Oh Na-ra (Korean: 오나라) is a South Korean actress. She began her career by joining the Seoul Performing Arts Company in 1996 and made her debut in the musical "Simcheong" the following year. She went on to star in various productions such as Bari, Annie Quang, All That Jazz, Broadway 42nd Streets, Empress Myeongseong, Love in the Rain, and Mamma Mia. Since 2004, she started play the main lead in the creative musicals I Love You. Followed by Finding Kim Jong-wook, Singles and Jomjom. Throughout her career, as musical actress, has received several accolades, including the Best New Actress Award at the 2006 Daegu International Musical Festival, the Best Actress Award at the 12th Korea Musical Awards in 2006, the Female Popularity Award at the 1st The Musical Awards in 2007, and the Popular Star Award at the 13th Korea Musical Awards in 2007.
Oh Na-ra born on October 26, 1974 in Seoul as oldest of two sibling. Oh graduated from Kaywon Arts High School [ko]. Oh chose ballet as her major because she wanted to perform on stage. She graduated from the Department of Dance at Kyung Hee University. Afterwards, she pursued a master's degree in musical theater at Dankook University's Graduate School of Culture and Arts.[2]
Career
Oh grew interested in musicals after watching one on TV during college and wondered if they were real. She approached Nam Gyeong-eup, a musical actor, and expressed her desire to appear in musicals. Oh helped out at the performance hall of the musical "Love in the Rain," doing tasks like cleaning and selling tickets. She also tried to make the cast happy.[3]
She joined the Seoul Performing Arts Company in 1996 and debuted with her musical "Simcheong" the following year.[4][5] Afterwards, she appeared in "Bari," "Annie Quang," "All That Jazz," "Broadway 42nd Street," "Empress Myeongseong," "Love in the Rain" and "Mamma Mia."[2]
In 2001, Oh joined the Japanese theater company "Four Seasons" despite being a newcomer in the musical world. Oh was first the Korean to be selected as a cast member. She auditioned and landed a role in the production "Contact." Although she couldn't speak Japanese, it was a dance-only production, so there were no major issues. However, she couldn't go on stage due to visa extension problems caused by the office staff's intentional actions. After eight months, Oh returned to Japan to appear in "Mamma Mia." Despite initially being cast as the main character, her Japanese skills weren't perfect, so she returned after two years as an ensemble member. It was a valuable experience, and she worked hard to prove herself and not let down Korean actors.[4][6]
Oh returned to Korea in 2004, where she joined the premiere of the creative musical "I Love You," "Singles" and "Finding Kim Jong-wook."[5] Oh appeared in "I Love You" more than 300 times and in Jang Yu-jeong's "Finding Kim Jong-wook" more than 100 times; she never took a break from performing.[7]
Oh received many awards in 2006. She first won Best New Actress for "I Love You" at the Daegu International Musical Festival. Also, on the 10th anniversary of her debut, she won Best Actress for "Finding Kim Jong-wook" at the 2006 Korean Musical Awards.[7]
In 2008, Oh made her television debut in a minor role in the SBS TV drama My Sweet Seoul [ko].[8] In 2009, Oh played the main character Maeng Shin-bi in the musical "Jeomjeom."[9] It was created by Crocodile Company and performed at Chungmu Art Hall.[10]
She has since appeared in dramas including Pretty Mom, Pretty Woman, Queen of Reversals, Miss Ahjumma, Yong-pal, Hyde Jekyll, Me, Flowers of the Prison, Man to Man and The Lady in Dignity.[2] Explaining her transition to screen acting, Oh called it a natural progression driven by her long-standing desire to act. She said, "I entered screen acting after turning 30. Vocal cords are perishable, and female actors in musicals showcase their best abilities quickly. As I'm not a musical actress who competes based on singing skills, I began to feel my limitations. While I truly enjoy acting, I pondered how to sustain it over the long run. Screen acting naturally became an avenue for me."[11]
Oh is also a former adjunct professor at the Department of Musical Arts of Baekseok University of Arts.[4]
Oh gained popularity and recognition for her distinctive performances in hit dramas such as Woman of 9.9 Billion, which aired in 2017, tvN's My Mister (2018) and JTBC's Sky Castle (2018-19) following nearly ten years of acting on screen. Even after the conclusion of these dramas, public interest in Oh continued to grow.[12] Oh Na-ra's supporting roles in the internationally aired Netflix dramas Racket Boys and Alchemy of Souls garnered her broader recognition.[13]
Oh appeared in Perhaps Love, a comedy-drama directed by Jo Eun-ji for Next Entertainment. The film revolves around a best-selling writer named Hyeon (Ryu Seung-ryong) in a slump for seven years. He works with his best friend Soon-mo (Kim Hee-won), the head of Sunmo Publishing Co. Hyeon meets aspiring author Yoo-jin (Mu Jin-sung), who changes his values.[14] Oh played Mi-ae, Hyeon's ex-wife.[13][15] It was released theatrically on November 17, 2021. In the box office as of December 16, 2021[update], it ranked 10th among domestic films released in 2021 in South Korea, with a gross of US$4.36 million from 514,260 tickets sold.[16]
Personal life
Oh Na-ra's family circumstances, which included her younger brother's mental disability and her father's business failure, had a significant impact on shaping her into a dedicated and hardworking actress.[7]
Oh has been in a long-term relationship with her partner, Kim Do-hoon, since her 20s. They entered a relationship in 2000 through the musical "Empress Myeongseong." Kim played a Japanese ronin and Oh a court lady. Kim, a former actor, teaches acting at a model academy and manages the wine bar West End in Seoul's Cheongdam-dong neighborhood.[7][11][17][18]
^Jeon Hyo-jin (May 2, 2019). "'극한직업' 류승룡, 코미디 '입술은 안돼요' 출연…오나라·김희원과 호흡 [공식]" ['Extreme Job' Ryu Seung-ryong to appear in comedy 'No Lips'... Breathing with Oh Nara and Kim Hee-won [Official]]. Sports Donga (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
^Kim Ji-won (October 6, 2021). "[공식] 류승룡 주연 '장르만 로맨스', 11월 개봉 확정" [[Official] Ryu Seung-ryong's 'Genre Romance' confirmed for release in November]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Retrieved October 6, 2021 – via Naver.
