You might know her as wealthy housewife Mrs Park in the famous Bong Joon-ho black comedy-thriller Parasite, but did you know that Cho Yeo Jeong rose to fame from her roles in adult films? The 40-year-old has since taken on other roles while slowly and tenaciously building a diversified portfolio that includes numerous acting awards. Here’s a look at the life and career of the Korean actress.
Cho began her showbiz career in 1997 as a CéCi magazine cover girl, a now-defunct monthly publication that showcased Korean stars in beautiful fashion spreads. IU, Blackpink and Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon were also cover stars.
It wasn’t until 2010 with the lead role in The Servant that Cho found commercial success. The erotic period film was a tragic adaptation of a famous Korean folktale, The Story of Chunhyang, and Cho played an ambitious low caste Joseon woman. The role was reportedly rejected by many actresses due to the number of sex scenes, but it gave Cho the opportune boost she needed. Cho has also starred in another erotic period film The Concubine (2012) and sex comedy Casa Amor: Exclusive for Ladies (2015).
In an interview with Chosun Ilbo, Cho had stated that she had reservations going into Casa Amor: Exclusive for Ladies as it was a comedy, a genre she hadn’t delved into. Nevertheless, she gave it her best shot and was heartened to discover that she was able to make people laugh at a preview of the film.
With her success in Parasite and her past endeavours in other movies, you might be quick to pass Cho as a one-trick pony. However, the actress has proven her versatile acting chops and has played roles in TV series including I Need Romance (2011), Beautiful World (2019) and Woman of 9.9 Billion (2019).
The secret to her luminous, youthful skin? Cho credits Blancmuse, a Korean beauty label that harnesses the hydrating qualities of marine collagen.
At the end of 2013, Cho was caught in a contract dispute after she had signed a new contract with Bom Entertainment while her contract with Didim531 was still active. In the end, Cho signed with a new agency, Neos Entertainment in 2014 after the Korea Entertainment Management Agency advised her to avoid working with the former two.
Cho turned 40 on February 10, which makes her an Aquarius. In addition, she was born in 1981, which means she was born in the year of the Rooster. For those who believe in blood type personality, Cho is an AB.
Over the span of her over two-decade-long career, Cho has received many awards that testify to her outstanding acting abilities. The most recent of them include Best Actress for Parasite at the 40th Blue Dragon Film Awards and the 24th Chunsa Film Art Awards.