There are so many ways that you can describe veteran star Kim Hyun Joo. Other than being a talented actress whose string of work started in the 90s, the 44-year-old is also an author, a singer, and even a goodwill ambassador (fun fact: she once visited the Philippines when she volunteered for the NGO Good Neighbors)! Hyun Joo recently added another hit project to her list when she starred on the hit Netflix Original Hellbound together with Yoo Ah In, but she also has many successful shows that are worth watching.
Below, we list the Kim Hyun Joo projects you should add to your binge-watch list.
1. Hellbound (2021)
Where to watch it: Netflix
This modern dark fantasy series which also features Yoo Ah In, Won Jin Ah, and Park Jeong Min is based on a webtoon that centers on supernatural beings that visit the world of humans to condemn people to hell. Hyun Joo plays the role of Min Hye Jin, a lawyer who opposes a group of fanatics of a cult religion. Hellbound is the first Korean drama to ever have a world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival and it also got a high rating of 96 percent in the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes! As of the moment, Hellbound now holds the title of the most-watched show on Netflix in 24 hours, a record that another popular Korean show Squid Game previously held.
2. What Happens to My Family? (2014)
Where to watch it: Netflix and Viki
Another hit under Hyun Joo's name is the 2014 weekend drama What Happens to My Family where she plays the role of Cho Kang Shim, the eldest child of a widower who has vowed to never marry after experiencing a heartbreaking failed relationship. The show was a big hit, earning the highest percentage of 44.4 percent of viewers' ratings during its run. It also earned Hyun Joo a couple of nominations and wins including an Excellence Award for Actress in a Serial Drama and the Top Excellence Award for Actress—which she took home—at the 2014 KBS Drama Awards.
3. I Have A Lover (2015)
Where to watch it: Viki
Hyun Joo starred in another weekend drama I Have A Lover in 2015 where she was paired with Ji Jin Hee of Squid Game fame. The pair actually have a long history of working together which started in the 2004 show Miss Kim's Million Dollar Quest and once again in Undercover, which aired in early 2021. In I Have A Lover, she played Jin Hee's wife Do Hae Gang who had to deal with several family tragedies after the death of their child. Hyun Joo bagged a couple of awards again for her performance including the Top Excellence Award for Actress in a Serial Drama at the 23rd SBS Drama Awards and the same recognition at the 4th APAN Star Awards.
4. The Miracle We Met (2018)
Where to watch it: Viki
The Miracle We Met is a story about a man who dies in an accident but mysteriously wakes up in the body of another person, the financial hotshot Song Hyun Cheul. Hyun Joo plays the role of his wife Seon Hye Jin, who at first look, may seem to be living a perfect life but in reality deals with an emotionally abusive and cheating partner. The role was initially offered to Choi Ji Woo but she turned it down.
5. Undercover (2021)
Where to watch it: Netflix
Other than having Ji Jin Hee as a favorite on-screen partner of hers, Hyun Joo seems to also have an affinity for playing lawyers, too! In the 2021 series Undercover, she took on the role of Choi Yeon Soo, a human rights lawyer who, in a twist of events, was suddenly placed in a position of chasing her own husband's real identity. The series is based on a BBC drama of the same name.
6. Watcher (2019)
Where to watch it: Viki
Add this to the list of Hyun Joo's lawyer roles! In Watcher, she joins Han Suk Kyu and Seo Kang Joon in trying to solve a brutal murder that ultimately changed their lives 15 years ago. She played the role of Han Tae Joo, a prosecutor turned lawyer who almost lost her life after she got in too deep with her involvement in the case.
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