Hong Ji-hee

Debut and musical career (2009–2014)

In 2009, Hong made her feature film debut in Park Shin-woo's film Into the White Night (2009), appearing in a minor role as Cha Young-eun opposite Son Ye-jin. Her second film role that year was as a reporter in the 2009 film City of Damnation.^[4]

After completing her studies from Department of Theater and Film of Kyunghee University, Hong began her career as a musical actress. In 2011, Hong passed audition for lead role the open-run musical Finding Kim Jong-wook,^[5] portraying a woman searching for her first love. She joined the 5th season cast alongside actors such as Kim Jae-beom, Sang Sang-yoon, Rajun, Kim Ji-hyeon, Baek Eun-hye, Lim Ki-hong, Kim Min-gun, and Lee Ju-hoon for the 5th season of the musical. Director Kim Dong-yeon introduced the cast to the public on June 7, 2011, at the Seoul Theater Center.^[6]

In November 2011, director Kim Dong-yeon invited Hong to audition for his new musical, Coffee Prince 1st Store, an adaptation of the popular television drama, but based more closely on Lee Seon-mi's original novel. The musical focused on the romance between Choi Han-gyeol and Go Eun-chan. Hong and Yu Joo-hye were cast as Go Eun-chan, performing opposite Kim Jae-beom and Kim Tae-han as Choi Han-gyeol. Produced by the Kim So-ro Project, the musical ran from February 24 to April 29, 2012, at Filling Hall 1 in Daehangno Cultural Space.^[7][8]

In 2012, Hong also joined the cast of Three Thousands — The Flower of Destruction, a historical musical reimagining the fall of Baekje and its last monarch, King Uija. The production depicted King Uija as a solitary and strong ruler. Hong portrayed Yeon-hwa, a blind court lady. Written and directed by Seo Yoon-mi, the musical was performed from October 26, 2012, to January 20, 2013, at the Daehangno Cultural Space Filling Hall 1.^[9][10]

In 2013, Hong successfully auditioned for the role of Son Na-young in the 13th production of the musical Laundry, which was restaged at the Art One Theater with a new cast. She shared the role with Kwak Sun-young and Park Eun-mi. Preview performances were held on March 13–14, with the full run at Art One Theater 2 in Daehangno continuing until September 29, 2013.^[11] In 2014, Hong reprised her role in White Day performance of musical Finding Kim Jong-wook.^[12]

The following year, Hong joined the musical Abbocatto.^[a] This production, which explores the bittersweet memories of love between singer-songwriter Yoo Jae-min and aspiring writer Jeong Da-jeong, was written by Lee Ho-jeon and composed by Lee Jin-wook. It was selected for the 2014 Creative Musical Development Support Project after a competitive process and had been previously introduced through a reading performance by CJ Creative Mind^[b] in 2012, followed by the SMF Yegreen Encore Showcases in 2012. Hong starred as Jeong Da-jeong in both the demonstration performance in February and the re-staged production at the Daemyung Cultural Factory (DCF) Hall 2 in Daehak-ro from March to April 2015.^[13] Also in 2015, Hong reprised the role of Son Na-young in the 10th-anniversary performance of Laundry^[14]

Theater debut (2015–2017)

After four years as a musical actress, Hong sought to expand her repertoire by performing in a play. In 2015, she made her theater debut in Hot Summer, a play produced by the Ganda Theater Company.¹ She shared the dual lead role of Chae-kyung and Sa-rang with musical actresses Song Sang-eun [ko] and Shin Ui-jeong, who had been part of the original 2014 premiere cast, which marked the 10th anniversary of the Ganda Theater Company. The play, written and directed by Min Jun-ho, ran at the Daehangno Freedom Theater from August 11 to November 1, 2015.^[15]

