Jun Ji Hyun: The Star Who Will Play A Star In "Man From The Stars"

It has been 14 years since actress Jun Ji Hyun last appeared in a drama. After more than a decade of film roles, it may be seen as a surprising move but then the actress is known for her ability to reinvent herself. 

She will return to the small screen in the role of a film star for the drama "Man From The Stars."

While her acting career has seen many ups and downs, she has always been willing to try new challenges.

Her last drama role was in "Happy Together" in 1999. Although she made her film debut in the movie "White Valentine," it was a television commercial for a printer that made her a popular star. That led to more films and lots of commercial offers.

She then won the public's heart with her role as the quirky girlfriend in "My Sassy Girl." It was a huge hit in China, making her an international star, but then reviews for some subsequent films said her characters were too similar to the one she portrayed in "My Sassy Girl." And although it was a commercial that helped propel her to stardom, later on critics said that her overexposure in commercials was hurting her film career.

In 2006 she went to Hollywood. Under the name Gianna Jun, she appeared in the Hollywood film "Blood: The Last Vampire," which was filmed in China and Argentina, and then the English language film "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan."

She returned to Korean films and a few were forgettable. Their failure shook her confidence.

But then her role as a sexy burglar in the heist film "The Thieves" was a big hit and its box office success helped her regain her confidence.

Next, she played a translator married to a North Korean agent in the spy thriller "The Berlin File," which proved to be another big box office success. It was a small role but she wanted very much to work with director Ryu Seung Wan.

"I started to feel like acting is fun through 'The Berlin File,' she said.

And she earned the praise of the director that she so much wanted to work with. He complimented her on her action scenes and her North Korean dialect. She has not commented on what made her decide to return to the small screen but in a way the role of a film star is perfect for her. She plays movie star Chun Song Yi in "Man From The Stars." It's the story of an alien who lands on earth in the Joseon era and lives among humans for 400 years before falling in love with Chun Song Yi.  Kim Soo Hyun plays Do Min Joon, the alien who falls to earth.