Song Ji-hyo

Before Song debuted as an actress, she was a model for Kiki Magazine. She chose "Song Ji-hyo" as her stage name because she was inspired by the two famous actors Song Seung-heon and Song Hye-kyo, both main protagonists of Autumn in My Heart. Song then appeared in the music videos of Lee Soo-young's "And I Love You" and JTL's "Just Say Goodbye".[2] She also made a cameo appearance in the television series Age of Innocence.

Song made her feature film debut in Wishing Stairs (2003), the third installment of the horror Whispering Corridors film series, after beating out 3000 actors in an audition.[3] Then she was nominated for the Best New Actress at the 24th Blue Dragon Film Awards for her performance in the film. She starred in the crime thriller Some (2004), where she played a reporter.[4]

Song made her television debut in the romantic comedy, Princess Hours (2006), where she played a ballet dancer who dreams to be a ballerina.[5][6] The series became hit across Asia, contributing to the Korean Wave. In the same year, she played the role of Lady Ye So-ya, the first wife of Jumong and the mother of King Yuri in the historical television series Jumong (2006).[7] The series was a commercial hit, receiving the highest viewership ratings of all the Korean dramas that aired in 2006. Song experienced a rise in popularity and was nominated for Best New Actress in the TV category at the 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards for her performance.[8]

The following year, Song starred as a swimming champion who has a painful past in the comedy film Sex Is Zero 2 (2007), the sequel to Sex Is Zero (2002) opposite Im Chang-jung.[9] She also co-hosted SBS' music show Inkigayo, with Heechul of Super Junior from 11 November 2007 to 4 May 2008.[10] Song then portrayed the role of Queen in Yoo Ha's film A Frozen Flower (2008), alongside Jo In-sung and Joo Jin-mo. The film became one of the highest-grossing films of 2008, and led to increased recognition for Song. She later commented about the film and her nude scenes, "When I decided to do this film, nudity was not the central issue. How much I expose is not important to me; I thought without that scene, it would be difficult to portray the subtle changes in emotion. What mattered to me at the time was working on my facial expressions apart from the posture that the director wanted me to convey".[11]

Song has been a member of the urban action variety show Running Man since 2010. She was requested to join by PD Kim Joo-hyung or also known as Myeok PD, whom she worked with while hosting Inkigayo. She appeared in the show as a guest from episode 2 to episode 5 then became a regular member in episode 6.[12]

Song at the Crime Squad press conference in 2011.

After her contract ended with Namoo Actors, Song signed with C-JeS Entertainment in early 2011 and appeared in Choo Chang-min's film Late Blossom (2011). The film is based on the comic I Love You by web cartoonist Kang Full.[13] She reunited with Jumong co-star Song Il-gook in the police procedural television series Crime Squad (2011) where she played a role as a reporter.[14] Later in the year, she starred in the historical television series Gyebaek (2011) as the Queen of King Uija.[15] In November, she was appointed as promotional ambassador for the Ministry of Education along with label-mates JYJ.[16] Song then co-starred alongside Kim Jae-joong of JYJ in the action comedy Code Name: Jackal (2012) where she played a clumsy assassin.[17][18]

The following year, Song participated in dubbing for the animated film Maritime Police Marco (2013) alongside fellow Running Man cast Lee Kwang-soo, and played a detective in Park Hoon-jung's crime film New World (2013).[19][20] She also starred opposite Lee Dong-wook as a royal nurse in the historical television series The Fugitive of Joseon (2013).[21]

Song took on the leading role in the medical romantic comedy television series Emergency Couple (2014) co-starring Choi Jin-hyuk,[22] playing a divorced medical intern who encounters her ex-husband of an ugly divorce at an emergency room.[23] Song also collaborated with NBA in a collaboration titled "NBA X Song Ji Hyo", which she released her own cap series called "CHO.2".[24] In 2015, Song starred in the romantic comedy series Ex-Girlfriends' Club opposite Byun Yo-han as a film producer.[25] She also featured and appeared in Taiwanese singer and actor Kenji Wu's music video "You Are So Cute".[26]

In 2016, Song was cast alongside Taiwanese actor Chen Bolin in the reality variety show We Are In Love, the Chinese version of We Got Married.[27] Song then starred in two Chinese films, the romantic drama 708090 opposite Kenji Wu and the action comedy Super Express.[28][29] She then made her small-screen comeback, starring in the remake of a Japanese television series Listen to Love co-starring Lee Sun-kyun.[30] In December, Song signed with the management agency, My Company, after ending her contract with C-JeS Entertainment.[31][32][33]

Song, 18 January 2017.

In 2017, Song co-hosted the beauty program Song Ji-hyo's Beauty View with Gong Myung.[34] She next starred in the web series 29gram[35] and acted in the one-act drama Chief B and the Love Letter co-starring Jo Woo-jin.[36] Song produced and launched her first own reality program I Am Jyo Unnie in December 2017.[37]

In 2018, Song starred in the romantic comedy film What a Man Wants alongside Lee Sung-min, Shin Ha-kyun, and Lee El.[38] She co-hosted another beauty program Song Ji Hyo's Beautiful Life [39] and a reality program Pajama Friends in which enjoys a 2 Days 1 Night hotel vacations. Song was also cast in the romance horror drama Lovely Horribly alongside Park Si-hoo, which premiered in August.[40][41] Song then starred in the action thriller film Unstoppable alongside Ma Dong-seok.[42]

In 2019, Song was cast in the mystery thriller film Intruder[lower-alpha 1] alongside Kim Mu-yeol.[43] In October, Song signed with Creative Group ING[44] after her contract with My Company ended in September.[45] In November, Song was cast as female lead of JTBC drama Was It Love? alongside Kim Min Joon, Son Ho Jun, Song Jong Ho and Koo Ja Sung, which premiered in July 2020.[46][47]

On February 2, 2021, Song was confirmed as the female lead for TVING upcoming drama Come to the Witch Restaurant which will premiered in 2021.[48]