Choi Jin-sil

Biography

Choi Jin-sil (Korean: 최진실; December 24, 1968 – October 2, 2008) was a South Korean actress. She was considered one of the greatest actresses in South Korea, nicknamed "The Nation's Actress" for playing leading roles in some of the highest-rated Korean dramas of all time such as Jealousy (1992), Season of Storms (1993), Star in My Heart (1997), You and I (1997) and My Rosy Life (2005). Her film work includes North Korea's Southern Army (1990), My Love, My Bride (1990), Susanne Brink's Arirang (1991) and The Letter (1997). Widely regarded as the most popular actress of her time, she led the entertainment industry in terms of commercial success across film, television, and advertising. She played leading roles in 18 films and 20 television dramas, appeared in hundreds of advertisements, and won several awards. She was 39 when she died by suicide by hanging on October 2, 2008, at her home in Seoul after being the victim of distressing rumours.

== Early years == Choi was born as the first child to her parents Choi Guk-hyeon and Jung Ok-suk on December 24, 1968, in Eunpyeong District, Seoul, South Korea. Her mother separated from her father in 1985 and divorced him in 1998. She had a younger brother, Choi Jin-young, who was an actor and singer, and two elder half-brothers, brought in by her father from a previous relationship. Her mother only knew of the other children after marrying her father. When she was two years old, her father, a taxi driver, contracted tuberculous pleurisy and was unable to work, selling the taxi he owned. At the age of four, she lived with her extended family—father, mother, younger brother, three aunts, three uncles, and a grandmother—in a rundown three-room shack in the mountain village of Gupabal. Her poverty-stricken mother took Choi and her younger brother up a hill to commit suicide, but the attempt failed and they returned home crying. When she was ten, her father went to work as a laborer in the Middle East, and her family moved to Bulgwang-dong, Eunpyeong District. She attended Dongmyeong Girls' Middle School while actress Kang Soo-yeon attended Dongmyeong Girls' High School, and both schools are located within the same fence. Choi admired Kang, who started her career as a child actress in the 1970s. She used to secretly watch the actress outside her class and even sat in her seat when no one else was in the room. She showed aptitude for physical education and was especially talented in art, winning various competitions, and her teacher encouraged her to go to art school. Her family was so poor that her mother once managed the household by running a pojangmacha (a small street stall selling foods) when her father ran away from home. She gave up going to art school and it was only through her blind (habitual) "going to school," and the support of friends and teachers that she was able to graduate from high school. A biology teacher even paid Choi's tuition out of his own salary. She dreamed of becoming a star to escape poverty. She said in talk shows her nickname during her school days was "Choisujebi" because she used to eat sujebi (a dumpling soup) instead of ordinary meals due to the home environment. Although she later became the highest taxpayer among celebrities, she was known for frugality, even receiving Presidential Commendations for her savings activity. She and her younger brother worked on their acting skills together and they passed the KBS Talent Recruitment Test in 1986. However, their mother did not want her to enter the entertainment industry, and she was unable to pay for her training at the broadcaster, so her dreams of becoming an actress were put on hold.

== Career ==

=== 1988–1990: Beginnings and breakthrough === In 1987, Choi graduated from Seonil Girls' High School. She could not afford to enter art school, so she got a job at a hotel in Seoul, right after graduation. However, she could not give up on her acting dreams and quit the hotel in 1988 and went on a two-month hunger strike. After a while, their mother surrenders and her brother helps her. Her brother, who was a senior in high school, had been working as an advertising model since his first year. He personally took her portfolio pictures and visited modeling agencies with her. Eventually, she was cast for a minor role in a commercial and began in Korea's entertainment circles as an advertising film model. She began to gain celebrity status in an advertising campaign for Samsung Electronics in which she acted as a newly wedded housewife. Her appearance caused great reactions not only among the public, but also in the advertising and entertainment industries. The "Choi Jin-sil Syndrome" was called a cultural phenomenon and casting offers poured in. In 1988, she became a TV actress starring in the MBC historical drama, 500 Years of Joseon: Hanjungrok and steadily appeared in supporting roles on television for a year. Her first film was Nambugun: North Korean Partisan in South Korea (1990), and her performance in the film as a partisan nurse won her the Best New Actress awards at the 11th Blue Dragon Film Awards and Chunsa Film Art Awards. In the same year, she played the leading role in the hit movie My Love, My Bride (1990) and won Best New Actress at the 29th Grand Bell Awards and the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, establishing her as an advertising model-turned film actress. Both films are the second highest-grossing Korean films of 1990 and 1991, respectively.

