Youn Yuh-jung (Youn Yuh-jung)

Also known as: Yoon Yeo Jeong, Yun Yeo Jung, Yun Yeo Jeong, Youn Yuh Jung, Yoon Yeo Jung, Youn Yeo Jeong, Youn Yeo Jung, Youn Yuh Jeong

Date of birth: 19 June 1947 (79 years old)

Country: South Korean

Youn Yuh Jung is a South Korean actress under Hook Entertainment . When Youn was a freshman at Hanyang University majoring in Korean literature, she was chosen as a TV actress in a public recruit by TBC TV. Youn was cast in the lead role in Mister Bear (Mister Gom) one year after her debut and gained popularity. The public found her fast way of speaking and atypical appearance refreshing, and she frequently took roles in TV dramas depicting a modern woman of the new generation. She then took an unconventional step towards her acting career when she played unimaginable, sensational female characters in grotesque movies such as Woman of Fire and The Insect Woman directed by Kim Ki Young, Korea's first style-conscious director. Her performance in Woman of Fire garnered her several Best Actress awards. However, Youn retired from her career after she married singer Cho Young Nam in 1974, then immigrated to the United States. They had 2 children In 1984, she came back home to Korea, divorced Cho in 1987, and returned to acting. Making such a stellar comeback after taking an extended break was an unusual feat for a middle-aged actress due to the stigma of divorce in South Korea. Most actresses her age play cliched motherly characters, but Youn has a diverse, colorful acting range thanks to her artistic talent and unique characteristics. A Good Lawyer's Wife marked another significant moment in her career. She gained critical acclaim for her nonchalant acting as a mother-in-law who neglected her husband dying of liver cancer and enjoyed extramarital affairs. Her freewheeling and confident persona manifested itself in the semi-documentary style film Actresses which discussed the daily lives of actresses. Youn is an interesting actress who can add a stylish touch to movies and TV dramas even when she plays minor roles, notably her award-winning scene-stealing turn in The Housemaid. Youn won the best-supporting actress award in the 93rd Academy Awards (2021 Oscar's) for the American film "Minari". She also won Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award, and a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award making her the first Korean actor ever to win an acting award at any of the 3 prestigious ceremonies. On December 5, 2022 it was announced that she has left Hook Entertainment following contract expiration. After leaving HOOK, Youn Yuh Jung is revealed to have signed with American talent & sports agency, CAA.