Kim Tae-ri
A South Korean actress whose intuitive, shape-shifting performances have made her one of the most compelling screen presences of her generation.
Born 1990 (age 36)·South Korean actress·Birthday: April 24·Millennials
Biography
Kim Tae-ri didn't take a conventional path to stardom. She studied journalism in college and worked as a film festival staffer before her breakout role arrived in a manner fit for cinema itself. Director Park Chan-wook selected her from among 1,500 candidates for the lead in 'The Handmaiden', a psychological thriller where she played the cunning pickpocket Sook-hee. Her performance was a revelation—simultaneously innocent and shrewd, vulnerable and fierce—and it announced the arrival of a major new talent. She swiftly proved her range was no fluke, moving from the Joseon-era zombie horror of 'The Kingdom' to the gritty, socially conscious drama of '1987: When the Day Comes'. On television, she anchored the epic space opera 'Mr. Sunshine' with a poignant gravity, and later charmed audiences in the whimsical romance 'Twenty-Five Twenty-One'. Kim approaches each role with a meticulous, immersive intensity, often altering her physicality and speech patterns to disappear into characters that feel wholly lived-in. Her work has garnered major awards, but more importantly, it has established her as an actress whose choices are both unpredictable and deeply resonant.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Kim was born in 1990, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1990
#1 Movie
Home Alone
Best Picture
Dances with Wolves
#1 TV Show
Roseanne
Kim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1990Born
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1995Started school
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2003Became a teenager
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2006Could drive
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2008Could vote
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2011Turned 21
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2020Turned 30
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 36 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best New Actress for her debut film role in 'The Handmaiden' (2016).
- Received the Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Leading Actress for her role in 'Alienoid' (2022).
- Earned critical acclaim and high ratings for her lead role as Go Ae-shin in the historical drama series 'Mr. Sunshine'.
- Headlined the hit coming-of-age drama 'Twenty-Five Twenty-One', which became a major cultural phenomenon in South Korea.
Did You Know?
She was a member of her university's broadcasting club and hosted a campus radio show.
Kim is an avid reader and has cited novels as a major influence on her acting, particularly for developing her character in 'The Handmaiden'.
She performed nearly all of her own stunt work, including wire action sequences, for her role in 'Alienoid'.
Before acting, she worked part-time at the Seoul International Women's Film Festival.
“I choose roles that feel like a secret I shouldn't tell, a hidden room.”
