Na O-mi (Korean: 나오미; born 29 May 1951), born Jeong Yeong-il (정영일), is a South Korean actress. In her three years active as a film actress, she starred in more than 10 films, debuting in Lovers' Classroom, directed by Shin Seong-il.[4]
Biography
Na O-mi was born Jeong Yeong-il on 29 May 1951, in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, South Korea. She attended primary and middle school in the city but moved to Seoul in high school.[5] Her stage name, Na O-mi, was inspired by the song "I Dream of Naomi" by Hedva and David.[5][6]
Na's career started when she came second place in the Miss Young International beauty pageant. Shin Seong-il, who was one of the pageant's judges, directed her debut film Lovers' Classroom, which made her into a star.[7][8] Her planned second film role was in A Love Story alongside Sin Yeong-il [ko], who had also served as her partner in Lovers' Classroom; however, the burden of being the lead actress made Na quit a day into filming.[9] Afterwards, she starred in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, another Shin Seong-il film[5]—her role earned her Best New Actress at the Baeksang Arts Awards.[10]
In October 1973, Na moved to the United States.[8] At first, it was said that her stay was to visit her older sister, who lived in Washington, DC.[11][6] She married a businessman in March of the following year, with whom she had three children.[2] After the death of her husband in 1989, Na inherited his business,[2] but she returned to South Korea following the 1992 Los Angeles riots.[3] She came back to the entertainment industry the same year, starring in the morning drama Autumn Woman as a makeup artist.[3][12]
As of 2020, she is operating a tea house in Los Angeles.[13][4] In 2024, she was appointed to be a judge at the 2024 World Grand Prix Model Competition Korea Final.[4]
^The husband's name varies between sources: the initial report of her marriage made by the JoongAng Ilbo writes that her husband's name was Choi Jiyoung,[1] a Dong-A Ilbo article written in 1990 says that his name was Choi Myeong-hwan,[2] and an article in the magazine TV Times states that he was named Choi Myeong-gwang.[3]
^ ab대형스타 등장 미보라시대 열어. Korea Cosmetic Industry News (in Korean). 17 November 1994. Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.