One of the most popular K-dramas today is about a man trapped inside the body of a queen from the Joseon era. And since he's from the present times, he brought his ~modern ways~ when he started living in the past. I'm pretty sure you've seen a photo or video of this series that I'm talking about, but if you haven't yet—it's tvN's Mr. Queen.
Since it began airing in December 2020, it has garnered high TV ratings, and has become one of the most-talked about dramas in South Korea. Mr. Queen gained popularity not only because of its hilarious storyline, but also because of the cast members' effective acting. Today, we'll get to know more about the lead actress and the ~*queen*~ herself, Shin Hye Sun:
Shin Hye Sun was born on August 31, 1989.
And that makes her a 31-year-old Virgo!
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Her childhood dream was to become an actress after watching Autumn In My Heart.
In a TV show, Shin Hye Sun said that she decided to pursue acting thanks to this Koreanovela and her love for its male lead, Won Bin. "I avoided watching television whenever Won Bin came on, simply because I couldn’t stare at him in the eyes. I liked him that much." Totally relatable! I mean, that's all us to our 99+ oppas.
She made her K-drama debut in School 2013.
In the angst-filled, 2013 version of the School series, Shin Hye Sun portrayed the character of a student named...Shin Hye Sun! When she auditioned for this role, she cut her hair short so that she can stand out from the rest of the contestants, and it was totally effective! In School 2013, Hye Sun was cast alongside Lee Jong Suk, Kim Woo Bin, Jang Nara, Choi Daniel, Park Se Young, and Kwak Jung Wook.
Shin Hye Sun has appeared in a *lot* of iconic K-dramas.
Aside from the top-rating Mr. Queen, the actress was also cast in Angel's Last Mission: Love, The Hymn Of Death (she reunited with Jong Suk in this drama which was based on a tragic true-to-life story), My Golden Life, The Legend Of The Blue Sea, She Was Pretty, and Oh My Ghost.
The actress revealed that it was her father who influenced her to accept the casting offer in her recent film, Innocence.
When she promoted the movie in a radio show, Shin Hye Sun talked about how her father has influenced her in taking on the role of a lawyer. "Before filming started, I left the house one day with the script on our kitchen table. My father read it while I was out. When I got back home, he recommended the film and said he hoped I’d appear in it, so I read over the script again. From what I know, my father reads the scripts I receive sometimes. But this was the first time he’s ever recommended that I appear in a project. Though the final decision was mine, he had a big influence on my choice.”
Shin Hye Sun and Lee Jong Suk were actually classmates!
Yup, you read that right. We wonder if they talk about their student life during filming. Aside from Sukkie, When The Camellia Blooms actor Kang Ha Neul is also one of Hye Sun's classmates.
The 31-year-old prepared for her Mr. Queen role *very* well.
In an exclusive interview with Soompi, Shin Hye Sun shared how she prepared for her transformation as Queen Cheorin: "Because the character I play is a Joseon Dynasty queen on the outside with the soul of a modern man on the inside, I focused my thoughts on how to avoid making the viewers uncomfortable and did my best to portray it in a way that wouldn’t cause discomfort. And rather than differentiating So Yong and Bong Hwan by their genders, I approached it by distinguishing the two characters’ personalities."
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On her Instagram account, you can see how she's such a natural beauty.
These photos are proof that Shin Hye Sun's a queen on- and off-screen! Plus, she looks good in any hairstyle. Yes, we are referring to her bun in Mr. Queen.
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