Son Ji-yoon (; born February 18, 1983), born Son Su-jeong, is a South Korean actress.
She made her debut in the play ''Sea'' Fog in 2007, primarily focusing on theater plays and some musicals in her portfolio. Starting from 2017, Son began taking on minor roles in films and television dramas.
Son's popularity as an actress in Daehangno is evident through her two nominations and one award as Best Supporting Actress at the StageTalk Audience's Choice Awards (SACA). She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at SACA in 2016 for her roles in ''Gloria'' and ''Toc Toc.''
Son received another nomination at SACA in 2018 for Best Supporting Actress in the play ''The Helmet.'' Finally, she won the SACA Best Supporting Actress award in 2019 for her role as Sylvia in the play ''
The Pride''.
Early Years and Education
Son Ji-yoon, born Son Su-jeong on February 18, 1983, in Seoul, attended an all-girls high school. Due to her talkative nature, her friends encouraged her to enroll in a theater and film department to utilize her talents. Following their suggestion, she prepared for approximately three months and successfully passed the entrance exam.
During her university studies, Son attended her first play, ''Our Town'', and was captivated by the experience of performing on stage, wearing costumes, and portraying another character. From that moment, she earnestly aspired to become an actress. Although she was not always a diligent student and often missed classes, Son consistently attended theater workshop sessions and dedicated her vacations to working on performances, spending the majority of her time in academic and theatrical settings. This experience solidified her desire to pursue a career as a theater actress.
Career
Early career
A year after graduating, Son joined the Yeonwoo Theater Company. Within six months, she debuted as a theater actress in the 2007 play ''Haemoo'' (also known as ''Sea Fog'').
In 2008, Son was cast as Louise Hamilton in the play ''Loving You'', a Korean adaptation of Ray Cooney and Gene Stone's ''Why Not Stay for Breakfast''. Produced by Papa Productions, its Korean premiere ran at the Happy Theater in Daehangno from July 11 to August 31. This marked her first leading role, performed under director Lee Hyun-gyu alongside veteran actor Hong Sung-duk.
In 2009, Son joined the cast of ''Gil Sambongdeum'' as Maeng-hwa. This work was a collaboration between writer Kim Min-jung and director Ahn Kyung-mo, who had previously worked together on the 2007 play ''Haemoo''. The play was produced by Yeonwoo Theater Company and Namsan Arts Center as part of the Namsan Arts Center's 2009 Season Program.
In late 2009, Son co-starred alongside Min Jun-ho in the romantic comedy play ''A Dramatic Night''. She portrayed Si-hoo, while Min Jun-ho played Jeong-hoon. The play explored the subtle psychological changes between its male and female leads, focusing on a one-night stand. The Yeonwoo Theater Company presented this performance, which was written by Hwang Yun-jeong and selected for the 2009 New Year's Literary Arts Festival. The play was directed by Lee Jae-jun, who had won both Best Director and Best Picture at the 2007 Miryang Summer Performing Arts Festival's Young Director's Home Awards. ''A Dramatic Night'' premiered at Yeonwoo Theater in Daehangno, running from December 16, 2009, to January 17, 2010.
In 2010, Son auditioned for the play ''
Rooftop House Cat,'' an adaptation of a web novel previously made into an MBC drama series of the same name. She was triple-cast as Nam Jeong-eun, the female lead, alongside Hwang Bo-ra and Kim Yeo-jin, in the play's first season. The play was directed by Kim Tae-hyung, with Sung Tae-joon playing opposite Son as Lee Kyung-Min.
Also in 2010, Son reunited with Sung Tae-joon for an encore performance of the play ''A Dramatic Night''. Sung was double-cast as Jeong-hoon, a role previously shared with Min Jun-ho in the premiere. Son reprised her role as Si-hoo, sharing it with Yoon Jeong-sun.
In 2011, Son again collaborated with Min Jun-ho, who served as director for the play ''If With You''. Written by Japanese playwright
Koki Mitani, ''If With You'' (2011) was part of the 'Best Plays' Repertoire'. Son played the supporting role of Koiso Fujimi, the youngest sister of the Koiso family. The comedy centers on the love story between a 70-year-old gentleman and a 28-year-old lady. Its episodes unfold through lies that entangle the characters. This performance had an encore run in Gangnam following its initial presentation in Daehangno.
