Han Chae-young

Han Chae-young (born Kim Ji-young on September 13, 1980), is a South Korean actress. She is known for her notable roles in several Korean dramas such as Autumn in My Heart, Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang, Only You, Fireworks, Boys Over Flowers, A Man Called God and Pretty Man.

Han Chae-young was born as Kim Ji-young in Daegu, South Korea, but her family soon immigrated to the United States and she spent her childhood years in a Chicago suburb, where she attended Glenbrook South High School. During one of her visits to Korea, she was reportedly discovered by a famed Korean comedian who suggested that she put her college plans on hold and try acting.

2000–2004: Early career

Taking on the stage name Han Chae-young, she made her acting debut in 2000 through horror film The Record. She then played the antagonist in popular TV melodrama Autumn in My Heart.

The press dubbed her "Barbie Doll of Korea"—for her tall, shapely proportions. Though this image would land her numerous commercial endorsements, her acting projects in the next few years saw Han typecast as an unapproachable beauty from a wealthy background.

2005–2008: Breakthrough

But she made her breakthrough in 2005's Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang, a modern-day, romantic comedy retelling of the famous folktale Chunhyangjeon. Playing the titular role of a smart, lively high school girl who matures into a self-sufficient woman, Han shot to stardom throughout Asia with the success of the TV series.

After playing a single mother with culinary dreams in 2005's Only You and a jilted girl looking for employment in 2006's Exhibition of Fireworks, she reverted to a glamorous character in 2007 couple-swapping film Love Now.

She surprised fans by acting on stage for the first time in Jang Jin's play Clumsy People, which had a sell-out theater run from December 7, 2007 to March 2, 2008. Later that year she released her clothing line Rachel Han's (taken from her American name), produced in conjunction with online retailer G-Market.

2009–2012: International debut

Han Chae-young in September 2009

In 2009 she made a special guest appearance in the smash hit drama Boys Over Flowers and starred in the film Good Morning President alongside top Korean actor Jang Dong-gun.

Han said her cheerful character in the film Girlfriends resembled her real self the most and was also the role she said she "had the most fun playing."

Horror film Soul Mates, a Korea-New Zealand co-production, was supposed to have been Han's English-language international debut, but the project was cancelled.

After a lengthy hiatus from the small screen (her 2009 fashion drama Magazine Allo did not push through due to plagiarism charges), Han was cast as a down-to-earth rookie journalist in 2010's manhwa adaptation A Man Called God.

She then played Lee Byung-hun's love interest in The Influence, an online mystery-fantasy movie about a love that transcends time and space. Hoping for a Hollywood crossover, the English-speaking actress signed with agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) that same year.

Considered a Korean Wave star due to the popularity of Choon-hyang, Han has begun expanding her career to the mainland Chinese market. She starred in the 2011 fantasy-comedy A Big Deal opposite Blue Lan, Leon Jay Williams, and Chapman To. She was also cast in a leading role in Chinese television drama Wu Xie Ke Ji Zhi Lan Se Meng Xiang (lit. "Dream in Blue") opposite Zhu Zi Xiao, which aired on Zhejiang TV in 2012.

2013–present

She returned to Korean television in 2013 in the series Ad Genius Lee Tae-baek and Pretty Man. In 2015, Han began hosting her first variety show, Take Care of My Dressing Table, where professionals in the beauty industry such as makeup artists and hairdressers share their styling tips. But her career remained primarily in China, where Han filmed the web series Beauty Master, followed by the TV adaptation of Chinese novel The Rebirth of a Celebrity Superstar.

Han married Korean-American businessman Choi Dong-joon on June 2, 2007 at Hotel Shilla in Seoul. She gave birth to a son on August 28, 2013.

Television drama

Film