Go Ah-sung is a South Korean actress. She began her career as a child actress, notably in ''
The Host''. Her other notable works include ''
Snowpiercer
''Snowpiercer'' () is a 2013 Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic science fiction action film based on the French climate fiction graphic novel ''Le Transperceneige'' by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette ...
'' (2013), ''
Samjin Company English Class
''Samjin Company English Class'' () is a 2020 South Korean comedy-drama film written and directed by Lee Jong-pil, starring Go Ah-sung, Esom and Park Hye-su. It was released on October 21, 2020.
Plot
In 1995, three female employees at Samjin Co ...
'' (2020), as well as the
TV drama
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-ge ...
s ''
Master of Study
''Master of Study'' () is a South Korean television series that aired on KBS2 from January 4 to February 23, 2010 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 16 episodes. It starred Kim Su-ro, Bae Doona, Oh Yoon-ah, Yoo Seung-ho, Go Ah-sung, Lee Hyu ...
'' (2010) and ''
Heard It Through the Grapevine'' (2015).
Career
Go Ah-sung was four years old when she appeared in her first commercial, and she joined the 2002
stage musical
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...
''
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...
'' when she was ten. At thirteen, Go began her acting career in the
KBS children's program ''Oolla Boolla Blue-jjang'' (2004).
Having worked together in the
MBC omnibus drama ''
Beating Heart'' (2005), actress
Bae Doona recommended Go to director
Bong Joon-ho
Bong Joon-ho (, ; Hanja: 奉俊昊; born September 14, 1969) is a South Korean film director, producer and screenwriter. The recipient of four Academy Awards, his filmography is characterised by emphasis on social themes, genre-mixing, black h ...
when he was casting for his much-anticipated monster film. After an extensive audition process, Go made her film debut in 2006 with a starring role in ''
The Host''. Bong praised her work, saying that she "showed really mature acting for her age, and that's one of her defining charms as an actress." Go was also applauded by film critics, with
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter (born March 25, 1946, Kansas City, Missouri) is an American novelist, essayist, and film critic.
Life and career
Hunter was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in Evanston, Illinois. His father was Charles Francis Hunter, ...
of ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' complimenting her "exquisite performance," and Megan Ratner of the ''
Bright Lights Film Journal
''Bright Lights Film Journal'' is an online popular-academic film magazine, based in Oakland, California, United States. It is edited and published by Gary Morris.
Originally a print publication established in 1974, it was discontinued in 1980 to ...
'' noting her "unforced naturalness, reminiscent not only of
Ana Torrent
Ana Torrent Bertrán de Lis (born 12 July 1966) is a Spanish film actress.
Early life and career
Her debut came in 1973 with the starring role as "Ana" in the film ''El espíritu de la colmena'' (''The Spirit of the Beehive''), directed by V ...
but of ''
Zazie
Isabelle Marie Anne de Truchis de Varennes (born 18 April 1964), better known by her stage name Zazie, is a French singer-songwriter and former fashion model. Her greatest hits include " Je suis un homme", " À ma place" and "Speed". She co-produ ...
s
Catherine Demongeot
Catherine Demongeot (born 16 May 1950, in Paris) is a French former child actress. Her debut role was Zazie in '' Zazie in the Metro'' (1960); this was followed by only a few more films. According to an interview with Vincent Malle (film producer ...
." Go received several acting nominations, and won Best New Actress at the 2006
Blue Dragon Film Awards
The Blue Dragon Film Awards () is an annual awards ceremony that is presented by ''Sports Chosun'' (a sister brand of the ''Chosun Ilbo'') for excellence in film in South Korea.
The Blue Dragon Film Awards considers only blockbusters and popula ...
.
She continued her film career with supporting roles in ''
The Happy Life
''The Happy Life'' () is a 2007 South Korean film directed by Lee Joon-ik. The film sold 1,263,835 tickets nationwide .
Synopsis
Sang-woo, the leader of college rock band Active Volcano, dies and sets up a reunion for Gi-yeong and the other m ...
'' (2007), ''
Radio Dayz
''Radio Dayz'' () is a 2008 South Korean romantic comedy film written and directed by Ha Ki-ho.
Cast
* Kim Sa-rang as radio announcer and jazz singer, Mari
*Ryoo Seung-bum as Producer Lloyd
*Lee Jong-hyuk as K
*Hwang Bo-ra as Myung-wol
*Oh J ...
'' (2008), and ''
A Brand New Life'' (2009). In 2010, Go appeared in the high school series ''
Master of Study
''Master of Study'' () is a South Korean television series that aired on KBS2 from January 4 to February 23, 2010 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 16 episodes. It starred Kim Su-ro, Bae Doona, Oh Yoon-ah, Yoo Seung-ho, Go Ah-sung, Lee Hyu ...
'', a
Korean drama
Korean dramas (; RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea.
They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, partially due to the spread of Korean popular cultu ...
adaptation of the Japanese
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
''
Dragon Zakura
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Norifusa Mita. Serialized in ''Weekly Morning'' from 2003 to 2007, it was released into 21 ''tankōbon'' by Kodansha between October 22, 2003, and August 23, 2007. It was adapted into l ...
''. It scored the highest ratings in its timeslot during its run.
Go starred in her first leading role in ''Duet'' (2012), an
indie
Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Gaming
*Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies
*Indie game, any game (board ...
romance about an aspiring Korean singer on a tour of England and the British guy she meets who shares her interests in music, photography and travel.
In 2013, she reunited with ''The Host'' costar
Song Kang-ho
Song Kang-ho (born January 17, 1967) is a South Korean actor. Song made his film debut in ''The Day a Pig Fell into the Well'' (1996), and came to national prominence with a series of critically acclaimed performances, including ''No. 3'' (1997) ...
in the blockbuster sci-fi thriller ''
Snowpiercer
''Snowpiercer'' () is a 2013 Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic science fiction action film based on the French climate fiction graphic novel ''Le Transperceneige'' by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette ...