Work as musical actress
In 2012, Son debuted as a musical actress in a supporting role in the musical ''Rude Miss Young-ae''. This creative musical, produced by
CJ E&M
CJ ENM Entertainment Division (), formerly known as CJ E&M, is a South Korean entertainment and mass media division (formerly company) of CJ ENM. In July 2018, the company merged with the parent company's subsidiary CJ O Shopping, with the latte ...
after two years of preparation, was based on the long-running tvN drama series ''
Rude Miss Young-ae''. It also served as the final work of the late playwright Ahn Hyeon-jeong. Son reprised her role in two revival productions in 2013.
In 2014, Son and actress
Cha Su-yeon shared the role of Hyo-jin in the musical ''Two Weddings and a Funeral''. The musical was an adaptation of the film of
the same name, which had received the Atreon Award for Feature Film at the 12th Seoul International Women's Film Festival. The story centered on Hyo-jin, a lesbian who enters into a marriage of convenience with Min-soo to adopt a child. The role of Min-soo, a gay general hospital doctor, was portrayed by Jung Dong-hwa and Park Seong-hoon. Playwright Cho Min-ju adapted the story into a musical drama, which was directed by Kim Tae-hyung.
Theater Ganda
In 2013, Son reunited with Min Jun-ho for the premiere of his play ''Me and Grandpa''. The play had a reading performance at the Namsan Drama Festival on February 21, 2013. Son shared the role of Jun-hee's grandmother with Jeong Seon-ah, who had participated in the reading performance alongside
Jin Seon-gyu (as grandfather),
Oh Eui-sik (as Jun-hee), and Lee Seok (as writer). The cast for the premiere included Oh Yong-lee (as grandfather), Hong Woo-jin (as Jun-hee), and
Yang Kyung-won
Yang Kyung-won (; born 1981) is a South Korean actor and model. He is best known for his roles in ''Vincenzo'', ''Crash Landing on You'', '' Arthdal Chronicles Part 1: The Children of Prophecy'' and ''Hi Bye, Mama!''.
Early life
Yang Kyung-won ...
(as writer). It ran from July 11 to August 4 at the Daehangno Information Center.
In the end of the same year, Son was invited as one of representative actress of
Daehak-ro, in 'Ganda GO', a project by the Ganda theater company, as part of their 10th-anniversary celebration. The first work presented was ''
Almost Maine'' by
John Cariani
John Edward Cariani (born July 22, 1969) is an American actor and playwright. Cariani is best known as the forensic expert Julian Beck in ''Law & Order''. On stage, he earned a Tony Award nomination for his role as Motel the Tailor in the 2004 ...
.
Following ''Almost, Maine'', the play ''Me and Grandpa'' was selected as the second work for 'Ganda GO'. It ran from February 7, 2014, at Art One Theater 3 in Daehak-ro, Dongsung-dong, Jongno District, Seoul. Son reprised her role, performing both the grandmother and multiple other characters.
Working with Kim Tae-hyung/No Name
In 2013, Son collaborated once again with Director Kim Tae-hyun in play ''The Age of Love'' (2013), which was an adaptation of ''
Hisashi Nozawa's'' best-selling Japanese novel. She shared the leading female role of Haru, a sports center instructor, with actresses
Hwang In-young and
Shim Eun-jin
Shim Eun-jin (; born February 6, 1981) is a South Korean singer and actress. She was a member of South Korean girl group Baby V.O.X.
Career
Shim Eun-jin launched her singing career in 1998 as a member of Baby V.O.X, one of the most prominent So ...
.
In 2014, Son had her first collaboration with the Noname Theater Company for the Korean premiere of ''
Fight of Cocks'' written by a young British playwright
Mike Bartlett. The play explores the weighty subject of "subjectivity and choice" through the character of John, who must make a decision between a man and a woman due to gender identity confusion. The play garnered attention during its UK premiere in 2009 for its cast, including Ben Whishaw. It won the
Lawrence Olivier Award in 2010, and was performed off-Broadway in New York in 2012. In the Korean production, actor
Park Eun-seok
Park Eun-seok (; born February 10, 1984), or Danny Park, is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his work in theatre and is also known for his breakout performance in the 2020 television drama '' The Penthouse: War in Life''.
Early life
...
was cast as John and Son Ji-yoon appeared as W, John's new lover of the opposite sex. The other cast members included Kim Jun-won and Seon Jong-nam. The play ran at Doosan Art Center Space 111 in Seoul from July 11 to August 3, 2014, and received a warm response.
She once again collaborated with the NoName Theater Company for their sixth production, the Korean premiere of the play
''Metamorphoses'' (2015). The work was reconstructed by the renowned American playwright
Mary Zimmerman
Mary Zimmerman (born August 23, 1960) is an American theatre and opera director and playwright from Nebraska. She is an ensemble member of the Lookingglass Theatre Company, the Manilow Resident Director at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinoi ...