=== 1990–2002: Mainstream success === She drew attention for her spunky role in the youth drama Two Diaries (1990) where she co-starred with Chae Shi-ra in the second installment. After appearing as a guest on MBC's Quiz Academy, a quiz show for college students, she stood out for her hilarious personality, and her career continued to rise when she appeared in Our Paradise (1990), a popular youth drama about the lives of college students. In Our Paradise, she played the role of a fake student, Seung-mi, and gave a three-dimensional performance. Since it was planned for Seung-mi to leave the drama from the beginning due to Choi's conflicting schedules with other works, the character died from a terminal illness halfway through the show and viewers who wanted to see more of Choi's acting were disappointed. Through this drama, she gained sympathy and popularity, becoming an idol of the youth and new generation and started making her mark at MBC. In 1991, she played the role of high school student Da-hye in the teen film You Know What? It's a Secret 2 about the 1980s generation that liberalized school uniforms, followed by the role of Susanne Brink (real name: Shin Yu-sook), a religious studies student at Uppsala University in Sweden, in Susanne Brink's Arirang, a film about the international adoption of South Korean children. The film was shot on location in Sweden. Choi's intimate portrayal of an adopted child impressed many audiences and earned her critical acclaim, including nominations for Best Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards and Baeksang Arts Awards. While living in Sweden during filming, Choi experienced the country's gender-equal family culture and took the opportunity to grow as an actress by acting in Swedish and trying out a role she hadn't done before. Her films succeeded in the box office, catapulting Choi to the top within two years of her debut. She was described as 'Chungmuro's money-making machine'; 'the Choi Jin-sil Syndrome, the duck that lays golden eggs'. She expanded her solidified image of a youth star into more diverse and challenging roles as in the film The Room in the Forest where she played the role of a struggling student activist who eventually commits suicide. In November 1991, Choi became the second celebrity to appear in the MBC documentary The Human Era after national actor Ahn Sung-ki. The broadcast became a huge success with 45% viewership, and Choi gained national favor with the public, across all generations, with her previously unseen image of a friendly commoner through The Human Era: The Truth About Choi Jin-sil. The title is a wordplay on her name, Jin-sil (진실 lit. "truth").

