Lee Bo Young, the "chameleon" of Korean cinema, has a huge "film fortune" that has caused a stir.

Actress Lee Bo Young is not only famous in Korea, but she is also a very familiar face to Vietnamese audiences. She has had many memorable works, helping Lee Bo Young become one of the "rating queens" on the Korean small screen.

A career journey full of echoes

Lee Bo-young was born on January 12, 1979 in Seoul, South Korea, and graduated with a BA in Korean Literature from Seoul Women's University. She first participated in the Miss Korea contest in 2000, winning the Daejeon–Chungnam award, and then auditioned for an announcer position at MBC but failed. From there, Lee Bo-young turned to modeling and gradually became involved in acting — and her name only really rose to fame when she appeared in popular TV dramas.

Lee Bo Young's acting career began in 2003 with supporting roles in films such as People of the Water Flower Village (2004), Save the Last Dance for Me (2004) - where she co-starred with Ji Sung and also where they fell in love after a long period of keeping it a secret.

From 2005 to 2009, she consecutively took on leading roles in films such as My Sweetheart, My Darling (2005), Ballad of Seodong (2005) - the first role of Princess Seon Hwa helped Lee win the New Actress Award at the SBS Drama Awards; followed by A Dirty Carnival (2006), Once Upon a Time (2008), I Am Happy and More Than Blue (2009) - all of which were well-received films.

From 2010 to 2012, she continued to appear in television projects such as Becoming a Billionaire, Golden House, The Equator Man (2012) – and in 2012, her real breakthrough came when Lee played the lead role of Seo-young in My Daughter Seo-young (Seo Young, My Daughter). The series achieved ratings of nearly 50% and made her the "big sister of Korean television". This role earned Lee a nomination for Best Actress at the Baeksang Arts Awards.

In 2013, Lee made a real breakthrough with her role as "tough female lawyer" Jang Hye-sung in I Can Hear Your Voice, co-starring with Lee Jong‑suk. The drama not only created a strong wave but also helped her win two Daesang (the highest award) at the KDA and SBS Drama Awards, and was also honored with the Best Actress award at the 50th Baeksang.

She continued to achieve success. In 2014, she played a mother in God's Gift – 14 Days; in 2017, she played a fierce lawyer in Whisper, which won ratings and earned Lee the Top Actress award at the SBS Drama Awards. In 2018, she played a courageous contract teacher in Mother – an intense romance that won the Best Drama award at the Baeksang.

In 2020, she appeared in When My Love Blooms. More recently, in 2021, Lee transformed into Seo Hi‑soo in Mine, a woman from the upper class who dares to live her truth. And most recently, she played the female leader Go Ah‑in in the series Agency (2023), a cable TV series that recorded record-breaking ratings.

In addition to her acting career, Lee is also a model favored by many brands, such as Asiana Airlines, Samsung, Nike, Amorepacific, Orion Beer... She has also written memoirs or short stories, most notably Time of Love released in 2015, with content reflecting on love, maturity and comfort.

Lee and Ji Sung's love story has been quite stormy. They met in 2004 while filming together, but only went public in 2007. Ji's military career and previous relationship with actress Park Sol Mi had caused them to be involved in a third-party scandal.

However, they remained steadfast together, got married on September 27, 2013 and now have two children: first daughter Kwak Ji‑Yoo (2015) and son Kwak Woo‑sung (2019). Ji Sung once confided that it was Lee who made him mature and become more trustworthy, helping him overcome difficult times in his career.

The "chameleon" actress on Korean screen

Lee Bo-young was given the title "big sister" by the media and audience because of her multi-dimensional acting talent and diverse role selection, especially strong, independent female characters - from lawyers to bodyguards, from single mothers to CEOs, rarely appearing as weak or traditionally "girly" female characters. She possesses an elegant appearance, a warm smile and a sophisticated way of communicating, and is a pure Korean advertising face that is loved by many brands.

Over the past 20 years, Lee Bo-young has accumulated a series of large and small awards: New Actress (SBS, KBS 2005), Best New Actress (Chunsa Film Art Awards 2006), Top 10 Popularity (SBS 2006), Best Actress Baeksang (2014), Daesang SBS (2013), Best Actress Seoul International Drama Awards (2018). She was also voted TV Actress of the Year 2013 by Gallup Korea.

What Lee Bo‑young has built is a balance between a powerful public image — big sister, perfect mother, talented leader — and a private but sincere personal life. She is considered an icon of modern Korean female artists, increasingly diverse and influential from the screen to social life. With a spirit of constant creativity through multi-dimensional roles, Lee Bo‑young continues to affirm her position and appeal on the Korean small screen.

Most recently, Lee Bo Young will return to the small screen with the film "Mary Kills People". This is a remake of the Canadian TV series of the same name. Lee Bo Young will play Woo So Jeong - a doctor who, in addition to her daily work, also performs euthanasia for terminally ill patients, even though this is an illegal practice. In addition to Lee Bo Young, the main cast of Mary Kills People also includes Kang Ki Young as an assistant doctor and Lee Min Ki - an inspector.

Lee Bo Young's new role promises to be full of thorns and complex psychological developments. Lee Bo Young is a "chameleon" actress on the Korean screen. She does not stick to a certain type of character. Instead, Lee Bo Young constantly innovates herself with character settings that are sometimes gentle but steadfast, and other times a strong, capable woman.

What is impressive about the images and videos introducing Lee Bo Young's character in the movie "Mary Kills People" is the actress's beautiful, youthful appearance. This year, Lee Bo Young turned 46 years old, but she still maintains her beauty. In each frame of the trailer, Lee Bo Young impresses with her delicate face and smooth skin. Even when applying a messy, free-spirited curly mid-length hairstyle, Lee Bo Young's beauty is still not "drowned".

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