Cha Tae Hyun

Cha Tae-hyun

Cha Tae-hyun ( b. 25 March 1976, Seoul) is a South Korean actor, TV personality, and singer. Cha Tae Hyun made his acting debut in a 1995 television drama. He appeared in his first film, Hallelujah, in 1997, and made his singing debut in 2001. Internationally he is perhaps best known for his leading role in the 2001 romantic comedy My Sassy Girl opposite Jun Ji-hyun. Other roles include Papa (1996).

Comedies have dominated the summer and early fall of 2001, with a trio of smash hits that have easily outgrossed every Hollywood film to get a release. Among these, my personal favorite is My Sassy Girl, a movie based on a series of real-life incidents published on the internet in serial form.

As the film opens we are introduced to Cha Tae-hyun (Kyun-woo), a kind-hearted but at times naive college student who seems to keep getting into trouble. On his way home one night Cha Tae-hyun encounters a beautiful but completely smashed young woman who causes a scene in the subway, calls Cha Tae-hyun "honey", and then passes out. With the eyes of the other subway passengers upon him, Chae Tae-hyun has little choice but to take responsibility for her. Thus begins his relationship with the at-times charming, at-times violent damsel who steals his heart.

Much of the film is structured around the bizarre antics of Kyun-woo's newfound girlfriend. After she passes out yet again, Cha Tae-hyun (Kyun-woo) looks at her blissful face and promises to himself that he will save her, and right whatever it is that troubles her. This proves to be much more of a challenge than Cha Tae-hyun expects.

My Sassy Girl marks the return to the screen of director Kwak Jae-yong, after close to a seven-year absence. He couldn't have picked a better film for his comeback, and he is unlikely to be away for so long again: in October he signed a contract to make three more films in the next six years.

Cha Tae-hyun, who plays Kyun-woo, has been a well-known personality on TV shows, advertisements, and also as a successful pop singer, but this is his first major role in the movies. He proves perfect for the part, his blend of mischievous innocence capturing the audience's sympathies. The undisputed star of this film, however, is Jeon Ji-hyun, an icon for her generation who trades in the nice girl image of her previous films for something with a little more fire. The enthusiasm she brings to the role carries the film; it could not have succeeded anywhere near as well without her.

The wacky charms of this film have earned it the title of Korea's best-selling comedy ever (at least for the moment). In the coming months, as the film spreads to other countries in Asia and possibly to DVD, foreign audiences will get a chance to share in the fun.?????(Darcy Paquet)

Cha Tae-hyun | Chae Tae-hyun of My Sassy Girl