, based on the epic poem "Metamorphoses" by the ancient Roman poet Ovid, which delves into Greek and Roman mythology. The play received major accolades such as the
Tony Awards
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...
and the
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...
s in 2022. Directed by Byun Jeong-Ju, the Korean adaptation premiered at the Little Theater of the Seoul Arts Center.
In 2016, Son reunited with Director Kim Tae-hyun for the Korean premiere of the play ''
Gloria
Gloria may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music
* Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise
* Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise
** Gloria (Handel)
** Gloria (Jenkins ...
,'' the work of the playwright
Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins. The play had been nominated for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize and was co-produced by the Noname Theater Company and Dosan Art Center. Son portrayed the female lead, Kendra, opposite actor Won Won-jo as Rorin. The other cast members included Oh Jung-taek as Miles and Gong Ji-ji as Annie. Son's portrayal of Gloria earned her a nomination for Best Theater Actress at the 2016 SACA award.
In 2016, Son joined The 6th Best Plays Festival. She was double cast with actress
Lee Jin-hee in the role of Lily, a patient with
echolalia
Echolalia is the unsolicited repetition of vocalizations made by another person; when repeated by the same person, it is called palilalia. In its profound form it is automatic and effortless. It is one of the echophenomena, closely related to ...
in Asian Premiere of play ''Toc Toc''. Derived from the English expression of OCD (Troubles Obsessionnels Compulsifs, TOC), Toc Toc is a riotous comedy about obsessive-compulsive patients. The play was written by
Laurent Baffie, a famous French writer, actor, and TV show host.
In 2017, Son reprised her role as W in the encore performance of ''
Fight of Cocks'' alongside fellow actor Seon Jong-nam, who played F in the original premiere. Lee Myung-haeng and Lee Tae-goo joined the production as new cast members.
During the same year, Son also returned for the reenactment of ''Gloria'' in 2017, which was performed at Art One Theater 3 from July 14 to August 13.
In 2018, Lee participated in The 7th Best Play Festival. She acted in the adaptation of ''The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared''. The play is based on
Jonas Jonasson
Pär-Ola Jonas Jonasson (born Per Ola Jonasson; 6 July 1961) is a Swedish journalist and writer, best known as the author of the best-seller '' The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared''.
Biography
The son of an ambu ...
's bestselling Swedish novel with the
same name
''Same Name'' is an American reality television series in which an average person swaps lives with a celebrity of the same first and last name. It premiered on July 24, 2011 on CBS. The series received low ratings, and CBS pulled it after four-ep ...
, which has sold over 10 million copies worldwide since its release in 2009. Son challenged herself of portraying multiple characters. The ensemble also included Lee Jin-hee, Seo Hyeon-cheol, Oh Yong, Jang Yi-joo, Yang So-min, Kim Do-bin, Ju Min-jin, Kwon Dong-ho, and Lee Hyung-hoon. The play involved "character juggling" as five actors onstage seamlessly transformed into various roles, including the centenarian protagonist Alan and the individuals he encounters. Son portrayed characters such as elephant, a gang boss, a director, a guard, also 'Allan 3'. This production marked the first time Son and Lee Jin-hee shared a stage. In their previous projects together, They usually engaged in double casting, alternating their appearances in the play.
In 2018, Son participated in the 4th encore performance of Capone Trilogy at the Hongik University Daehak-ro Art Center. She shared the role of Lady with actress
Kim Ji-hyun and Choi Yu-ha. The other cast members included Lee Seok-jun, Kim Jong-tae, and Kim Joo-hyun, who played the role of Oldman. The role of Young-man was shared by Kim Do-bin, Kang Jung-woo, and Yoon Na-mu.
Capone Trilogy is based on the original work o
Jamie Wilkes a writer who has gained popularity in British literature through works like Bunker Trilogy and Frontier Trilogy.
Recent works
In 2019, Son shared the role of Sylvia with actress Shin Jeong-won in the 4th Korean encore performance of the play ''
The Pride.'' Directed by
Kim Dong-yeon
Kim Dong-yeon (; born 28 January 1957) is a South Korean politician who has served as the 36th governor of Gyeonggi Province since 2022. He previously served as the 4th minister of economy and finance and deputy prime minister from 2017 to 2018 ...
, the play explores the experiences of social underprivileged groups, particularly sexual minorities, spanning different eras from 1958 to the present. The production took place at Art One Theater 2 in Daehangno from May 25 to August 25. ''
The Pride'' is the debut work of Greek-British author
Alexi Kaye Campbell
Alexi Kaye Campbell (born 1966) is a Greek-British playwright and actor. In 2009, his play '' The Pride'' was given the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre.
