Deep-rooted trees do not shake in the wind. This saying comes to mind whenever I think of actor Song Hye-kyo, who has never fallen out from the top since her debut.
Song Hye-kyo unexpectedly stepped into the entertainment industry in 1996 as a school uniform brand’s model when she was in middle school. From 2000 to 2004, she starred as the main role in three dramas (“Autumn In My Heart”, “All In”, and “Full House”) which all received a whopping 40% viewer rating. Her unique charm shone in every work she appeared in, and rumors of her relationship with her acting partner always circulated among the industry. She actually went through a marriage and divorce process with Song Joong-ki, who she met in the drama “Descendants of the Sun” (2016). However, Song Hye-kyo is always firm. She walks her own path as an actor without being swayed by any kind of speculations. Earlier, writer Noh Hee-kyung also said this in the script book of the drama “That Winter, The Wind Blows” published in 2013, “I’m at the age that I won’t lose to anyone in terms of fighting spirit, strength, and concentration, but I feel like I always lose to Song Hye-kyo.”
Actor Song Hye-kyo‘s true face begins to be seen only when the images overlaid on her are removed. Her innocent and cheerful roles, which were mainly played in her early days, played a big role in helping her quickly receive the public’s love, but Song Hye-kyo did not blindly cling or lean on this love. Rather, she turned around all of her images that were loved by the audience without hesitation. With roles such as the best gisaeng whose life was like a firework in the movie “Hwang Jin-yi” (2007), a documentary producer who lost her love and had to face the topic of forgiveness in the movie “Today” (2011), and a drama producer full of passion with bare face with bobbed hair in “Worlds Within”, Song Hye-kyo proves her motto with her filmography in the mid-2000s. “I can’t ignore the eyes of the fans and the audience, but I think I gotta immerse into the role first in order to act, so how about the viewers try to enjoy immersing themselves with me. I didn’t choose my works for any purpose, but as I followed (the expectation of the public), there were things that were different from my thoughts,” Song Hye-kyo said during the ending interview for “That Winter, The Wind Blows” (2013). Strong confidence in oneself and determination to move forward, which might be a cliche expression, but that would be the basis for this star to become an irreplaceable actor to this day.
Always looking forward to the future. Always a legend.
Fortunately, as can be seen in the recent interview, Song Hye-kyo ironclad secret weapon is that Song Hye-kyo’s own strength and speculation still remain intact. “Vaguely, I thought acting would be easier after my 30s, but I think it was more comfortable then. It’s getting harder and harder, there’s still a long way to go.” “I’m determined to work in 2021,” she said, and as if to keep that promise, it was reported that she joined new works one after another after a two-year hiatus since the drama “Boyfriend” in 2019. First of all, the drama “Now We’re Breaking Up,” which premiered on November 12th, is a romantic film which is like Song Hye-kyo’s exclusive genre, and she plays Ha Young-eun, head of a fashion company who is professional in both work and love/ In this drama, she works with actors Jang Ki-yong, Choi Hee-seo, and Kim Joo-heon. Subsequently, she will join hands with writer Kim Eun-sook of “Descendants of the Sun”, who gave her the second acting Grand Award in 2016, to film the drama “The Glory”. In particular, “The Glory” is drawing much attention in that the protagonist, who was a victim of school violence, becomes a homeroom teacher to teach the perpetrator’s child and takes revenge on the perpetrators and bystanders, and writer Kim Eun-sook, who is well-known in the romantic comedy genre, has met producer Ahn Gil-ho, who is famous for his drama “Secret Forest”. In a pictorial interview, Song Hye-kyo also said, “Various media platforms and channels seem to have inspired the diversity in female characters in their dramas. I’m very happy that interesting works across genres are increasing, and scripts of various genres are coming in for me,” she said, expressing expectations for another challenge.
Although Song Hye-kyo has already become one of the best actors of this era, she still looks up for the next challenge. Paradoxically, Song Hye-kyo, who has repeatedly left public expectations behind, may be meeting other public expectations in h own way. She might continue to challenge herself for more in the future and sometimes show us a new look that has never been seen before. Therefore, it is Song Hye-kyo, the “all-time legend.”
