Kim Tae-ri

Kim Tae-ri (Korean: 김태리; born April 24, 1990) is a South Korean actress. Known for her work in both television and film, she has received various accolades, including three Baeksang Arts Awards and a Blue Dragon Film Award, in addition to a nomination for a Grand Bell Award.

Kim gained widespread recognition for her breakthrough role as Sook-hee in Park Chan-wook's critically acclaimed film The Handmaiden (2016), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and earned her the Blue Dragon Film Award for Best New Actress. She subsequently appeared in the political thriller 1987: When the Day Comes (2017) and the drama film Little Forest (2018), which earned her Best Actress nominations at the Baeksang Arts Award and the Blue Dragon Film Award.

On television, Kim received the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actress – Television for her performances in Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022) and Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born (2024), and earned additional critical praise for Mr. Sunshine (2018) and Revenant (2023). In 2019, Kim was featured by Forbes in their 30 Under 30 list in the Entertainment & Sports category, and in 2024, Gallup Korea ranked her as Korea's Television Actor of the Year.

Kim Tae-ri was born on April 24, 1990, in Sangbong-dong, Jungnang District, Seoul, South Korea. After graduating from Youngshin Nursing Business High School, Kim studied Journalism and Communication at Kyung Hee University from 2008 to 2012. Kim was inspired to become an actress in her second year of college after joining a college theater club.

Kim winning the Blue Dragon Film Awards 2016 for Best New Actress

After graduating from college, Kim spent a year working as part of the technical crew for the Iru theatre troupe in Daehakro. She was later cast as the understudy for Kang Ae-shim in the 2012 production of Spoonface Steinberg, although she did not perform on stage. She went on to appear in the plays Pansy and Ask for Love, and was double-cast in the 2013 rerun of Spoonface Steinberg. That same year, she filmed Moon Young, a short film that premiered at the Seoul Independent Film Festival in 2015, with a theatrical version released in 2017. In 2014, Kim signed with J-Wide Company and began appearing in various television commercials. During this period, she continued acting in short films and auditioned extensively for feature film roles, but faced numerous rejections.

In 2016, Kim made her feature film debut in Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden, having been selected from among 1,500 actresses who auditioned for the role. Her performance earned her multiple Best New Actress awards, including at the Blue Dragon Film Award, the Director's Cut Award, the Buil Film Award, and the Busan Film Critics Awards. Park Chan-wook later remarked that his first impression of Kim strongly reminded him of his initial meeting with actress Kang Hye-jung, who achieved her breakthrough in his 2003 film Oldboy.

The following year, Kim appeared in the ensemble political thriller1987: When the Day Comes, which earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the Grand Bell Awards.

In 2018, Kim headlined the Korean film adaptation of the manga series Little Forest, co-starring Ryu Jun-yeol and Jin Ki-joo. Her performance won her the Director's Cut Award and garnered Best Actress nominations at the Blue Dragon Film Award, Baeksang Arts Award and Buil Film Award. The same year, she made her television debut in the period melodrama Mr. Sunshine, written by Kim Eun-sook, earning her a third Baeksang Arts Award nomination, this time for Best Actress in Television. Mr. Sunshine became the sixth-highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history. In 2019, Kim was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Entertainment & Sports category.

In 2021, Kim starred as Captain Jang in Jo Sung-hee's Space Sweepers, regarded as the first Korean space blockbuster. Kim was drawn to the film due to its genre and her character's role, as she said: "I don't think there has ever been a [Korean] film in which a woman was a captain". After its release on Netflix, the film received generally positive reviews, complimenting the characters and the special effects. In a review for Decider, Johnny Loftus described Kim's performance as the "picture of laconic cool" and likened her interpretation of the character's selfishness and greediness to Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok (2017). In July 2021, Kim moved to Management MMM after her contract with J-Wide expired.

Kim at a press conference for Jeongnyeon in 2024

She returned to television in 2022, starring in the coming-of-age romantic series Twenty-Five Twenty-One, which marked her second collaboration with one of the directors of Mr. Sunshine, Jung Ji-hyun. Upon reading the script, Kim was drawn to the "bright, energetic nature" of her character Na Hee-do, a high school fencer overcoming difficulties during the IMF crisis. In preparation for the role, she learned fencing for six months, watched numerous YouTube videos and requested an expert on set during fencing scenes. Twenty-Five Twenty-One became one of the highest-rated South Korean series in Korean cable television history and achieved success on Netflix, leading to Kim's rise in popularity among international audiences. Cine21's Song Kyung-won deemed Kim vital to the success of the series. For her portrayal of Na Hee-do, she won both the Best Actress (Television) Award and the Most Popular Actress Award at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards.

Later that year, Kim starred as Lee Ahn in the first part of Choi Dong-hoon's two-part science fiction action film Alienoid alongside Little Forest co-star Ryu Jun-yeol and Kim Woo-bin. Kim attended action school and learned gymnastics, various types of martial arts and shooting to prepare for the role. Alienoid was shot simultaneously with its follow-up film for 13 months. The film was a box-office failure, earning $12 million worldwide against a budget of over ₩30 billion ($22.9 million). It received mixed reviews in South Korea, with Kim Boram of Yonhap News Agency criticizing the story but appreciating Kim and Ryu's chemistry and action sequences. International critics wrote more positive reviews, often praising the film's ensemble cast.

In 2023, Kim starred in Revenant alongside Oh Jung-se and Hong Kyung. She was praised for her dual portrayal of San-yeong and the malicious spirit within her. The following year, Kim starred as the titular character in the television adaptation of the webtoon Jeong-nyeon, written by Seo Yi-re and illustrated by Na Mon. The artist said that she had initially used Kim's character in The Handmaiden as reference while drawing Jeong-nyeon. Kim's performance was widely praised for its emotional depth and vocal versatility, earning her a second Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actress – Television. Gallup Korea later ranked her as Korea's Television Actor of the Year. She also reprised her role as Lee Ahn in Alienoid: Return to the Future. Despite mixed reviews, it opened at first place on Korean box office with 103,467 admissions and a gross of US$746,073.

Kim made her voice acting debut in the 2025 South Korean animated science fiction romance film Lost in Starlight, which is the first South Korean feature-length animated film to be released on Netflix.

Kim will appear as a regular cast member in a new variety show produced by tvN.

Kim promoting a film alongside Prada in 2023

Since 2017, Kim has served as a brand ambassador for the South Korean high-end cosmetics brand O Hui. In 2018, she became the face of Kenzo's signature fragrance, Flower by Kenzo, and was also appointed the Korean ambassador for the French-American luxury jewelry house Tiffany & Co., a role she held until 2021. In September 2021, she appeared as a brand ambassador in a video showcasing Prada's Spring-Summer 2022 collection live show. On January 25, 2022, the women's fashion brand Itmichaa announced her as its new muse.

• Official website (in Korean)
• Kim Tae-ri at the Korean Movie Database
• Kim Tae-ri at IMDb
• Kim Tae-ri at HanCinema