| Woo Mi-hwa | |||||||||||
| Native Name Lang: | ko | ||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 24 February 1974 | ||||||||||
| Birth Place: | Gangwon-do (South Korea), South Korea | ||||||||||
| Occupation: | Actress | ||||||||||
| Years Active: | 1998 to present | ||||||||||
| Agent: | D-plan Entertainment | ||||||||||
| Module: |
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Woo Mi-hwa (February 2, 1974) is a South Korean actress. She began her career as actress in theater, then transitioned to supporting roles on television and film. She debuted as theater actress in 1998 with role Petra in Korean adaptation of play An Enemy of the People.[1] [2] [3]
Woo has performed in over 60 theatre productions. Some of her stage roles during that period were in acclaimed revivals of Three Sisters and Dear Elena. She has received prestigious theater acting awards, including the 2011 Seoul Theater Festival Female Acting Award[4] and Best Actress of the 2011 Korea Acting Awards for Blowing Songs Flowers in the Rain,[5] Best Actress of the 2013 Korean Drama Awards for Three Sisters,[6] and the 2017 SACA Best Actress Award for her portrayal of Elena in Lyudmila Razumovskaya Dear Elena.[7]
She has appeared in supporting roles in various films and television dramas. Her first notable supporting role in television was from drama series Life (2018).[8] [9] In the same year, Woo's other works were Sky Castle (2018), Doctor Prisoner (2018), and (2018). Before she started acting in crime drama Voice Season 4 (2020), She signed with her current agency D-plan Entertainment.[10]
Her most known role in television series is Lee Myung-shin, Hye-jin's step mother from Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021).[11] She also acted important supporting roles in Bloody Heart and . She also known for her role as Dok Go-soon, chief of firefighter squad in drama The First Responders.
Woo was born on February 2, 1974, into a mining family in Hambaek, a village near Yeongwol, Gangwon Province. She spent her early years in her hometown until her father, faced with the decline of the mining industry, had to relocate to Seoul in search of employment. Following her father's move, Woo's older sister also moved to Seoul, and eventually, Woo herself transferred to Boseong Girls High School in Namsan, Seoul. During this time, she stayed with her sister while waiting for her mother to complete their affairs in their hometown before joining them in the city.[12]
After completing high school, Woo enrolled in the Department of German Literature at Sookmyung Women's University. The department had a tradition of staging German translation plays annually. During a summer break, Woo participated in a play reading and production class, where she unexpectedly found herself chosen as an actress. Despite her initial shyness and the challenges of adapting to city life as a rural girl, she developed a keen interest in acting and decided to pursue it further. After obtaining her bachelor's degree in German Literature, Woo transferred to Dongguk University's Department of Theater and Film to further her studies in acting.
After successfully passing the audition and becoming a trainee member of the Seoul Theater Company, and becoming a trainee member, Woo made her acting debut in 1998 at the age of 24. Her debut role was Petra in the Korean adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's play An Enemy of the People. It was a highly anticipated production directed by Kim Seok-man and featured acclaimed actors Lee Ho-jae as doctor Thomas Stokeman and Yoon Joo-sang as his older brother, Mayor Peter Stokeman. Both actors had previously won the prestigious Lee Hae-rang Theater Award. This project marked their first collaboration in 20 years since their last work together in Shakespeare's As You Like It. For a young rookie actress like Woo, the opportunity to be a part of such a significant production was unexpected, and it left her with unforgettable memories.
Woo also participated in another project with the Seoul Theater Company, the MBC Family Musical Lulu and the Twelve Fairies – A Beautiful Winter Story (1999). In this musical, which was televised by the MBC network, Woo took on dual roles as a rabbit and the Fairy of August.[13]
From 2001 to 2004, Woo Mi-hwa was member of Yeonwoo Theater Company. During that time, she participated in over ten of their stage productions, which included their famous plays Lee (2001), Korean Wooturi (2002) and That Guy Looks Like a Radish (2003).
