Jang Young-nam (; born November 25, 1973) is a South Korean actress. She is skilled in both comedic and dramatic roles and easily transitions between different genres and mediums, including theater, television, and film. Her notable supporting film roles include A Werewolf Boy and Hello Ghost. In 2013, she took on her first leading film role in the crime thriller Azooma. Her performance in the film earned her the Best Actress Award from the Director's Guild at the 17th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).
Jang began her career in theater before moving to supporting roles in television and film. She was a member of the Korean theater troupe Mokhwa Repertory Company. She is also a member of "Jang Jin's Division" (장진사단), a term used to describe actors who frequently appear in the works of director Jang Jin. She was also an original cast member of the live sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live Korea.
Education Jang was born on November 25, 1973, in Seoul. During middle school, she decided to further her studies at , after being captivated by its distinctive orange school bus and student uniform. Despite her shy personality, she had been too shy to volunteer to read in class in middle school, after studying theater and film at Kaywon Arts High School, she discovered a passion for performing. She subsequently enrolled in the Department of Theater and Film at Seoul Institute of the Arts. As part of her graduation project, she participated in the musical West Side Story.
Career
Beginning Upon graduating from the Seoul Institute of the Arts, Jang Young-nam began her career in 1995 with the Mokhwa theater company in 1995, following a recommendation from her senior, Seong Ji-ru. Soon was cast as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet but was dismissed by CEO Oh Tae-seok three weeks before the performance for "inability to act." This incident caused her great distress and led her to leave the theater for 18 months to work as a clothing store clerk. She later said she deeply missed acting during this time, reflecting that "What I wanted to do most and what I was good at was theater," which ultimately led her back to Mokhwa.
Rise to Prominence in Theater In 2001, Jang received New Actress Award (Theater) in the 2001 Baeksang Arts Awards for her role as Kikko in Dressing Room. Her first collaboration with director Jang Jin was for the 2002 play Welcome to Dongmakgol. She subsequently took on major roles in other Jang Jin plays like Taxi Driver and appeared in notable productions such as Hwanand Ophelia.4 The same year, she was awarded the Dong-A Theater Award for Best Actress for her performance as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.
In 2005, Jang participated in the Berlin Asia-Pacific Week, performing in the play Princess Bari in Germany. She continued to appear in various productions, including Proof, The Seagull, and the Theater Company Alleyway unit's Gyeong-sook and Gyeong-sook's Father.
In 2007, she found success in the roles of Kyung-sook in play Kyung-sook, Kyung-sook's Father and Joo-hee in play My Mother's Mother. She appeared in various works, often in leading roles. By 2007, Jang had established herself as the most popular and highly regarded actress in the Daehakro theater scene. Her acting skills were widely praised, particularly for her intense portrayal of nine different roles in the one-person play Vagina Monologue.
Jang also became known as the "Hong Il-jeom" (the lone female star) of the "Jang Jin's Division" (장진사단) for her frequent appearances in director Jang Jin's works. In December 2007, Jang starred as the main character in Jang Jin's play, Clumsy People. The performance was part of Daehakro's largest theater festival, "Play," and helped pave the way for the later success of play Heart 2. After her first on-screen role in Jang Jin's 2004 film, A Woman I Know, she appeared in a series of his films, including Leave While Applause (2005), Holy Genealogy (2006), Son (2007), and Good Morning President (2009).
Continued Acclaim In 2008, Jang was cast as the female lead in the play Port (May 1–18), which was performed at the Seondol Theater in Daehakro. The play was directed by Park Geun-hyung, the CEO of Theater Company Alleyway and a highly respected director who won the inaugural Cha Beom-seok Play Award. Jang's performance led to numerous offers from the theater world, including a role in Agarwood (June 10–28), directed by Shim Jae-chan.
Personal life In December 2011, Jang married Lee Ho-ung, a theater director and university professor who is seven years her junior. The couple has a son, born in 2014.
