Jeon Jong-seo
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Jeon Jong-seo (; born July 5, 1994), also known as Rachel Jun, is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in a leading role in the 2018 acclaimed thriller film ''
Burning Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combust ...
''. She next starred in the film '' The Call'' (2020) for which she won the
Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actress – Film The Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actress – Film () is an award presented annually at the Baeksang Arts Awards ceremony organised by Ilgan Sports and JTBC Plus, affiliates of JoongAng Ilbo, usually in the second quarter of each year in Seoul ...
. She starred in the English language film ''
Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon ''Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon'' is a 2021 American fantasy thriller film written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour. It stars Kate Hudson, Jun Jong-seo, Ed Skrein, Evan Whitten, and Craig Robinson. The film had its world premiere at the 78th ...
'' in 2021 and in the Netflix series '' Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area'' in 2022.


Early life

Jeon Jong-seo was born in
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, the only child in the family. Jeon and her family moved to Canada when she was a child. She attended a private Christian middle school in Canada, then returned to Korea and graduated from Anyang Arts High School. After high school, she attended
Sejong University Sejong University (SJU; ) is a private research university located in Seoul, South Korea, known for its standing in hospitality and tourism management, dancing, animation and rhythmic gymnastics. Founded as the Kyung Sung Humanities Institute, it ...
, majoring in film. Later, she dropped out of school to pursue her acting career more seriously.


