Bae Doo Na/About

Career

While studying at Hanyang University in 1999, she caught the interest of a talent scout of a model talent agency while walking the streets of Seoul. That gave way to her first steps in the world of modeling, where she debuted modeling clothing for the COOLDOG's clothing catalog as well as other clothing brands from that point forward. Modeling wasn't enough; she started to make plans to perform in both the big and small screen. That didn't take long, as she was cast to appear in her first role in KBS1 drama School, right before completing her studies in Hanyang University.

1990s

Also in 1999, she made the leap onto the big screen by appearing as the ghost in Ring Virus, which was a Korean remake of the highly successful and very popular Japanese supernatural horror film The Ring, released the year before. It diverged significantly from the original film and novel that it was based, but it was a critical and audience success in South Korea; her acting as the ghost earned her quite a lot of praise.

2000s

A year later, in 2000, acclaimed director Bong Joon Ho gave her the opportunity to take the lead role in the dark comedy-drama film Barking Dogs Never Bite. She has stated in an interview for Kim So Young's documentary Women's History Trilogy (2000–2004), that her most memorable scene is in the movie, is the scene where she is being chased by a homeless man throughout the apartment complex. The movie was well received critically, and her acting alongside co-star Lee Sung Jae earned her several acting accolades. She was even applauded by several critics and moviegoers for performing her leading role without an ounce whatsoever of makeup, a rare feat for a leading actress to do in a nationwide movie release.

Also in 2000, she gave her more risque performance at the time (albeit with a body double who took her place in a few intense scenes) in the coming-of-age film Plum Blossom. It made her gain recognition, and it managed to raise a few eyebrows in moviegoers as well. She was also keeping up with several roles on television, turning her in one of South Korea's most recognizable figures.

Bae continued to appeared in a couple of highly successful and widely lauded films, such as 2001's Take Care of My Cat, once again a coming-of-age film, directed by Jeong Jae Eun, one of South Korea's most important directors and 2002's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, an action thriller film directed by highly acclaimed director Park Chan Wook. Bae Doo Na's acting in both films were very well received.

She went through a rough patch the following year, in 2003, with two movies under-performing at the box office, Tube and Do You Like Spring Bear?. The first was a sophisticated action thriller film that received some mute response financially with a so-so response by several film critics and the second, a romantic comedy film that was a disappointment critically as well financially. After finishing both movies, she decided to take time off from films.

During her film hiatus, she decided to devote herself to a hobby that satisfied her and made her feel good during her period of absence in front of the cameras. Many fans of the actress could see her artistic photographs in her blog and a series of photo-essay books that were later released and managed to sell remarkably well. She decided to continue appearing on television sometime later during that period when she agreed to appear on MBC's Country Princess and KBS2 Rosemary. She also decided to for the first time on stage, just like her mother did before her, in 2004's production of Sunday Seoul, a theater play that it was co-written by her Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance director Park Chan Wook. The play itself was well received by audiences and critics nationwide, and her acting drew a lot of praise.

In 2005, she decided to appear in the lead role in the Japanese film Linda Linda Linda. It was a memorable performance because she portrayed a Korean exchange student named Son. It also made her be the first Korean actress to portray a lead role in a Japanese film. A year later, in 2006, she reunited with director Bong Joon Ho in the film The Host. The film was at the time the highest-grossing film in South Korean box office history. It was a success both critically and financially in several countries and is considered one of 2000's best films by several top film critics. Bae Doo Na, herself, went through rigorous training; she trained for many months archery in preparation for her role for the movie. The extra effort paid off nonetheless, as her performance was acclaimed and well received by critics.

In that same year, she decided to make her television comeback on SBS romantic comedy-drama series How to Meet a Perfect Neighbor, the drama was a huge success, and it received high viewership through the drama series run, and it was well reviewed by critics as well.

A few years later, in 2009, she decided once again to appear in a lead role in a Japanese film, this time being Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda's Air Doll, based on the Japanese manga of the same name. Bae Doo Na's acting received huge praise, but the film as a whole was criticized as being "underdeveloped" and for "lacking substance." In the film, she portrayed the role of a sex doll that starts to develop humanity and starts to fall in love with a human. During that time, she starred in a couple of television dramas; she portrayed a high school teacher in KBS2 God of Study and a nightclub singer in MBC's Gloria. Both television dramas were hugely successful.

2010s

In 2012, she appeared alongside co-star Ha Ji Won in the sports film As One. It was based on the real-life story of the 1991 World Table Tennis Championship held in Chiba, Japan, where a North Korean and South Korean tennis player managed to beat the odds and play as a team to defeat a supposedly unbeatable Chinese team. Bae Doo Na portrayed North Korean player Ri Bun Hui. Bae Doo Na was specifically trained by Hui herself and Bae Doo Na even managed to play tennis lefthanded just like Hui herself did over her sports career in especially at the world table tennis championship.

Bae Doo Na later starred as part of an ensemble cast in the 2012 fantasy film Cloud Atlas, the film was co-directed by the Wachowskis, directors of the Matrix trilogy of films and Tom Tykwer, the director of the equally famous Run Lola Run, in the movie Bae Doo Na, portrayed a few roles, a clone and a revolutionary figure in dystopian Korea, a Mexican woman and the loving wife of an abolitionist in a pre-civil war America.

The film was based on a 2004 novel of the same name written by British author David Mitchell, the film has received since its release quite the polarized reception, audiences like it but also dislike it, and the same goes for film critics. The film managed to lose a lot of money at the box office, Bae Doo Na's acting was singled out for being noteworthy and being one of her best by film critics. The film marked her first time appearing in an English made movie by Hollywood.

Meanwhile, a couple of years later, in 2014, back in her native country in South Korea, she starred in the drama film A Girl at My Door, for Bae Doo Na it was a quite challenging role, she knew she had to accept the role after reading the script, she went to do the movie without pay even. She portrayed the role of a police officer who lives in a small town who desperately tries to save disheveled young girl whom she believes is a victim of domestic violence.

The film's production was a bit difficult because of its themes and portrayal of a lesbian relationship, the film had an extremely limited budget, but when it was released at a Cannes official screening it received a three minute standing ovation by critics and the Cannes jury members, Bae Doo Na received praise for her performance alongside her co-star Kim Sae Ron.

A year later, in 2015, she appeared in a cameo role in the Wachoskis space opera film Jupiter Ascending, she followed it up with a starring role in the science fiction drama television series Sense8, that was also created by the Wachowskis.

In 2016, she starred in a lead role on the big screen back in her native South Korea, in the survival drama film The Tunnel, the film was a box office and critical success, she received a lot of praise for her performance.

She came back to the small screen a year later when she starred as the lead in TvN's mystery legal thriller Forest of Secrets, the series was a huge critical darling and it received high viewership numbers, critics and audiences alike praised its tight gripping plot and overarching mystery alongside the very strong performance by all the members of the cast.

Currently, she is scheduled to appear in the romantic film The Romantic and a crime action thriller Drug King, she is also confirmed to appear in her second Netflix original series Kingdom, the first one being Sense8, and a South Korean remake of a Japanese television series titled Matrimonial Chaos in KBS2.