In 2004, Son Ki-ho, a former member of the Yeonwoo Theater Company, established Theater Company Iru (극단 이루). Woo and fellow actress Yeom Hye-ran joined him as founding members. Through her collaboration with Son Ki-ho, Woo gained recognition as an actress in Daehangno. One of their notable joint projects was the play Blowing Songs Flowers in the Rain, which premiered in 2010 and received numerous encore performances due to its popularity. The play received critical acclaim and prestigious awards, including the 2010 Jeon Mun-yeon Drama Competition Winner and the 2010 Myeongdong Arts Theater Creative Factory awards. In the 2011 Seoul Theater Festival, it achieved further success by winning four awards, including the Grand Prize, Male Acting Award, Female Acting Award, and Popularity Award. Woo herself was honored with the Female Acting Award at the 2011 Korean Drama Awards for her outstanding performance in the play. Additionally, her co-star received the Male Actor Award at the 2011 Dong-A Theater Award.[14]
From 2008 to 2010, Woo appeared in the plays The People Who Lived in Gampo, Deok-yi, and Yeol-soo.[15] In 2009, while reprising her roles in the previous plays, she also took on an additional project: a preview performance of the Korean adaptation of the play We Love Too Much To Meet Everyday. This adaptation was based on the French play "On s’aimait trop pour se voir tous les jours" written by playwright Guy Alloucherie.[16] In 2010, she continued to leave her mark onstage by participating in the 6th Women's Director's Fair productions, specifically "Fighting Women" and "Who Else Said We Would Be Like Us?".
In 2013, Woo had the opportunity to showcase her talent alongside Kim Ji-won and Jang Ji-a in the Korean adaptation of Anton Chekhov play Three Sisters. She portrayed the title role of Olga in this production, which was directed by Moon Sam-hwa and staged at the Seoul Arts Center's Free Small Theater. Woo's portrayal of Olga earned her the prestigious Best Actress award at the 2013 Korean Drama Awards, recognizing her exceptional performance in the play.
Woo ventured to television without any special reason. As there are many theater actors who do movies and dramas, she was given chance to do minor roles. Her first role was female tailor in drama series Heard It Through the Grapevine (2015). The following year, she returned to theater for Kim Kwang-rim's 1996 stage play encore Come see me (2016). The National Theater production is loosely based on the true story of Korea's first confirmed serial murders, which took place between 1986 and 1991 in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, in which Woo played Park Gi-ja.
In 2017, she played the title role of Elena in Dear Elena, Oh In-ha's Korean adaptation of Dorogaya Yelena Sergeyevna, an eponymous play by Lyudmila Razumovskaya, for which she won the 2017 SACA Best Actress Award.
In the same year, Woo joined late Kim Dong-hyun memorial performance, the play 'Are you okay?' that were performed at Doosan Art Center Space 111. Woo acted with Seong Yeo-jin and Jeon Park-chan. Kim Dong-hyun was founder of the Theater troupe Elephant Manbo. Despite his absence, his colleagues still celebrating its 10th anniversary of his Theater troupe. Even though Woo is a member of the troupe Iru, but she also has been active in Theater Elephant Manbo.[17]
