Na Moon-hee (; Na Kyung-ja, ; November 30, 1941) is a South Korean actress. Since 1960, Na has had a prolific acting career in television and film spanning more than five decades. She established a classic Korean mother persona with her TV dramas Even if the Wind Blows, The Most Beautiful Goodbye in the World (written by Noh Hee-kyung), My Name is Kim Sam-soon, My Rosy Life, Goodbye Solo, Amnok River Flows (based on Der Yalu fließt), and It's Me, Grandma.
On the big screen, Na has received acclaim for her roles in Crying Fist, You Are My Sunshine, Cruel Winter Blues and I Can Speak. Her critically acclaimed film I Can Speak (2017) won her the Best Actress trophy in three prestigious award ceremonies: 54th Baeksang Arts Awards, 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards and 55th Grand Bell Awards — a feat that has yet to be repeated.
After a series of comic roles in sitcoms such as Unstoppable High Kick!, the veteran actress garnered newfound popularity and played the title character in big screen comedy Mission Possible: Kidnapping Granny K, followed by starring roles in Girl Scout, Harmony, Twilight Gangsters, and Miss Granny.
She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from MBC in 2010, and the prestigious Bo-gwan Order of Cultural Merit in 2012.
Early life Na Kyung-ja was born on November 30, 1941, in Beijing, China and grew up there until she was 5 years old. Her family came to Korea in the year of liberation, and once spent their childhood in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do. Her aunt is Na Hye-seok, the first female western painter in Korea, and her brother-in-law is actor Jeong Seung-ho.
Career In 1960, Na started her career onstage. In 1961, she debuted as a voice actor in the first public recruitment of MBC. Because of her longing for acting, she changed her job from a voice actor to a talent, and in 1976, she first appeared in a drama in Korea's first omnibus daily soap opera, High School Alumni. Afterwards, she played numerous roles in various works until the early 1990s, but she did not shine as an actor for a long time.
It was the KBS daily drama , which was broadcast in 1995, that imprinted the name Na on people. She took on the role of a resolute grandmother who spoke a North Korean dialect, and the North Korean dialect acting she learned from a North Korean woman living in the neighborhood was deeply embedded in the minds of Korean viewers. Her presence shined through in her play and she was honored at the KBS Drama Awards, the first trophy of her own acting life. Not only she, but also with the same work, she achieved the feat of sweeping the Popularity Award in the TV category at the 32nd Baeksang Arts Awards and the Female Talent Award at the 23rd Korea Broadcasting Prizes the following year.
Afterwards, she gained great popularity by transforming into an authoritative CEO in My Lovely Sam Soon (2005), a nasty mother-in-law in My Rosy Life (2005), and a dancing grandmother in (2006). She also acted in films, for her role in the 2005 film Crying Fist, for which she won the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 42nd Grand Bell Awards. She later won the 7th Female Filmmaker of the Year Award, the 4th Max Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress Award, the 1st Korea Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress Award, She swept trophies including Best Supporting Actress at the 28th Blue Dragon Film Awards.
In 2006, with the family sitcom Unstoppable High Kick, it was so popular that it would not be an exaggeration to say that 2007 was the year of Na and reached its second heyday. In particular, the so-called 'pumpkin sweet potato' anger scene was greatly loved by the younger generation, and is still used as a source of numerous parodies. Even after that, she played the role of Mrs. Kwon Sun-bun who controls the kidnappers in the movie (2007), played the role of Kim Moon-ok, the oldest inmate with a heartbreaking story in Harmony (2010), and traveled to Hawaii in (2010). She played the role of Kim Jung-ja, a bank robber who occupies a bank to raise money, and Oh Mal-soon, a swearing 70-year-old grandmother who boasts her son, in Miss Granny (2014), which drew attention with 8.65 million viewers nationwide.
In the 2016 drama Dear My Friends, she performed with veteran actors such as Kim Yeong-ok, Shin Goo, Kim Hye-ja, Go Doo-sim, Yoon Yeo-jeong, and Park Won-sook, and received favorable reviews for showing the life of an old age that draws sympathy from all generations and received a lot of love.
In the movie I Can Speak (2017), in which she co-starred with Lee Je-hoon, she took on the role of Ok-bun, who is called 'goblin grandmother' among the officials of the ward office due to frequent complaints to the ward office, and took on the historically sensitive subject of 'comfort women'. was praised for excellent expression in Na's own way. At the end of the year, she swept the 'Best Actress Award' at major awards ceremonies such as The Seoul Awards, Korean Film Critics Association Awards, and Blue Dragon Film Awards, and she was re-evaluated as the best actress of 2017.
She is considered one of the 'national actors' and 'national mothers' actress loved by Korea both in name and reality, and as a representative role model for actresses.
