Kim Hye-ja is the star of The Rustic Diary, one of the longest running and most beloved television series in Korean history (1980 – 2002). Her numerous television credits include Mom’s Dead Upset (2008), Chief Hong’s Autumn (2004) and Rose and the Beanstalk (1999). Her role in the 1982 feature film, Late Autumn, saw her receive the Best Actress Award at the Manila Film Festival. For most Koreans, Kim Hye-ja is an icon of motherhood and its virtues, but Bong Joon-ho, the writer-director of Mother, saw another facet to the actress. He conceived the story of Mother to capture her little recognised psychological intensity. With this film, the veteran actress has completely subverted the almost sacred maternal image she helped construct over the last 30 years and Bong Joon-ho has crafted the role of a lifetime for a great actress who has devoted her life to the craft.

Accolades

Kim Hye-ja
Best Performance by an Actress, 2009

Kim Hye-ja

Best Performance by an Actress, 2009

Kim Hye-ja

Mother (Madeo)

Winner, Best Performance By An Actress, 2009 Kim Hye-ja is the star of The Rustic Diary, one of the longest running and most beloved television series…

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Films

Mother
2009

Mother (Madeo)

Republic of Korea
2009

Mother (Madeo)

Winner, Best Performance By An Actress, 2009 An unnamed widow lives alone with her only son, selling medicinal herbs in a small town in southern…

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