In 2018, Woo was cast in theater play Warrior of Sunshine. In the same year, Woo took on few television minor roles. Most notable one was Do-hoon's Mom in JTBC hit drama Sky Castle, where Woo acted as mother who flirts with Han Seo-jin (Yeom Jeong-ah) for her son education.[18] In the same year, Woo finally landed her first supporting role in television series, as gynecologist Kim Jung-hee in drama Life. Woo said, "It was the first time that a name was created and I was able to talk about the thoughts and values of the name. "I was so grateful," Woo said, expressing her affection for the character.[19]
In 2019, Woo and Seo Yi-sook were double cast as Nora; and Son Jong-hak and Park Ho-san were double cast as Torwald in Korean adaptation of play A Doll's House Part 2 by American playwright Lucas Hnath. The original play was released in 2017, written as the “sequel” of Henrik Ibsen's masterpiece A Doll's House, premiered in December 1879. In A Doll's House, main character Nora Helmer, a mother of three and wife of Torvald, is living out the ideal of the 19th-century wife, but leaves her family at the end. In A Doll's House Part 2, set in 1894, Nora Helmer, who already became successful writer, back after 15 years to file for her divorce.[20]
Woo made her feature film debut in 2020 as the titular character in Han Jae-yi's melodrama Ivy. It follows the life of Eun-soo and Ye-won, a lesbian couple who suddenly had to take care Eun-soo's niece Su-min, who lost her mother in a sudden accident. Also that year, she appeared as Dr. Livingstone, the psychiatrist, in the Seoul Art Center adaption of John Pielmeier's play Agnes of God.[21]
In March 2021, Woo was offered the role Anita in the MPN Company play Vincent River, adaption of Philip Ridley's play, directed by Shin Yoo-cheong. Anita is mother who lost her gay son Vincent overnight in a homophobic assault and murder case. The storyline is focused on conversation between Anita and Davy, who hovers around Anita. This play discuss issues of homophobia, crimes caused by that hate, and discriminatory views.[22] The play was the second collaboration between MPN Company and Ateod, which aimed to revitalize the Daehangno performance market and create a stable production environment. It was performed for the first time in Korea in April 2021.[23] Woo reprised her role as Anita in 2022.
In 2021, Woo starred alongside Song Kang-ho in Han Jae-rim's film Emergency Declaration.[24]
Woo Mi-wha is affectionately nicknamed "Woo-bosal" - a portmanteau of her surname and a short term for a righteous Bodhisattva - by her theater friends, due to her calm demeanor and willingness to lend an ear if her junior actors need advise.
Woo met her husband Yoon Jeong-hwan, fellow actor, theater director and producer, when they were both students at Dongguk University's Department of Theater and Film. They dated for more than 10 years and finally married in 2006.
| Title | Role | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean | ||||
| 2018 | Seven Years of Night | 7년의 밤 | Hyun Soo-mo | ||
| 2019 | The Culprit | 진범 | Da-yeon unni | [25] | |
| 2020 | Take Me Home (Ivy) | 담쟁 | Jung Eun-soo | [26] [27] | |
| Honest Candidate | 정직한 후보 | Seulgi's mom | [28] | ||