Personal life Na is married and has three daughters.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes/1998The Quiet Family Mrs. Kang 2000Just Do It! Cameo2002My Beautiful Girl, Mari Nam-woo's grandmother VoiceSaving My Hubby 2003Please Teach Me English Moon-soo's mother 2004S Diary Ji-ni's mother Lovely Rivals Yeo Mi-ok's mother 2005Crying Fist Sang-hwan's grandma You Are My Sunshine Seok-jung's mother 2006Cruel Winter Blues Dae-Sik's mother 2007Voice of a Murderer Kyung-bae's mother CameoMay 18 Na Joo-daek Mission Possible: Kidnapping Granny K Kwon Soon-boon 2008Girl Scout Lee Yi-man 2010Harmony Kim Moon-ok Twilight Gangsters Kim Jung-ja 2014Miss Granny Oh Mal-soon 2017I Can Speak Na Ok-boon 2018 Love+Sling Gui-bo's mother 2019A Little PrincessMal-soon2020 Honest Candidate Kim Ok-hee PawnSeungi, grandmother (special appearance)2022 My Perfect Roommate Geum-bun Hero Cho Maria 2024 Picnic Go Eun-sim
Television series Year English Korean Network Role Note1969Weird Kid 이상한 아이 MBC 1970Waterwheel 물레방아 1973In-laws 시댁 1975Hello 안녕 One's Way Home 귀로 1976–1977 여고 동창생 Bong Ran-yi 1977 별 하나 나 하나 Children's drama 특파원 001 Children's dramaArirang Oh! 아리랑 아! Full-time wife 빨간 능금이 열릴때까지I Regret 후회합니다In-sook 1978The Master 주인X Search Party X 수색대 Children's drama 1979 하얀 민들레엄마, 아빠 좋아 안국동 아씨 1980 전원일기 Multiple roles A minor role 백년손님 1981 장희빈 Queen Myeongseong Big dramasHello 안녕하세요 1982Market People 시장 사람들Can't Forget 못 잊어 1983 저 별은 나의 별 1984–1985Love and Truth 사랑과 진실 Mrs. President 1985The Seaside Village 갯마을 1986First Love 첫사랑Raw Hand 생인손 Yeon-ju The special play of the two-part 8.15 1987Firebird 불새Life Story 인생화보 1988Three Women 세 여인 1989Making Memories 추억 만들기Miscarriage 유산 Mrs.Oh Second Republic 제2공화국 Kwon Chan -ju 1990 당추동 사람들 KBS2Two Diaries 두 권의 일기 MBC Principal teacher 별난가족 별난학교 Children's dramaMy Mother 나의 어머니 1991Another's Happiness 또 하나의 행복City People 도시인 1993 걸어서 하늘까지 Yeon-su MoHope 희망 KBS2Dear Guitars 친애하는 기타 여러분 SBS suwondaegMBC Best Theater:"Sundal, Byeong-gu and Okju-yang" MBC 베스트극장: 순달씨와 병구씨와 옥주양 MBC Ms. oh One-act play 한지붕 세가족An aunt 1994 서울의 달 Grandma of the owner's house in Dal-dong 1995New Year's Special Drama:"Relationship is"인연이란 KBS2 Mrs. So One-act playChangsha Special Drama:"Chanshangdanja" 창사특집극 - 찬품단자 MBC choegosang-gung One-act play1995–1996Even if the Wind Blows 바람은 불어도 KBS1 grandmother 1996MBC Best Theatre:"Mom and the Gardenia" MBC 베스트극장: 엄마와 치자꽃 MBCHa Yi-sun One-act playThief 도둑 SBS The priest's sister-in-lawMom's Flag 엄마의 깃발 Jeongsuk MoOpen Your Heart 가슴을 열어라 MBC Ha Yi-sunThe Most Beautiful Goodbye 세상에서 가장 아름다운 이별 Mama One-act play1996–1997 임꺽정 SBS 봉단 모 1997Brothers 형제 KBS1 병천댁 One-act playBecause I Love You 사랑하니까 SBS 장모The Reason I Live 내가 사는 이유 MBC Kim Sook-ja 1998As We Live Our Lives 살다보면 KBS1 Lee Gan-nanThree Men and Three Women 남자 셋 여자 셋 MBC Kim Yong-Rim's high school alumni Special appearanceRomance 로맨스SBS강 여사 1999 House Above the Waves 파도위의 집Beautiful Secret 아름다운 비밀 KBS2 유민 모 One-act playLast War 마지막 전쟁 MBCDid We Really Love? 