Summary
I’m really disappointed that Kim Ji-won’s name is being left out of award contention forQueen of Tears, especially when she played a huge part in the show’s success.Queen of Tearsis one of themost exciting K-dramas of 2024and Kim Ji-won’s portrayal of the icy yet complicated chaebol heiress Hong Hae-in is one of the keys toQueen of Tears' success. Though Kim Ji-won isn’t the only person who deserves praise for their role inQueen of Tears, as the female lead of the K-drama,Kim Ji-won should be just as high on the list as her male co-star, Kim Soo-hyun.
Kim Ji-won’s career is full of many great performances, butQueen of Tearsis easily one ofKim Ji-won’s best K-dramasto date.Queen of Tearshas seen Kim Ji-won’s fame reach new heights as her participation inCrash Landing on You’s replacement K-dramamade her one of the most talked about actors of 2024. This one of the reasons why I’m so surprised Kim Ji-won is being left out of the conversation when it comes to awards, especially asQueen of Tears’ success was a joint effort.
Kim Ji-won’s Queen of Tears Character Makes Her 2013 Breakout Role Even Better
Ten years after her break-out role, Kim Ji-won’s performance as Hong Hae-in in Queen of Tears brings her career back to its beginnings.
Kim Soo-hyun Rightfully Received Several Award Nominations For Queen of Tears (But Kim Ji-won Has Only Received One)
Kim Soo-hyun’s Performance Was Just As Good As Kim Ji-won’s
Currently,Kim Soo-hyun has received four awards nominations for his role inQueen of Tears. If you regard the success ofQueen of Tearsso far and how many awards Kim Soo-hyun’s previous projects have awarded him, this isn’t many. However, it’s significantly more than others involved inQueen of Tears. One of these award nominations even included a coveted Baeksang Award, which is one of the most prestigious awards in South Korea. Though Kim Soo-hyun ultimately didn’t win in his category as Best Actor,his portrayal of Baek Hyun-woo inQueen of Tearsmade him a very worthy candidate.
Queen of Tears Awards (as of June 2024)
Kim Soo-hyun
Pending
The veteran actor has given many incredible performances throughout his career, butQueen of Tearsis one ofKim Soo-hyun’s best K-dramas. Kim Soo-hyun effortlessly balances different emotions, often in the same scene, and proves just how good he is at portraying despair as well as comedy. Along with this, Kim Soo-hyun makes Hyun-woo’s character progression seem smooth and natural, allowing us to root for Hae-in and Hyun-woo’s relationship from beginning to end.Kim Soo-hyun deserves the accolades he is being given, but it makes Kim Ji-won’s lack of nominations even more disappointing.
Compared to her co-star,Kim Ji-won has only one award nominationfor Outstanding Asian Star in the upcoming Seoul International Drama Awards. It’s great to see Kim Ji-won’s name start to creep up in the awards spotlight, especially as her category sees her go up against several outstanding actresses, including Kim Hye-yoon, Go Youn-jung, and Park Bo-young as well as actresses from all across Asia. However, her success should match that of Kim Soo-hyun’s as their performances were just as good as each other’s.
Why Kim Ji-won Deserves Just As Much Recognition As Kim Soo-hyun For Queen Of Tears
Queen Of Tears Could Not Succeed Without Either Of Them
One of the big reasons whyQueen of Tearswas so successful isHae-in and Hyun-woo’s relationship. Their K-drama romance is unconventional, as Hae-in and Hyun-woo go from a married couple that hates each other to a divorced couple that is inseparable. With so much focus on the ups and downs of their relationship, Hae-in and Hyun-woo’s chemistry had to be top-notch. Fortunately,Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won could not have been bettercastand delivered great individual performances that balanced each other perfectly.
Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won’s chemistry as a K-drama couple is off-the-charts and really drives home the emotional turbulence that surroundsQueen of Tears.Queen of Tears' storyline is far from realistic, yetKim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun’s natural portrayal of the married couple is completely engrossing. Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun deliver the tiny details of each scene with ease, and without them,Queen of Tears' romantic fantasy certainly would not have been so successful. Together, Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun are equally matched powerhouses, yet their individual performances are just as good.
Hae-in’s character development feels natural in an unnatural landscape, which is a testament to Kim Ji-won’s acting skills and makes her lack of recognition even more saddening.
Kim Soo-hyun’s Baek Hyun-woo is the foundation ofQueen of Tearswhile Kim Ji-won’s portrayal of Hong Hae-in is its driving force. At first glance, Hong Hae-in is just another CEO with an attitude problem. Yet,Kim Ji-won gives her performance a lot of nuanceto make up for Hae-in’s stoic exterior. Hae-in’s innermost thoughts can be read with the most minute of expressions and every action is calculated but natural. Hae-in’s character development feels natural in an unnatural landscape, which is a testament to Kim Ji-won’s acting skills and makes her lack of recognition even more upsetting.
12 Best K-Dramas Starring The Cast Of Queen Of Tears
The breakout K-drama, Queen of Tears, features an impressive cast of actors who have previously starred in other successful Korean TV series.
Is There Still A Chance For Kim Ji-won To Receive Recognition For Her Role?
There Could Be More Awards For Queen Of Tears In The Future
Though it’s frustrating that Kim Ji-won has not received any awards so far forQueen of Tears,there is certainly a chance for her to receive recognition in the next award cycle.Queen of Tearsaired at an awkward time. Most award shows were already over, or in the case of the Baeksang Awards, the eligibility period meant thatQueen of Tearsjust made the cut despite having only partially aired. This cut-off certainly hurt Kim Ji-won’s chances as the latter half of the series is where she really stood out.
Hopefully,Queen of Tearswill continue to build on the momentum it has gained from its time on air and recognize the efforts of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won equally.
This means that Kim Ji-won’s chances of award success are much higher with the upcoming awards season asQueen of Tearshas now aired in its entirety and really shown just how powerful Kim Ji-won’s presence can be. Hopefully,Queen of Tearswill continue to build on the momentum it has gained from its time on air and recognize the efforts of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won equally.Queen of Tearscould not have succeeded without both of these incredible actors andI hope there are more awards to come in both of their futures.
Queen Of Tears
Cast
Hong Hae-in, the heiress of the prestigious Queens Group, and her husband Baek Hyun-woo, known as the “supermarket prince,” navigate the complexities of their high-profile marriage. While Hae-in exudes a cold and calculating demeanor, Hyun-woo brings warmth and emotional depth to their relationship. Their union, celebrated as the “wedding of the century,” faces a monumental crisis that forces them to reassess their differences and rediscover the strength in their bond.
