Moon Chae-won
Moon Chae-won is a South Korean actress. Moon first attracted attention in her supporting role as a gisaeng in Painter of the Wind. She then starred in Brilliant Legacy, one of the top-rated Korean dramas of that year. Moon's career breakthrough came with leading roles in the television period drama The Princess' Man and the action blockbuster War of the Arrows ; both of which were critical and commercial hits. For her performance in the latter, Moon won Best New Actress at the Grand Bell Awards and the Blue Dragon Film Awards. Moon's other notable television series include the revenge melodrama The Innocent Man, the medical drama Good Doctor, and the thriller melodrama Flower of Evil.
Early life
Moon Chae-won was born in Jung District, Daegu, South Korea. When she was in sixth grade, her family moved to Seoul. She studied Western Painting at the Chugye University for the Arts but dropped out in 2006 to pursue acting.Career
2007–2010: Beginnings
Moon made her acting debut in 2007 in Mackerel Run, alongside fellow newcomer Lee Min-ho; they were among 60 actors who auditioned for the teen sitcom. Moon and Lee also appeared in the 2008 comedy film Our School's E.T..Her breakthrough came in 2008 period drama Painter of the Wind. In the adaptation of Lee Jung-myung's historical fiction novel, she played a beautiful gisaeng who falls for Shin Yun-bok, a female painter passing herself off as a man. Their onscreen chemistry and the homoerotic subtext of their characters' relationship was received positively, and the couple subsequently received the most votes in the Best Couple poll at the 2008 SBS Drama Awards. It was the first time in Korean drama history that two actresses won the Best Couple Award, despite the sexual conservatism of Korean network television.
Moon's further raised her profile with Brilliant Legacy, in which she played a privileged girl who alternately antagonizes and pities her stepsister. Brilliant Legacy became one of the top-rated Korean dramas of 2009, with a peak viewership rating of 47.1%. The success of the drama boosted Moon's popularity as an actress. Another supporting role followed in My Fair Lady, where she played an upbeat shoe designer who lives next door to her crush, a butler.
In October 2010, she signed with talent agency Barunson Entertainment. Afterwards, Moon landed her first leading role in It's Okay, Daddy's Girl, playing an immature daughter who transforms into a mature professional woman after a family tragedy.
2011: Breakthrough
In 2011, Moon was offered the sole female role in War of the Arrows, an action blockbuster set during the Second Manchu invasion of Korea. Along with her costars Park Hae-il and Ryu Seung-ryong, Moon underwent serious archery and horse-riding lessons. War of the Arrows eventually went on to become the highest grossing Korean film of 2011, with 7.48 million admissions. Moon was praised for her portrayal of a feminine yet feisty woman abducted by a foreign army on her wedding day, yet who isn't a typical damsel in distress and instead survives by her wits and sheer will. She later received Best New Actress recognition at the Grand Bell Awards and the Blue Dragon Film Awards for her performance.Moon returned to the small screen in the Joseon-era drama The Princess' Man, about a fictional forbidden romance between the daughter of Grand Prince Suyang and the son of Kim Chongsŏ, whose fathers were real-life political enemies. The Princess' Man was well-received critically and commercially, and though initially criticized for her acting, Moon won viewers over as the series went on, eventually winning a Top Excellence Award at the year-end KBS Drama Awards. She also received a Best Dressed nod from the Korea Lifestyle Awards for giving a boost to the hanbok fashion industry via her two period projects, and was named Honorary Prosecutor by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.
2012–present: Acclaim
In 2012, Moon starred in the Lee Kyung-hee-penned melodrama The Innocent Man opposite Song Joong-ki. She drew praise for her performance as a cold, cynical woman groomed to take over her father's conglomerate, who later reverts to helpless innocence after losing her memory. Ratings for The Innocent Man topped its timeslot during its run and led to Moon winning a Top Excellence Award at the KBS Drama Awards for the second year in a row.This was followed by the 2013 medical drama Good Doctor revolving around an autistic savant resident. To prepare for her role as pediatric surgeon, Moon met with real-life doctors in a hospital setting, familiarizing herself with medical terms and observing surgeries first-hand.
She next starred in Awaiting, a short film directed by Kang Je-gyu. Moon played a woman separated from her husband for sixty years by the division of North and South Korea. Awaiting was one of the four short films comprising Beautiful 2014, an omnibus project that premiered at the 38th Hong Kong International Film Festival.
Moon returned to the big screen in a 2015 romantic comedy directed by Park Jin-pyo, which reunited her with previous Brilliant Legacy costar Lee Seung-gi. In Love Forecast, she played a weather forecaster whose pretty face belies the glib-talking, hard-drinking personality underneath. The film passed the break-even point with 1.89 million viewers 3 weeks after being released and Moon won the Producer's Choice Award at Bucheon International Film Festival. She then starred opposite Yoo Yeon-seok in Mood of the Day, in which they play two strangers who meet on the KTX and spend 24 hours together in the unfamiliar city of Busan.