After several experiences in TV dramas as a supporting actress, Choi debuted on a leading role in the MBC drama Jealousy (1992), which recorded the highest viewership rating of 56.1% and became the first Korean production to be broadcast outside the country. In 1993, China's Harbin TV imported and broadcast the series, making it a bridgehead for the export of Korean dramas to the Asian market, especially the Chinese mainland, which was dominated by Japanese dramas. The term "trendy drama" was first used to describe Jealousy. Cultural critic Ha Jae-geun said, "The drama [Jealousy] was not just considered a popular drama, but is a symbol of an era. It was the beginning of the trendy drama." Trendy dramas refer to movies or TV dramas that delve into the tastes of the younger people by featuring popular stars as the main characters and depicting city life, cutting-edge fashion, and new generation mindsets. The drama was a breath of fresh air, breaking away from the standard tropes of most dramas of the past. It approached the public from a new perspective, portraying the unique yet realistic lifestyles of young people in their 20s and 30s, and marked the beginning of Korean romantic comedies. Choi naturally portrayed the bright, cheerful, yet sharp Ha-kyung, becoming a symbol of the new generation of working women. For her beauty, acting ability, and relatable portrayal of the lead character, Choi was nicknamed, "The Nation's Sweetheart" and became a beloved national actress. She starred in a string of successful dramas and films in the following years, such as the film Mister Mama (1992) with Choi Min-soo, the MBC melodrama Season of Storms (1993) and the comedy film How to Top My Wife (1994). In 1994, Choi starred in the film I Wish for What Is Forbidden to Me, which dealt with gender violence and opened a new chapter in the history of Korean feminist films. Choi sought to transform her acting by appearing in socially weighty works and even invested her appearance fee on the film's production costs, as a response to the mounting crisis in Korean cinema concerning underfunded projects. Choi's participation as the lead actress and producer was said to be due to her close relationship with the producers and director, as well as her strong attachment to the role of the main character, Kang Min-ju, who is a villain protagonist. "In order to save Korean cinema, not only producers and directors but also actors need to step up to the plate," Choi said at the time, adding, "I want to show a new image in good films regardless of appearance fees." She won Best Film Actress at the 30th Baeksang Arts Awards for her performance. She also co-starred with Lee Byung-hun in the SBS drama Scent of Love which recorded high viewership ratings. She won consecutive Top Excellence Awards at the SBS Drama Awards for the two years that she spent at the broadcasting network. In January 1995, she won the Grand Prize in the CF category at the 1st Korea Model Festival for her work as a commercial model since her debut in the advertising industry. She was later reunited with Lee Byung-hun in the 1995 romantic comedy film Who Drives Me Crazy and the SBS action drama Asphalt Man, which was one of the major productions of its time. In the second half of the year, she enrolled in the Department of Performing Arts (Theater and Film) at Chung-Ang University, School of Arts, to study acting professionally. Choi had a desire to learn acting systematically, starting with breathing and vocalization. In November, she received the Best Actress award at the 33rd Grand Bell Awards for the box office hit How to Top My Wife. At the time, she was filming Asphalt Man on location in the U.S., so her mother accepted the award on her behalf. Exhausted from a series of strong performances since her debut, Choi took time to recharge her energy by reading books and chose a film that was less demanding than television. The film was Ghost Mamma (1996), a huge box office success where she plays the role of a woman who dies and reappears before her husband in the form of a ghost. The film's success led to a flurry of commercials and articles saying, "Choi Jin-sil has hit her second peak". Around the same time, Choi was offered a role in the experimental film Holiday in Seoul by director Kang Woo-seok, who was also the producer of the film. The role of the decadent hotel telephone operator played by Choi was originally intended for actress Kim Nam-joo, but when she dropped out due to a disagreement with the film company, Kang asked Choi, who had always been close to him, to play the role. Kang thanked Choi for her appearance with an unprecedented casting fee. In 1997, she top-billed the biggest domestic film of the year, The Letter, and the highest-rated Korean drama of all time, You and I. Another hit drama, Star in My Heart was one of the earlier Korean dramas to air outside Korea and its popularity elevated the main cast to Hallyu stardom. The term Hallyu (Korean: 한류) which comes from Mandarin 韓流, (Pinyin: hán liú; lit. "Korean Wave") was coined in the late 1990s after the success of the drama in China, marking the first generation of the Korean Wave. Choi broke her exclusive contract with SBS when she accepted the lead role in the MBC drama Star in My Heart (1997). Ten years after her debut, she maintained her good-natured and vivacious image and made a splendid return to MBC. Even though there were sloppy plot developments, Choi's one-two punch portrayal of orphan Lee Yeon-hee and fashion photographer Sophia was praised; with her eyes, tone of voice, body language, and gestures making the characters feel like completely different people. The drama recorded viewership ratings of around 50% in Korea and became incredibly popular in China. Considered one of the first Korean Wave dramas, it also gained popularity in Taiwan and Vietnam, and is the first Korean drama to be exported to Mexico, Central America and South America, where it recorded viewership ratings comparable to primetime dramas despite being in the daytime slot. In November 1997, The Letter was released and became the number one film at the Korean box office from 1997 to 1998. It won the Audience Choice Award for Most Popular Film while Choi received her eighth Popular Star Award at the 19th Blue Dragon Film Awards. Gulbongsan station became a famous landmark when it was used as a filming location. She was cast in the film in April 1997, when Star in My Heart was just getting off the ground. Choi, who immediately warmed to the suspense element of Ghost Mamma, said of The Letter which embraced the classic melodrama formula, "I'm not really confident in acting crying and weeping, but I responded when I received the script because the story is compelling..." It was an emotionally demanding project, and when the film was finished and she was exhausted, she was offered a role in MBC's You and I, as career woman Yoon Soo-kyung. The drama aired on weekends from October 1997 to April 1998 and garnered a record-breaking 66.9% viewership rating, making it the highest-rated Korean drama of all time. Choi was recognized for her acting skills as she steadily led the center of the drama for 58 episodes. Appearing in You and I served as an opportunity for her to be highly regarded by her senior actors, establishing herself as a significant actress both in name and reality inside and outside the entertainment industry. She won the Grand Prize at the 1997 MBC Drama Awards at the end of the year for her starring performances in a trendy drama and a weekend soap opera. In 1998, Choi published an autobiography Yes, Let's Live Truthfully Today Too, looking back at the change from an ordinary high school graduate to a famous actress. In March 1998, Korea Telecom released a public phone card modeled after Choi for a campaign to overcome the economic crisis. In June, she played advertising agency employee Seo In-young in MBC's Memories, which was originally planned for 16 episodes, but due to viewer ratings, was extended by six more episodes for a total of 22 episodes. It was also the first drama in South Korea to feature a divorced couple as the main characters. In July, she was voted Japan's favorite Korean actress, and in August, she was voted the most popular entertainer in the actor category since the founding of South Korea in a Gallup Korea poll that surveyed men and women aged between 11 and 59 across the country. In the same month, she appeared in a national promotional campaign alongside President Kim Dae-jung and several other famous celebrities, athletes, and literary figures. In 1999, she received tremendous praise for her acting chemistry with actress Kim Hye-ja, co-starring in the drama Roses and Bean Sprouts, which recorded a highest viewership rating of 44.1%, and the film Mayonnaise, which won the Grand Prize at the Kerala International Film Festival, marking her breakthrough in art film. Written by Jeon Hye-seong, the author of the original novel, the film deals with the theme of a woman who indulges rather than a woman who sacrifices. Choi had great desire for experimental films, and wanted to work with new directors. Mayonnaise was planned with the intention of being a film that all mothers and children in the world can watch; Kim, who was cast first as the mother, suggested Choi for the role of the daughter, and so Choi was cast. The two shared a close relationship, having previously worked together on Your Toast, You and I and Roses and Bean Sprouts. Kim mentioned Choi as the junior she will never forget for the rest of her life. In 2000, she starred in the fantasy epic The Legend of Gingko, a poorly-received blockbuster, which was the most expensive Korean film ever made at the time. In the same year, she married Cho Sung-min, and their first child, Choi Hwan-hee, was born in 2001. In 2002, Choi played the role of Lee Ok-hwa, a trading company employee in MBC's Since We Met (TV series), her first work since marriage. The role centered on the culture shock and ups and downs that Ok-hwa, a Korean-American who grew up and went to college in China, experiences when she comes to Korea. Choi was coached by her friend Jeong Sun-hee to learn how to speak realistic Yanbian dialect, which led to them filming commercials together. In this drama, she again worked with Kim Hye-ja. She largely stayed out of the limelight, raising her two children during her high-profile divorce saga from 2002 to 2004.