우리가 정말 사랑했을까 Sin Sin-ja You Don't Know My Mind 남의 속도 모르고 Na Do-ja 2000Mr. Duke 신 귀공자Mom and Sister 엄마야 누나야 서씨 2001MBC Best Theater:"My Fiancee's Story" MBC 베스트극장: 내 약혼녀 이야기 One-act playTender Hearts 우리가 남인가요 KBS1 Ohbunhee2001–2002The Merchant상도2002The Woman 상도 MBC 임상옥 모, 한씨You Are My World 그 여자 사람잡네 SBS Bong SoonDrama City:"A Very Special Gift" 드라마시티: 아주 특별한 선물 KBS2 A grandmother One-act play2002–2003The Maengs' Golden Era 맹가네 전성시대 MBC 금자 모 2003While You Were Dreaming 그대 아직도 꿈꾸고 있는가 Mrs. Hwang2003–2004Apgujeong House 압구정 종갓집 SBS Na Moon-hee 2004Love is All Around 물꽃마을 사람들 MBC Shin Young-jaDog Bowl 설날특집극 - 개밥그릇 SBS OksoonPeople of the Water Flower Village 사랑을 할거야 MBC 윤 여사Changsa Special Drama:"We Become Water" 창사특집극: 우리가 물이 되어 Insoon2004–2005Precious Family 부모님전상서 KBS2 창수 모 2006My Lovely Sam Soon 내 이름은 김삼순 MBC Na Hyun-sookMy Rosy Life 장밋빛 인생 KBS2 Kang-tip-soon 2006Goodbye Solo 굿바이 솔로 Grandma MiyoungFamous Chil Princesses 소문난 칠공주 Namdal-guHigh Kick! 거침없이 하이킥! MBC Na Moon-hee 2007Several Questions That Make Us Happy 우리를 행복하게 하는 몇 가지 질문]] KBS2Woman of Matchless Beauty, Park Jung-geum 천하일색 박정금 Yoon Myung-jaWorlds Within 그들이 사는 세상 KBS2 GeomoAmnok River Flows 압록강은 흐른다 SBS Mireuk Mo2007–2008Kimcheed Radish Cubes 깍두기 MBC 나달래2008–2009My Precious You 내 사랑 금지옥엽 KBS2 Mrs. Song In-soon 2010Happiness in the Wind 바람불어 좋은 날 KBS1 나끝순MBC Best Theater:"It's Me, Grandma' MBC 일요 드라마 극장: 나야, 할머니 MBC Jiyoon's grandmother A one-act play 2011I Believe in Love 사랑을 믿어요 KBS2 차귀남 2011–2012 Padam Padam 빠담빠담... 그와 그녀의 심장박동소리 JTBC Yang Kang Chil Mo 2012 Five Fingers 다섯 손가락 SBS Minbanwol The Sons 아들녀석들 MBC Jung Jung-sook Mom is Acting Up 엄마가 뭐길래 Na Moon-hee 2013 Wang's Family 왕가네 식구들 KBS2 Ahn G-shim 2014 Glorious Day 기분 좋은 날 SBS Lee Sun-ok 2015 The Three Witches 마녀의 성 Cheon Geum-ok 2016 Dear My Friends 디어 마이 프렌즈 tvN Moon Jung-ah Father, I'll Take Care of You 아버님 제가 모실게요 MBC Hwang Mi-ok 2017 Rain or Shine 그냥 사랑하는 사이 JTBC Drug staker grandma 2021 Navillera 나빌레라 tvN Haenam Taxi Driver 모범택시 SBS I Am Home 아임홈 Hong Jeong-hee
Web series +Web series appearanceYearTitleRoleNotes English Korean 2025 When Life Gives You Tangerines 폭싹 속았수다 Grandma Netflix Series
Television shows Year Title Role Notes 2022 Attack on Grandma Host The production is in full pre-air. Hot Singers Cast Member 2022–present One Round of the Neighborhood Narrator Season 2 Music videos Year Title Artist 2026 "Dear my crazy soulmate" IU
Theater +List of Stage Play(s)YearTitleRoleTheaterDateEnglishKorean1965Look Homeward, Angel천사여 고향을 돌아보라National Theater of Korea (Myeongdong)Nov 30–Dec 31992Family on the road길떠나는 가족 Batangol Small Theater in Seoul July 1–AugustGrand Theater of the Cultural Arts Center, HyundaiOctober 1 to 61996Mother어머니ThelmaGrand Theater of Dongsoong Art CenterMay 18 to June 231998Sinpaguk The Unfilial Man Cries 신파극 불효자는 웁니다Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul January 10 182008 'night, Mother잘자요, 엄마 ThelmaWonder Space Square TheaterNovember 2–292015잘자요 엄마Art One TheaterJuly 3–August 30
Accolades Awards and nominations