| 2022 | Emergency Declaration | 비상선언 | Hye-yoon | [29] |
| Title | Role | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean | |||||
| 2015 | Heard It Through the Grapevine | 풍문으로 들었소 | tailor | Bit part (Ep. 9) | [30] | |
| 2018 | Sky Castle | SKY 캐슬 | Do-hoon's mother | Bit part | ||
| Tempted | 위대한 유혹자 | Ahjumma | ||||
| KBS Drama Special – Too Bright for Romance | 드라마 스페셜 - 너무 한낮의 연애 | Ahjumma | ||||
| Mr. Sunshine | 미스터 션샤인 | Lady Cho's person | [31] | |||
| Life | 라이프 | Kim Jung-hee (gynecologist) | Supporting role | |||
| Children of a Lesser God | 작은 신의 아이들 | Ahjumma | ||||
| 2019 | Doctor Prisoner | 닥터 프리즈너 | Kim Young-seon (Seon Min-sik's wife) | |||
| Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung | 신입사관 구해령 | Goo Hae Ryung's Teacher | ||||
| 20192020 | 블랙독 | Han Jae-hee | [32] | |||
| 2020 | My Unfamiliar Family | (아는 건 별로 없지만) 가족입니다 | Yoon Seo-young's mother | Cameo (Ep. 3) | ||
| 2021 | Voice | 보이스 | Jang Ye-suk | Cameo (Season 4, Ep. 2–3) | [33] | |
| The Uncanny Counter | 경이로운 소문 | Inspector Yung [Other world] | Cameo (Season 1, Ep. 9) | |||
| Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha | 갯마을 차차차 | Lee Myung-shin | Supporting role | [34] | ||
| 2022 | Bloody Heart | 붉은 단심 | Queen In-young | [35] | ||
| 링크: 먹고 사랑하라, 죽이게 | Jang Mi-sun | [36] | ||||
| 2022–2023 | The First Responders | 소방서 옆 경찰서 | Dok Go-soon | Supporting role; Season 1–2 | [37] |
| Title | Role | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean | |||
| 2022 | The King of Pigs | 돼지의 왕 | Kim Cheol's mother | TVING |
| The Sound of Magic | 안나라수마나라 | Seo Ha-yeon's Mother | Netflix |
| Title | Role | Note | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean | ||||
| 2022 | Hot Singers | 뜨거운 씽어즈 | Cast Member | JTBC Variety Show | [38] |
| 58th Baeksang Arts Awards | 제58회 백상예술대상 | Choir | Broadcast by JTBC |
| Title | Role | Theater | Date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean | ||||||
| 1999–2000 | MBC Family Musical Lulu and the Twelve Fairies - A Beautiful Winter Story | MBC 가족뮤지컬 루루와 열두 요정 - 아름다운 겨울 이야기 | Rabbit, Fairy of August | Sejong Center for the Performing Arts small theater | December 24, 1999 to January 30, 2000 |
| Title | Role | Theater | Date | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Korean | |||||
| 1998 | An Enemy of the People | 민중의 적 | Petra | Sejong Center for Performing Arts | March 20–April 6 | [39] |
| 2000 | (1st) Two-Person Theater Festival | (제1회) 2인극 페스티벌 | Jeon clan, woman, Sadangpa 2 | Dongsung Art Center | August 5–September 24 | [40] |
| 2001 | Navillera in Cheongsan - A new aspect of our theater where Hanbok and Sijo Chang are harmonized | 청산에 나빌레라 - 한복과 시조창이 어우러지는 우리 연극의 새로운 모습 | Chorus, Jin-mo, Gisaeng 3 | Arts and Culture Center small theater | September 15–25 | [41] |
| Lee | 이 | Woo-in, musician, court lady | Yeonwoo Theater | November 8–December 9 | [42] | |
| Welcome to Baebijang House | Welcome to 배비장하우스 | wife, Ae-Ryeon et al. | Batangol Small Theater Yeonwoo Theater | March 27 –April 22 | [43] | |
| (2001) Seoul Children's and Youth Performing Arts Festival—Light of Love | (2001) 서울 아동청소년 공연예술축제—사랑의 빛 | Yeonwoo Theater | July 11–August 26 | [44] | ||
| (2001) SPAF Seoul Performing Arts Festival: Lee | (2001) SPAF 서울공연예술제: 이 | Woo-in, musician, court lady | Arts and Culture Center grand theater | October 13–18 | [45] | |