=== 2005–2008: Activities resume and final projects ===

In 2005, she returned with the KBS melodrama My Rosy Life, which was a huge success and became one of the highest-rated Korean dramas of all time. Choi reinvented herself as a more approachable middle-aged married woman, gaining six kilograms for the role. The pain and suffering of her character blurred the line between reality and fiction, and her performance aroused empathy from TV audiences; with My Rosy Life, she received the best reviews of her career from viewers and critics alike. The series won her the Top Excellence Award at the KBS Drama Awards and Best Actress at the 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards. She also ranked first among all genders and age groups in the 'Talent that Shined this Year' survey by Gallup Korea. Rival network MBC initially wouldn't allow Choi to star in KBS's My Rosy Life, claiming she was still under contract with them to act in 300 drama episodes, of which she had completed 250. They eventually reached an agreement that enabled Choi to make the KBS drama, after which she finished the remainder of her contract by starring in the 2007 MBC drama Bad Woman, Good Woman. Her last work was Last Scandal (2008), generating many positive reviews from critics and viewers. Through this, Choi, who was the main character of Korea's first trendy drama, also became the main character of the trendy drama for the middle-aged. Although it was a drama aimed at the middle-aged, the audience broadened to include younger generations and gained a lot of popularity among teenagers and those in their 20s. A second season of Last Scandal was being planned for broadcast in November 2008 before her death. She was also an MC in a talk show, Choi Jin-sil 'Truth and Lie' in 2008. As it was Choi's first time hosting a show, it received a lot of public attention and was a huge success, and a second season was scheduled. Not only did Choi receive the best treatment in the industry with a higher per-episode appearance fee than Yoo Jae-suk, but she also received the highest level of program publicity.