Favourite Actors/Actresses

[ASaroch]

Difficult to ignore the majestic Song Kang Ho. a little bit odd and completely brilliant, he rarely seems to give a bad performance. Obvious choice maybe, but what can I say?

I've always found Bae Du Na rather charming as she's not a traditionally beautiful model-like actress like many Korean stars, but has bags of charisma. I've seen a good range of her films and she's always impressed.

[martin]

Both great choices. Another (fairly) obvious choice is Lee Byung-hun (A BITTERSWEET LIFE, THE GOOD THE BAD THE WEIRD), but I also really like Shin Ha-kyun (SAVE THE GREEN PLANET, SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE, J.S.A.), Sol Kyung-gu (PEPPERMINT CANDY, PUBLIC ENEMY, HAEUNDAE) and Ryoo Seung-bum (ARAHAN, CRYING FIST, BLOODY TIES). Oh, and Park Joong-hoon (SAY YES, NOWHERE TO HIDE, HEAVEN'S SOLDIERS) is also growing on me, which is weird because I couldn't stand him when I first saw him in a few films...

Sorry about the caps, bad habit...

[Phil]

Korean cinema isn't exactly my forte but I'd probably go with Song Kang Ho, Lee Byung-Hun, Choi Min-Sik and Jun Ji-Hyun.

[Jubilee]

Jun Jihyun. Obviously. She started pretty damn good and is maturing just perfectly. She's the only actress in her generation I can see being in the 'Brigitte Lin' class.

Bae Du Na makes most films worth watching with her winning personality, even if the films she chooses arent always Top.

Lim Su Jeong is also maturing into a brilliant actress.

For the guys, I think Hwang Jeong Min, Song Kang Ho (Mr reliable) and Shin Ha Kyun.

[monkeyboy]

I can't really disagree with any of your choices. My only proviso is that as fabulous as I think Song Kang Ho is, he has been amazingly fortunate to have been given roles by the finest of Korean filmmakers. Does he actually "make" any of the films that he has starred in more recently - or more to the point has he ever had to carry a weak film by his performances?

Bae Du-na excels in this catagory for me. She choses brave roles (North Korean Sympathiser in Mr Vengance), and also manages to elevate potentially weaker films by her performances.

I totally agree with Jubilee about Lim Su Jeong also - she has displayed a wide ranging ability in the relativley few films she has been in, and her recent appearance in "Jeon Woochi : The Taoist Wizard" has shown a light comedic touch which can only bode well for the future.

My love for the work of Ha Ji-won is public knowledge too - she has easily broken away from her early days as a scream queen, and frankly I look forward to anything she turns up in.

[ASaroch]

[quote="monkeyboy"]I can't really disagree with any of your choices. My only proviso is that as fabulous as I think Song Kang Ho is, he has been amazingly fortunate to have been given roles by the finest of Korean filmmakers. Does he actually "make" any of the films that he has starred in more recently - or more to the point has he ever had to carry a weak film by his performances?

I definitely think he's the special ingredient that films like 'The Host' and 'Memories Of Murder' had. He played potentially annoying and, in the latter, distasteful characters with the vital charm. He has that screen presence that just grabs you: one of my very first Korean films - well before I knew who was popular and who wasn't - was 'Foul King' and even then I wondered who this delightful oddball was.

[monkeyboy]

Yeah I know just what you mean - he does have something special - His character in "The Host" and "The Good, The Bad and the Weird" could have been awful in the hands of others - I really don't know any Korean Actor who could have pulled those roles off. I however was not criticising his acting ability at all - he would be number one on my list, it was more that he is fortunate to get such good roles surrounded by the cream of Korean cinema.

And "The Foul King" - my next DVD to watch.

I have just waxed lyrical about Kang Don-won over in the What Did You Just see - I think he potentially has something a little special about him - just a shame he is going to go off the radar for National Service...

[Jubilee]

I have just waxed lyrical about Kang Don-won over in the What Did You Just see - I think he potentially has something a little special about him - just a shame he is going to go off the radar for National Service...

And of course we're soon to see Song Kang Ho and Kang Dong Won go head to head in the blockbusting Spy Thriller Secret Reunion.

Word has it, Kang more than holds his own.

[monkeyboy]

Could be a good year for some powerhouse Korean acting head-to-head, with both "secret reunion" and Kim Ji-woon's 'I Saw the Devil' putting Lee Byung-Hun up against Choi Min-Sik.

[Chris Static]

Not the most conventional choice, but Hae-jin Yu, he just has endless personality and charisma, not to mention how humble the guy is. I can't help but feel if he were a better looking guy, he'd get better roles.