Personal life
Alexi Kaye Campbell was born ...
, which premiered in 2008 at the
Royal Court Theatre Upstairs
The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...
and received critical acclaim. The South Korean adaptation, written by Ji Yi-seon and translated by Kim Soo-bin, premiered at ''The 5th Best Plays Festival'' at Art One Theater in 2014.
In 2020, Son Ji-yoon portrayed the dual roles of Daisy and Claire in ''Wife'', a play by British playwright
Samuel Adamson. The production, presented by the Seoul Metropolitan Theater Company, featured a talented ensemble cast including Lee Joo-young, Oh Yong, Baek Seok-gwang, Jung-hwan, Woo Beom-jin, and Song Gwang-il. Directed by Shin Yoo-chung, the play explores the growth of women and evolving perspectives on sexual minorities. It begins in the last scene of
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...
's ''
A Doll's House
''A Doll's House'' (Danish language, Danish and ; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act Play (theatre), play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 De ...
'' and spans four eras from 1959 to 2042. The encore performance of ''Wife'' was staged at the S Theater, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from July 30 to August 2, 2020. Son reprised the role from August 8 to 23 at Daehakro Arts Theater Grand Theater.
In 2021, Son and Woo Jung-won were double-cast in the role of C in the play ''
The Dressing Room (Gakuya).'' C, who portrays the character Nina, which is a character who constantly memorizes lines in the dressing room and maintains a state of tension. The play is a renowned work by
Kunio Shimizu
(17 November 1936 – 15 April 2021) was a Japanese playwright. Niigata is his hometown, which is located on the Japan Sea. At Tama University of Fine Arts Shimizu was a professor working in the Moving Images and Performing Arts Department.
Li ...
, a famous Japanese playwright who died in April of that year.
In May 2022, it was announced that Son would be joining the third production of ''The 9th Best Plays Festival.'' The play is titled ''
Touching the Void'' by
David Greig. and is based on the true story of the survival of two British mountain climbers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates.
Joe Simpson and
Simon Yates. Son was double casts with actress
Lee Jin-hee for role Sara, Joe Simpson's sister. The Korean premiere was directed by
Kim Dong-yeon
Kim Dong-yeon (; born 28 January 1957) is a South Korean politician who has served as the 36th governor of Gyeonggi Province since 2022. He previously served as the 4th minister of economy and finance and deputy prime minister from 2017 to 2018 ...
, one of the most notable directors in the Korean performance industry. It was performed at Art One Theater 2 in Daehangno from July 8 to September 9, 2022.
Son was cast in the role of Treat through
gender-blind casting
Color-blind casting is the practice of casting roles without regard to the actor's ethnicity or race. Alternative terms and similar practices include non-traditional casting, integrated casting, or blind casting, which can involve casting witho ...
in the play ''
Orphans
An orphan is a child whose parents have died, are unknown, or have permanently abandoned them. It can also refer to a child who has lost only one parent, as the Hebrew translation, for example, is "fatherless". In some languages, such as Swedis ...
'', alongside Choi Yu-ha, Park Jeong-bok, and Choi Seok-jin.
Written by
Lyle Kessler
Lyle Kessler is an American playwright, screenwriter and actor, best known internationally for his 1983 play ''Orphans''.
Career
Actor
Born in Philadelphia, Kessler began his career as an actor. His first professional appearance was in the Phi ...
, the play premiered in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
in 1983 and garnered positive reviews. Its Korean premiere in 2017 and encore in 2019 were also met with great success, with sold-out shows. In addition, "Orphans" won the Stagetalk Audience Choice Awards (SACA) in both 2017 and 2019. The play opened on November 29, 2022, and ran at Art One Theatre 1 in Daehak-ro until February 26 of the following year.
Personal life
On November 24, 2013, Son married actor . Their relationship began in 2010 after she met her future husband in the 2010 plays ''Rooftop House Cat''
and ''Dramatic Night'', where they both played as a couple.
Filmography
Film
Television
Stage
Musical
Theater
Awards and nominations
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
Son Ji-Yoon at Daum Encyclopedia
Son Ji-Yoon at Daum Movie
Son Ji-Yoon at PlayDB
{{DEFAULTSORT:Son, Ji-yoon
Living people
Actresses from Seoul
1983 births
South Korean film actresses
South Korean musical theatre actresses
South Korean stage actresses
South Korean television actresses
21st-century South Korean actresses