Moon then took on the leading female role in MBC's thriller Goodbye Mr. Black in 2016, her first television series in three years. The same year, Moon left her former agency MS Team Entertainment and signed with Namoo Actors.
In 2017, Moon was cast in the Korean adaption of the American crime drama Criminal Minds. The same year, Moon was cast in the period film Feng Shui, the third installment of the "divining art trilogy" by Han Jae-rim.
In 2018, Moon starred in the romantic fantasy drama Tale of Fairy.
In 2020, Moon was cast in the thriller melodrama Flower of Evil, reuniting with Criminal Minds co-star Lee Joon-gi.
In 2021, Moon joined the cast of the comedy film No Kids alongside Kwon Sang-woo. Later in November 2021, Moon signed with YNK Entertainment after the expiration of her contract with the original agency. In December 2021, Moon participated in Korea's first audio drama Floor with Lee Je-hoon and Jeong Jun-ha.
In 2023, Moon made her return to the small screen with the SBS drama Payback: Money and Power, her return to terrestrial television in seven years since 2016. Later in the year in April, Moon made a special appearance in the SBS drama Taxi Driver 2.
In March 2025, Moon signed with new agency Blitzway Studios.
Ambassadorship
In January 2012, Moon was appointed as an honorary prosecutor by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office for building social reputation and trust with the public, alongside Lee Min-ho.Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Music video appearances
Discography
Singles
Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | |
| APAN Star Awards | 2012 | Excellence Award, Actress | The Innocent Man | Nomitated | |
| APAN Star Awards | 2013 | Excellence Award, Actress | Good Doctor | Nomitated | |
| APAN Star Awards | 2021 | KT Seezn Star Award | Flower of Evil | Nomitated | |
| APAN Star Awards | 2021 | Popularity Award, Actress | Flower of Evil | Nomitated | |
| APAN Star Awards | 2023 | Excellence Award, Actress | Payback: Money and Power | Nomitated | |
| Asia Artist Awards | 2020 | Popularity Award, Actress | Flower of Evil | Nomitated | |
| Asian Jewelry Awards | 2011 | Diamond Award, Actress category | Moon Chae-won | Won | |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2009 | Best New Actress – Television | Painter of the Wind | Nomitated | |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2012 | Best Actress – Television | The Princess' Man | Nomitated | |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2011 | Best New Actress | War of the Arrows | Won | |
| Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival | 2015 | Producers' Choice Award | Love Forecast | Won | |
| Consumer Rights Day KCA Culture and Entertainment Awards | 2023 | Actor of the Year - Drama | Payback: Money and Power | Won | |
| Grand Bell Awards | 2011 | Best New Actress | War of the Arrows | Won | |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2009 | Best New Actress | My Fair Lady | Nomitated | |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2011 | Best Couple Award | Moon Chae-won with Park Si-hoo The Princess' Man | Won | |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2011 | Popularity Award, Actress | The Princess' Man | Won | |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2011 | Top Excellence Award, Actress | The Princess' Man | Won | |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2011 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama | The Princess' Man | Nomitated | |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2012 | Best Couple Award | Moon Chae-won with Song Joong-ki The Innocent Man | Won | |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2012 | Netizen's Award | The Innocent Man | Won | |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2012 | Top Excellence Award, Actress | The Innocent Man | Won | |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2012 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama | The Innocent Man | Nomitated | |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2013 | Best Couple Award | Moon Chae-won with Joo Won Good Doctor | Won | |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2013 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama | Good Doctor | Won | |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2013 | Popularity Award, Actress | Good Doctor | Won | |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2013 | Top Excellence Award, Actress | Good Doctor | Nomitated | |
| Korea Best Dressed Swan Awards | 2011 | Best Dressed, TV Actress category | Moon Chae-won | Won | |
| Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards | 2008 | Best New Actress | Painter of the Wind | Won | |
| Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards | 2011 | Excellence Award, Actress | War of the Arrows | Won | |
| Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards | 2011 | Top Excellence Award, Actress | The Princess' Man | Won | |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2013 | Top Excellence Award, Actress | Good Doctor | Nomitated | |
| Korea Lifestyle Awards | 2011 | Best Dressed of the Year | Moon Chae-won | Won | |
| MBC Drama Awards | 2016 | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Goodbye Mr. Black | Nomitated | |
| Monte-Carlo Television Festival | 2013 | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | The Princess' Man | Nomitated | |
| SBS Drama Awards | 2008 | Best Couple Award | Moon Chae-won with Moon Geun-young Painter of the Wind | Won | |
| SBS Drama Awards | 2008 | New Star Award | Painter of the Wind | Won | |
| SBS Drama Awards | 2010 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Special Planning Drama | It's Okay, Daddy's Girl | Nomitated | |
| SBS Drama Awards | 2023 | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries-Action / Genre Drama | Payback: Money and Power | Won | |
| The Seoul Awards | 2018 | Popularity Award, Actress | Fengshui | Nomitated |