| 2002 | Korean Wooturi | 우리나라 우투리 | a pulgaksiori child, a shaman | Seoul Arts Center Jayu Small Theater | August 23–September 1 | [46] |
| 2003 | That Guy Looks Like a Radish | 저 사람 무우당 같다 | Cultural Arts Promotion Agency Arts Theater Hakjeon Blue Small Theater | April 4–20 | [47] | |
| That Guy Looks Like a Radish - Encore performance | 저 사람 무우당 같다 - 앵콜공연 | Yeonwoo Theater | Apr 25–May 25 | [48] | ||
| 2005 | Living as a Cool Couple | 부부 쿨하게 살기 | Kang Yoo-jeong | The Byeoloreum Theater of the National Theater of Korea | March 10–April 9 | [49] |
| 2006 | When a Man Loves a Woman | 남자가 여자를 사랑할때 | Nam-soo | Arko Arts Theater Small Theater | June 16–July 2 | [50] |
| Three Penny Opera | 서푼짜리 오페라 | Jenny | Seoul Arts Center Towol Theater | November 16–December 3 | [51] | |
| 2007 | Memories of a Summer Day | 여름날의 기억 (중국) | Chiuzi | Arko Arts Theater Small Theater | April 4–8 | [52] |
| I'm not Talking about Love | 연애얘기아님 | Seon-hee | Daehangno Guerilla Theater | 6.13–7.1 | ||
| 2008 | I'm not Talking about Love | 연애얘기아님 | Seon-hee | Daehangno Small Theater Festival | February 14–April 13 | [53] |
| The person who lives in Gampo, Deok-i, and Yeol-su | 감포 사는 분이, 덕이열수 | Boon | Daehangno Seondol Theater | October 17–November 16 | ||
| 2009 | The person who lives in Gampo, Deok-i, and Yeol-su | 감포 사는 분이, 덕이열수 | Boon | Daehangno Seondol Theater | April 13–May 17 | [54] |
| We Loved Too Much to Meet Everyday | 매일 만나기에는 우리는 너무나 사랑했었다 | The cultural space of Daehangno, Seoul | August 27–30 | [55] | ||
| 2009–2010 | Ask The Blind Father for Direction | 눈먼아비에게 길을 묻다 | aunt | Daehangno Seondol Theater | Sep 25–Jan 24 | [56] |
| 2010 | Jjilji is a new wave | 찌질이 신파극 | Geum-suk | Yeonwoo Small Theater | March 17–April 3 | [57] |
| The person who lives in Gampo, Deok-i, and Yeol-su - Official entry for the 2010 Seoul Theater Festival | 감포 사는 분이, 덕이열수 - 2010 서울연극제 공식 참가작 | Boon | Arko Arts Theater Small Theater | May 13–16 | [58] | |
| Fighting Woman | 싸우는 여자 | Woman | Small Pine Theatre Daehakro | June 29–July 7 | [59] | |
| 2011 | The 32nd Seoul Theater Festival: If There's a Peach Blossom, Pine Flowers Will Fly | (제32회) 서울연극제: 복사꽃 지면 송화 날리고 | Mother | Arko Arts Theater Small Theater | May 6–8 | [60] |
| 2011–2012 | Good News in Our Neighborhood | 우리동네 굿뉴스 | Daehakro Seondol Theater | Dec 13–Jan 15 | [61] | |
| 2012 | If There's a Peach Blossom, Pine Flowers Will Fly | 복사꽃 지면 송화 날리고 | Mother | Daehakro Art Theater Grand Theater | April 7–15 | [62] |
| I miss your parents' faces | 니 부모 얼굴이 보고 싶다 | Yoo Da-hyun as Mo | Sejong Center for the Performing Arts M Theater | June 24–July 29 | [63] | |
| If There's a Peach Blossom, Pine Flowers Will Fly | 복사꽃 지면 송화 날리고 | Mother | Daegu Suseong Artpia Paper Hall | August 10–12 | [64] | |
| Samguk Yusa Project - Extinction | 배우 멸 | Juk-bang Lady | National Theater Company Baek Baek Hee Jang Minho Theater | November 3–18 | [65] | |
| 2013 | Back in time with Park Wan-seo | 박완서와 함께 세월을 거슬러 | Daehangno Seondol Theater | January 7–April 5 | [66] | |
| Joke Namsan Arts Center 2013 season self-produced program | 농담 농담남산예술센터 2013 시즌 자체제작 프로그램 | Carmen | Namsan Art Center Drama Center | April 9–28 | [67] | |