Career

Jeon Jong-seo started her acting career after she joined a management agency and went on her first audition in August 2017, for director
Lee Chang-dong Lee Chang-dong (; born July 4, 1954) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, and novelist. He has directed six feature films: ''Green Fish'' (1997), ''Peppermint Candy (film), Peppermint Candy'' (1999), ''Oasis (2002 film), Oasis'' (2002) ...
's mystery flick ''Burning''. An inexperienced actor without any history in the entertainment industry, Jeon won the competition and landed the lead role at her very first audition to play alongside recognized actors like
Yoo Ah-in Uhm Hong-sik (; born October 6, 1986), known professionally as Yoo Ah-in (), is a South Korean actor, creative director, and gallerist. He is known for playing a diverse spectrum of roles in both television and film, where he often portrays dyn ...
and
Steven Yeun Sang-yeop Yeun (; born December 21, 1983), known professionally as Steven Yeun ( ), is an American actor. His accolades include two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Br ...
. Jeon initially did not seek the role of free-spirited Hae-mi in ''Burning'' because she thought she had no chance of getting it. The audition took place only three days after she joined her current talent agency. Director Lee Chang-dong said about her audition, "When I saw her, she seemed to have this very childlike sense of innocence, but at the same time, she carried this sense of duality — as if something much bigger was on the other side of that innocence. So I thought she would be great to give Hae-mi the presence that is so central for the film — conveying that inner depth that this character has." And, "Perhaps I was unconsciously drawn to the fact that everything was a 'first time' for her. Also, she has a face that makes people wonder what she's feeling and thinking. I think that made her a good fit for Haemi's character." Lee also said that although the dance scene was in the screenplay, the dance movements were not planned or rehearsed, but rather Jeon's spontaneous movements. ''Burning'' premiered at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
in May 2018, where Jeon walked the red carpet. The film received universal acclaim, competing for the
Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...
at the
2018 Cannes Film Festival The 71st annual Cannes Film Festival took place from 8 to 19 May 2018. Australian actress Cate Blanchett served as jury president for the main competition. Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda won the ''Palme d'Or'', the festival's top prize, fo ...
, and became the first Korean film to make it to the final nine-film shortlist of
Best Foreign Language Film The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...
at the
91st Academy Awards The 91st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best 2018 in film, films of 2018 and took place on February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During th ...
. For her first role in a film, Jeon received international critical acclaim, including Best New Performer winner at the 2019 Asian Film Critics Association Awards, and being selected for ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' Critics' "15 International Breakout Talents of 2018" feature. Pierce Conran of ''
Screen Anarchy ScreenAnarchy, previously known as Twitch Film or Twitch, is a Canadian English-language website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown. In addition to films, ...
'' wrote, "Plucked from auditions, first-timer Jeon Jong-seo achieves something almost unthinkable for a rookie, as she embodies a character who is caught between her dreams and reality, her yearning for freedom and role in society, and the powerful desires of those around her and her own. She is magnetic every time she appears on screen, at once playful and aching with a longing for something that she may never understand." John Powers of ''
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'' wrote, " a marvelous screen debut, she gives a radiant turn, blooming so brightly—especially in a stoned twilight dance to
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
—that she often outshines her male costars. Whenever she's not on-screen, the film instantly grows darker, unhappier."
Justin Chang Justin Choigee Chang is an American film critic and columnist currently working at ''The New Yorker''. He previously worked for '' Variety'' and for ''Los Angeles Times''. His 2023 reviews at the ''Times'' won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Critici ...
of ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' wrote, "Jeon, making a remarkable screen debut, brings this young woman to beautiful, soulful and defiant life." In 2020, Jeon starred in her second film, '' The Call''. She played Young-sook, who believes that a telephone connected to the future is the only hope to save herself from making dangerous choices. The film premiered on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
in November 2020. Jeon's performance as the
antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remaine ...
'' wrote, "Jun cements her position as Korean cinema's unhinged ingénue du jour, following her star-making turn in Lee Chang-dong's ''Burning'', with a brilliantly psychotic performance that reveals Young-sook to be just as dangerous as she is fragile and damaged." ''
Decider Decider is both a real word and a "Bushism". It may refer to: * ''Decider'' (website), a pop culture website operated by the ''New York Post'' * '' Bill Maher: The Decider'', a stand-up comedy special * Decider (Turing machine), a Turing machin ...
s Jade Budowski wrote, "Jong-seo Jun is magnificent as Young-sook ..She's convincing in both her quieter moments and her more maniacal outbursts, masterfully drawing out all the thrills and chills you could hope for with a movie of this nature". For her performance in ''The Call'', Jeon won
Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress award ...
in the
57th Baeksang Arts Awards The 57th Baeksang Arts Awards () ceremony, organised by ''Ilgan Sports'' and JTBC Plus, was held on May 13, 2021, at KINTEX, Ilsanseo-gu, Gyeonggi Province, beginning at 9:00 p.m. KST. It was hosted by Shin Dong-yup and Bae Suzy, and was br ...
, and Best Actress awards in the 30th Buil Film Awards and 20th
Director's Cut Awards The Director's Cut Awards () is an annual awards ceremony for excellence in film in South Korea. It is presented by the Korea Film Director's Network (KFDN), a group of approximately 300 Korean filmmakers. The KFDN selects winners in the Korean ...
respectively. The following year, Jeon joined the US-based agency
United Talent Agency United Talent Agency (UTA) is a global talent agency based in Beverly Hills, California. Established in 1991, it represents artists and other professionals across the entertainment industry. , the company has more than 1,400 global employees. ...
under her English name Rachel Jun. She made her English-language film debut alongside
Kate Hudson Kate Garry Hudson (born April 19, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Born to singer Bill Hudson (singer), Bill Hudson and actress Goldie Hawn, Hudson made her film debut in the 1998 drama ''Desert Blue'', which was followed by supporting ...
and Craig Robinson in ''
Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon ''Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon'' is a 2021 American fantasy thriller film written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour. It stars Kate Hudson, Jun Jong-seo, Ed Skrein, Evan Whitten, and Craig Robinson. The film had its world premiere at the 78th ...
'', a fantasy-adventure film by
Iranian-American Iranian-Americans, also known as Persian-Americans, are United States citizens or nationals who are of Iranian ancestry, or who hold Iranian citizenship. Most Iranian-Americans arrived in the United States after 1979, as a result of the Irani ...
writer-director
Ana Lily Amirpour Ana Lily Amirpour (;, is an American filmmaker of Iranian descent. She is best known for her feature film debut '' A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night'', promoted as "the first Iranian vampire western," which made its debut at the Sundance Film Fes ...
, as the lead character Mona. The film had its premiere at the
78th Venice International Film Festival The 78th annual Venice Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival was held from 1 to 11 September 2021, at Venice Lido in Italy. This edition marked the festival's return to its full format following the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, COVID ...
in September 2021. Jeon's performance, as a woman with unusual powers who escapes from a mental asylum and tries to make it on her own in
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, received positive reviews. Lovia Gyarkye from ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' wrote, "Jeon (''Burning'') excels in her first English-language role, imbuing Mona with personality despite her limited dialogue". ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
s Owen Gleiberman wrote, " Jeon Jong-seo's performance as Mona Lisa, you see the power and the alienation. And the two qualities work together in a cool and empathetic way". She next played a late 20s single woman who swears off relationships in a
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
'' Nothing Serious'' alongside
Son Suk-ku Son Suk-ku (; born February 7, 1983) is a South Korean actor. He gained recognition for his roles in the television series ''Matrimonial Chaos'' (2018), '' Designated Survivor: 60 Days'' (2019), '' D.P.'' (2021–2023), ''My Liberation Notes'' ...
, directed by Jeong Ga-young of '' Hit the Night''. Jeon starred in her first series in '' Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area'', the Korean adaptation of the Spanish crime-drama ''
Money Heist ''Money Heist'' (, , ) is a Spanish heist crime drama television series created by Álex Pina. The series traces two long-prepared heists led by the Professor ( Álvaro Morte), one on the Royal Mint of Spain, and one on the Bank of Spain, ...
'', as
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
. It was released on Netflix in 2022. She will reunite with ''The Call'' director Lee Chung-hyun for his
short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
''Ransom'' alongside
Jin Seon-kyu Jin Seon-kyu (; born September 13, 1977) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles on the big screen, such as '' The Outlaws'' (2017) and ''Extreme Job'' (2019). He won Best Supporting Actor award at the 38th Blue Dragon Film Awar ...
, and for his Netflix film ''Ballerina'', in which she portrays a former assassin. On August 22, 2022, Jeon signed an exclusive contract with Andmarq. On March 17, 2024 Jeon Jong-seo threw the
ceremonial first pitch The ceremonial first pitch is a longstanding ritual of baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from their seat in the grandstand to ...
at a preseason exhibition
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
game in which the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
played the
Kiwoom Heroes The Kiwoom Heroes () are a South Korean professional baseball, professional baseball team based in Seoul. They are a member of the KBO League. The Heroes play their home games at Gocheok Sky Dome in Gocheok-dong, a neighborhood located in the sou ...
.


Personal life

Jeon Jong-seo has been in a relationship with '' The Call'' director Lee Chung-hyun since December 2021.


Filmography


Film


Television series


Awards and nominations


References


External links


Jeon Jong-seo
at My Company * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jeon, Jong-seo 1994 births Living people 21st-century South Korean actresses South Korean film actresses South Korean web series actresses Sejong University alumni Best Actress Paeksang Arts Award (film) winners Actresses from Seoul South Korean emigrants to Canada