In 2016, Hong reunited with director Min Jun-ho for an encore performance of John Cariani's play Almost, Maine. The play returned after a three-year hiatus and ran from January 8 to April 10, 2016, at Sangmyung Art Hall 1 in Daehangno. Hong played three roles—Glory, Waitress, and Gayle—and was the youngest actress in the cast.^[16]

Also in 2016, Hong appeared as Mariko in the play Round Trip Letter, based on Minato Kanae's 2010 Japanese novel Ōfuku Shokan (往復書簡). Directed by Kim Myung-hwan, the play centers on longtime lovers Junichi and Mariko, who met in middle school. Junichi departs for volunteer work on a remote South Pacific island with limited electricity, and the couple communicates by letter. Through their correspondence, they confront the truth of an incident from fifteen years prior. Hong and Lee Ji-hae were double-cast as Mariko, opposite Park Si-beom, Kang Jung-woo, and Son Yoo-dong, who were triple-cast as Junichi.^[17]

In 2016, Hong joined the cast of the musical Mirror Princess Pyeonggang Story. Written by Choi Eun-i and Min Jun-ho of Ganda Theater Company, the musical was based on the folktale Princess Pyeonggang and On Dal.^[5] In late 2017, Hong again collaborated with director and writer Min Jun-ho for his play The 100th Debate of the New Humanity, which he both directed and wrote. The play drew inspiration from a television program focused on various debate topics. Hong and Yoo-yeon were double-cast as Hyun Chung-hee, a parasitologist specializing in the study of poisons, parasites, and viruses.^[5]

Return to big screen, television debut and recent works (2018-recent)

After almost a decade since her film debut, Hong returned in 2018 with the independent film Daughters Table. Directed by Son Hee-song, the film tells the story of Ms. Jo's three busy daughters—Su-yeon, Ji-yeon, and So-yeon—who return to their hometown upon hearing news of their mother's illness.^[18]

In 2018, Hong took on multiple roles in the play Miracles of the Namiya General Store, an adaptation of a novel by Japanese mystery writer Keigo Higashino. Hong played the characters Akiko, Emiko, and Midori. The play itself was adapted from an earlier work written and directed by Yutaka Narui [ja]. It was initially selected for the "Performance, Meet - Accompany" project in 2016, a content development support initiative for the second anniversary of the Daemyung Cultural Factory's opening. Following a pre-reading performance, the play underwent further development before its main staging.^[19]

Also in 2018, Hong reunited with director Kim Dong-yeon the musical Vampire Arthur. Hong performed as Emma, a hopeful and pure girl who inspires Arthur, a vampire, to dream of a new world.^[20][21] She subsequently appeared in Sideureus (2020) as Maria and Maybe Happy Ending (2021) as Claire.^[22]

Hong's first television role was in the 2019 KBS drama series Unasked Family. She played Trần Thị Trang, a Vietnamese character who falls in love with the eldest son of a prominent Korean restaurant family. Her portrayal of a Vietnamese person who had learned Korean garnered positive viewer reception.^[23] In the same year, Hong joined the tvN drama series Arthdal Chronicles as Hae Ga-on.

In 2021, Hong's portrayal of Yoo Cho-hee, a teacher at Cheongjin Elementary School in the tvN drama series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, was well-received by viewers.^[3] She starred as Hannah in the 2021 musical Four Minutes, based on Chris Krauss's 2006 German film of the same name. Hong conveyed Hannah's desperate emotions as Kruger's same-sex lover.^{[5][24][25][unreliable source?]}

In 2022, Hong participated in drama Big Mouth as Jang Hye-jin.^[26] Also in 2022, Hong appeared in the premiere of the creative musical Let Me Fly, playing Park Jeong-bun, a 19-year-old from the countryside who dreams of traveling to the moon. The musical was directed by Lee Dae-woong, produced by Hong Yun-kyung and Lee Young-chan, with lyrics and script by Jo Min-hyung, and music composed and arranged by Min Chan-hong.^[27]

Film

Television series

Musical

Theater