Filmography
Film
+Film acting appearance Year Title RoleNotes 1997 Push! Push! 2003 Runaway Jung-sook Short film 2004 Someone Special Woman in accident 2005 Murder, Take One Yoo Jin-ju Love Is a Crazy Thing Eun-joo 2006 Righteous Ties Yang Yeo-il 2007 My Son Corrections officer Hansel and Gretel Soo-jung ("mother") 2009 My Girlfriend Is an Agent Team leader Hong Possessed Su-kyeong Goodbye Mom Editor Good Morning President President Cha Ji-wook's staff adviser 2 2010 Harmony Section chief Bang The Quiz Show Scandal Jang Pal-nyeo Finding Mr. Destiny Gi-joon's older sister Cameo Hello Ghost Crying ghost 2011 Pained Kye-jung Hindsight Culinary school instructor Mr. Idol Lee Mi-ri 2012 The Neighbor Ha Tae-seon A Werewolf Boy Sun-yi's mother 2013 Azooma Yoon Young-nam Friend: The Great Legacy Choi Sung-hoon's mother Cameo 2014 You Are My Vampire Nam-geol's mother Cameo Ode to My Father Deok-soo's mother 2015 The Classified File Eun-joo's aunt2016Remember You Kim Young-hee Love, Lies San-wol 2017RV: Resurrected Victims Seo Hee-jung Confidential Assignment Park So-yeon The King's Case Note Soo-bin Snowy Road Jong-boon's mother 2018 What a Man Wants Dam-deok The Negotiation Manager Han Miss Baek Jung Myeong-sook 2019 Innocent Witness Hyun-jung Metamorphosis Choe Myeong-Ju 2020 Night in Paradise Tae Goo's sister Cameo It premiered on Netflix in 2021. And So Again Today [Wife] {My Wife Got Fat} Short film My Wife Got Fat Wife Short film 2021 Seo Bok Dr. Im Se-eun TVING film2022 Confidential Assignment 2: International Park So-yeon Project Wolf Hunting Myeong-ju Hero Lady Kim Ah-ryeoSpecial appearance 2023 Cobweb Chairman Baek 4:00 PM Hyeon-suk2024 The Firefighters Do-sun 4:44 : Time Of Fear Jeong-ha Main lead
TV movies Year Title Role 2015 I'm After You Nam Kyung-hee
Television series
Year Title Role Notes 2003 MBC Best Theater:"Leaving Pippi Longstocking" one act-drama 2004 Span Drama:"The Last Day of My Life" 2006 Drama City:"The Stars Shine Brightly" Kim Yeon-yi one act-drama 2007 Dal-ja's Spring Uhm Ki-joong's wife Drama City:"Ssamdalg Misugi" one act-drama 2008 One Mom and Three Dads Noh Hee-sook Bitter Sweet Life Sung-sook Women in the Sun Lee Eun-bi, TV writer Love Marriage Chosun Police 2 Cho Seol Don't Cry My Love Oh Jung-rim 2009 Hero Jin Do-hee 2010 I Am Legend Oh Seung-hye Big Thing Wang Joong-ki, electoral specialist 2011 I Believe in Love Kim Eui-sook Cameo Vampire Prosecutor Yoon Ji-hee Cameo (episodes 4,8,11) Glory Jane Yeo Eun-joo 2012 Moon Embracing the Sun Shaman Ari Cameo (episode 1) I Love Lee Taly Oh Mi-ja Dr. Jin Noblewoman Jo Cameo (episodes 7–8) The King's Doctor Baek Kwang-hyun's mother Cameo (episode 1) The Birth of a Family Ma Jin-hee 2013 7th Grade Civil Servant Jang Young-soon Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love Court lady Cheon Goddess of Marriage Kwon Eun-hee 2014 Pinocchio Ki Ha-myung's mother 2015 Persevere, Goo Hae-ra Kang-soon Miss Mamma Mia Lee Mi-ryun Hogu's Love Pickpocket mom Cameo (episodes 2, 6) Snowy Road Choi Jong-boon's mother Flower of Queen Choi Hye-jin Glamorous Temptation Kang Il-ran 2016 Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo Coach Choi Sung-eun 2017 My Sassy Girl Gyun-woo's Mother The King in Love Princess Jeguk 2018 Lovely Horribly Kim Ok-hee The Smile Has Left Your Eyes Tak So-jung 2019 The Crowned Clown Queen Dowager Soseong My Country: The New Age Seo Seol 2020 Nobody Knows Jeong So-yeon Find Me in Your Memory Choi Hee-sang It's Okay to Not Be Okay Park Haeng-ja / Do Hui-jae2021 The Devil Judge Cha Kyung-hee The Veil Do Jin-sook KBS Drama Special:"F20" Goo Ae-ran 2022Cheer UpSung Chun-yang2023Crash Course in RomanceJang Seo-jinThe Heavenly IdolKing YeomraDelightfully DeceitfulSeo Gye-suk 2023–2024 Like Flowers in Sand Ma Jin-sook 2024Captivating the King Royal Queen Dowager Park Love Next Door Seo Hye-sook 2025 Our Unwritten Seoul Kim Ok-hee tvN X TVING Short Drama Curation 2025:"Housekeeper" Kwak Hyun-nam one act-drama 2026 Moon Hae-seon
Web series + Year Title Role Note 2019 IN SEOUL Song Young-ju2024 The Tyrant Madam Kwan Cameo (episode 1) 2026 The East Palace Queen Dowager
Variety shows Year TitleRole 2011 Saturday Night Live Korea Season 1 Cast member 2012 Saturday Night Live Korea Season 2
Theater