the Excellence Award [2022 KBS Drama Awards]] (in Korean). MT Star News.Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved1 January 2023 – viaNaver.
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