| The Grave of Horses | 말들의 무덤 | Daehakro Arts Theater Grand Theater | September 6–15 | [68] | ||
| Three Sisters | 세 자매 | Olga | Seoul Arts Center Jayu Small Theater | November 8–December 1 | [69] | |
| 2014 | Pep Pep Pep | 뺑뺑뺑 | Daehangno Seondol Theater | Jun 19–Jul 06 | [70] | |
| Golden Pond | 황금연못 | Chelsea | Yes 24 Stage 1 | September 19–November 23 | [71] | |
| Jeju Art Center | December 27–28 | |||||
| 2015 | Golden Pond | 황금연못 | Chelsea | Daegu Culture and Arts Center Palgong Hall (Grand Theater) | January 17–18 | |
| Ulsan Culture and Arts Center Grand Hall | February 7–8 | |||||
| Ask for Love | 사랑을 묻다 | Daehangno Seondol Theater | April 17–May 24 | [72] | ||
| Person Who Remembers | 생각나는 사람 | Daehakro Guerilla Theater | September 2–16 | |||
| Stop Abruptly | 돌연히 멈춤 | Noeul Small Theater | October 1–18 | [73] | ||
| 2015–2016 | Hanako | 하나코 | Seo In-kyung | Arko Arts Theater Small Theater | December 24-January 10 | [74] |
| 2016 | Come See Me | 배우 날 보러와요 | Park Gi-ja | Myeongdong Arts Theater | January 22–February 21 | [75] |
| Sampoong Department Store | 삼풍백화점 | Theater Lab 1, Hyehwa-dong | February 24–March 6 | [76] | ||
| Three Sisters Born to My Mother | 엄마가 낳은 숙이 세 자매 | Jeong-suk | Daehakro Beautiful Theater | May 20–June 12 | [77] | |
| Warrior of Sunshine | 썬샤인의 전사들 | Song Si-chun | Doosan Art Center Space111 | September 27–October 22 | ||
| Yanbian Mom | 연변엄마 | Bok Gil-soon | Theater Lab 1, Hyehwa-dong | December 15–31 | [78] | |
| 2017 | Hanako | 하나코 | Seo In-kyung | Daehakro Space Owl | February 7–19 | [79] |
| If There's a Peach Blossom, Pine Flowers Will Fly | 복사꽃 지면 송화 날리고 | Mother | Daehakro Art Theater Small Theater | May 27–June 4 | [80] | |
| Dear Yelena Sergeyevna | 존경하는 엘레나 선생님 | Yelena Sergeyevna | Art One Theater 3 | September 8–October 15 | [81] | |
| Writer's Room Reading Theater: Chinese Wardrobe | 2017 작가의 방 낭독극장:중국식옷장 | Woman | Small Theater Versions of the National Theater Company | December 11–19 | [82] | |
| 2018 | Doosan Humanities Theater 2018 Altruism - Nassim | 두산인문극장 2018 이타주의자 - 낫심 | Doosan Art Center Space111 | April 10–29 | [83] | |
| Doosan Humanities Theater 2018 Altruism - Blood and Seed | 두산인문극장 2018 이타주의자 - 피와 씨앗 | Sophia | Doosan Art Center Space111 | May 8—June 2 | [84] | |
| Foreigner | 외국인들 | Woman | Salmiro Warehouse Theater | October 05–14 | [85] | |
| 2018–2019 | His and Her Thursday | 그와 그녀의 목요일 | Yeong-ok | Yegreen Theater | December 15–February 10 | [86] |
| 2019 | A Doll's House, Part 2 | 인형의 집, Part 2 | Nora | LG Art Center | April 10–28 | |
| The Boy in The Last Row | 맨 끝줄 소년 | Juana | Seoul Arts Center Jayu Small Theater | October 24–December 1 | [87] | |
| 2020 | Dear Yelena Sergeyevna | 존경하는 엘레나 선생님 | Yelena Sergeyevna | Hongik University Daehakro Arts Theater Small Theater | June 16–Sep 6 | [88] |
| 2021 | Nuran Nuran | 누란누란 | Professor Sun | Arko Arts Theater Small Theater | January 22–31 | [89] |
| Vincent River | 빈센트 리버 | Anita | Chungmu Art Center Medium Theater Black | April 27–July 11 | ||
| Dressing Room | 분장실 | A | Daehakro Jayu Theater | August 7–September 12 | [90] | |
| 2022 | The Horror Begin | 공포가 시작된다 | Kitahara Mutsumi | Daehakro Arts Theater Small Theater | May 13–22 | [91] |
| Vincent River | 빈센트 리버 | Anita | Daehakro Dream Art Center Building 4 | July 19–October 2 | [92] |