'', Bong Joon-ho's first English-language film. Go next appeared opposite
Kim Hee-ae
Kim Hee-ae (born April 23, 1967) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading roles in Korean dramas such as ''Sons and Daughters'' (1992), ''Perfect Love'' (2003), ''My Husband's Woman'' (2007), ''How Long I've Kissed'' (2012), ...
in ''
Thread of Lies
''Thread of Lies'' (; lit. ''Elegant Lies'') is a 2014 South Korean film based on the 2009 bestselling novel ''Elegant Lies'' by Kim Ryeo-ryeong. Directed by Lee Han, it starred Kim Hee-ae (in her first film in 21 years), Go Ah-sung, Kim Yoo-jung ...
'' (2014), a film adaptation of
Kim Ryeo-ryeong's novel ''Elegant Lies'' about a willful girl seeking the truth behind her sister's suicide.
Go signed with an American agency,
Untitled Entertainment in 2014. She returned to television in 2015 with ''
Heard It Through the Grapevine'', a
black comedy
Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...
about the chaos an unplanned teenage pregnancy causes in a wealthy, powerful family. Go then headlined the mystery thriller ''
Office
An office is a space where an Organization, organization's employees perform Business administration, administrative Work (human activity), work in order to support and realize objects and Goals, plans, action theory, goals of the organizati ...
'', which made its world premiere in the Midnight Screenings section at
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...
; she won Best Actress at
Fancine for her role as an intern who becomes a person of interest in a murder investigation.
In 2016, she featured in an episode of the Japanese television series, ''Midnight Diner''. She then starred in war drama ''A Melody to Remember''. The film won the audience award at the 18th Far East Film Festival.
In 2017, Go challenges her first
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...
in the
MBC's drama ''
Radiant Office
''Radiant Office'' () is a 2017 South Korean television series starring Go Ah-sung and Ha Seok-jin. The series is written by a rookie screenwriter who won the 2016 MBC TV Drama Screenplay Competition in Miniseries category. It aired on MBC from ...
'', as a twentysomething woman who, after a suicide attempt and possible terminally-ill diagnosis, thinks she has nothing to lose and tackles her job and life with new perspectives.
In 2018, Go was cast in the
South Korean adaptation of the U.K series ''
Life on Mars
The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date, no proof of past or present life has been found on Mars. Cumulative evidence suggests that during the ...
'', as the sole female detective of the team. In 2019, Go returned to the big screen with historical film ''
A Resistance
''A Resistance'' is a 2019 South Korean historical drama film directed by Cho Min-ho, starring Go Ah-sung, Kim Sae-byuk, Kim Ye-eun, Jeong Ha-dam and Ryu Kyung-soo.
Summary
Yu Gwan Sun was imprisoned in Seodaemun Prison since March 1, 1919. ...
''.
Go led the 2020 critically-acclaimed and box office success
dramedy
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
film ''
Samjin Company English Class
''Samjin Company English Class'' () is a 2020 South Korean comedy-drama film written and directed by Lee Jong-pil, starring Go Ah-sung, Esom and Park Hye-su. It was released on October 21, 2020.
Plot
In 1995, three female employees at Samjin Co ...
'', the winner of Best Film at the
57th Baeksang Arts Awards
The 57th Baeksang Arts Awards () ceremony, organised by ''Ilgan Sports'' and JTBC Plus, was held on May 13, 2021, at Korea International Exhibition Center, KINTEX, Ilsanseo-gu, Gyeonggi Province, beginning at 9:00 p.m. Time in South Korea, KST. ...
. She acted as an employee who mastered daily office works but accidentally discovered the company's water pollution leakage.
In 2022, Go returned to TV series with the role of a tax investigator in the MBC and Wavve's financial thriller ''
Tracer''.
Other activities
Go enjoys traveling alone and taking pictures. She became interested in photography through friend and frequent costar
Bae Doona. Go's photographs were exhibited at the 5th annual Seoul Open Art Fair in 2010, alongside artwork by
Ha Jung-woo
Kim Sung-hoon (born March 11, 1978), better known as Ha Jung-woo (), is a South Korean actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. One of the highest grossing actors in South Korea, Ha's starring films have accumulated more than 100 mil ...
and photos by
Uhm Tae-woong
Uhm Tae-woong (born April 5, 1974) is a South Korean actor. He made his acting debut in 1998, but initially struggled to emerge from under the shadow of his older sister, popular singer-actress Uhm Jung-hwa. After several years of small roles an ...
.
Another of her interests is music. She did her own singing for the film ''Duet'', and has performed live on stage at Mudaeruk in
Hongdae.
Go majored in Psychology at
Sungkyunkwan University
Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU or simply ''Seongdae'', Hangul: 성균관대학교; Hanja: 成均館大學校) is a private comprehensive research university in South Korea. The institution traces its origins to the historic Sungkyunkwan, founde ...
.
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Discography
Singles
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Go Ah-sungat
KeyEast
KeyEast (; stylized as KEYEAST) is a management agency founded by actor Bae Yong-joon.
History
* October 8, 1996 – Tuneboom Korea Co., Ltd. (한국툰붐 주식회사) was established.
* November 2003 – Tuneboom Korea was listed at KOSDAQ.
...
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Go, Ah-sung
Living people
South Korean film actresses
South Korean television actresses
21st-century South Korean actresses
Actresses from Seoul
South Korean child actresses
Sungkyunkwan University alumni
Best New Actress Paeksang Arts Award (television) winners
Year of birth missing (living people)