^Lee Min-ji (March 15, 2021). "라켓소년단' 김상경-오나라 출연확정, 배드민턴 아이돌 만든다(공식)" ['Racquet Boys' Kim Sang-kyung and Onara confirmed to appear, making badminton idols (official)]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
^Moon Ji-yeon (March 3, 2022). "[공식] 이재욱·정소민·황민현→유준상·오나라, 홍자매 '환혼' 만난다" [[Official] Jae-wook Lee, So-min Jeong, Min-hyun Hwang → Jun-sang Yoo, Nara Oh, Meet the Hong Sisters 'Welcome'] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Retrieved March 3, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim Da-eun (November 21, 2022). "박호산·오나라, 멜로 영화 촬영 중 갈등 ('연매살')" [Park Ho-san and Oh Na-ra, conflict during filming for a melodrama ('Yeonmaesal')]. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). Retrieved November 21, 2022 – via Naver.
^Jeong, Han-bi (November 26, 2023). '강남순' 이유미, 경찰 특채→옹성우와 결혼 약속...김정은, 최종보스 아키라와 대결 남겼다(종합) ['Gang Nam-soon' Lee Yoo-mi, special police officer → promises to marry Ong Seong-wu..Kim Jong-un left to face final boss Akira (comprehensive)] (in Korean). Herald POP. Retrieved November 26, 2023 – via Naver.
^Ha, Soo-jung (September 18, 2024). 신성록x오나라, 박신혜 복귀작 특별출연 "분량 상관없이 최선" [공식] [Shin Sung-rok x Oh Na-ra, special appearances on Park Shin-hye's return "Do your best regardless of the amount of screen time" [Official]] (in Korean). Osen. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024 – via Naver.
^Lee Jun-hyun (December 6, 2022). "전현무X오나라X홍진경X이찬원, 변호사 된다 ...'안방판사' 출격" [Jeon Hyun-moo X Oh Na-ra X Hong Jin-kyung X Lee Chan-won Become a Lawyer... 'Anbang Judge' sortie] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Retrieved December 6, 2022 – via Naver.
^Lee Kyung-ho (December 20, 2023). "'아파트404', 유재석→제니 역대급 조합..2024 상반기 첫방" [공식]" ['Apartment 404', Yoo Jae-seok → Jenny's greatest combination ever... First broadcast in the first half of 2024" [Official]]. Star News (in Korean). Retrieved December 20, 2023.
^Yeon Hwi-seon (February 17, 2022). "김지석·오나라, 'SNL 코리아' 시즌2 출격...'로코킹'·'천년줌' 뜬다 [공식]" [Ji-seok Kim and Nara Oh, 'SNL Korea' season 2 sortie... 'Roco King' and 'Thousand Years Zoom' appear [Official]] (in Korean). OSEN. Retrieved February 17, 2022 – via Naver.
^Hwang Ji-hyang (April 4, 2022). "SNL2' 13회 박하선' & 14회 오나라 호스트 확정" ['SNL2' Episode 13 Park Ha-sun' & Episode 14 Oh Nara Host Confirmed] (in Korean). Newsis. Retrieved April 4, 2022 – via Naver.
^"■ 2013 제2회 서울뮤지컬페스티벌 화려한 축제, 그 8일간의 기록 ■" [■ 2013 2nd Seoul Musical Festival Colourful Festival, the record of the 8 days ■]. 중구신문 (in Korean). August 14, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
^"공연예술 뮤지컬 심청". www.daarts.or.kr (in Korean). Retrieved May 8, 2024.
^"공연예술 뮤지컬 김삿갓" [Performing Arts Musical Kim Sa-gat]. www.daarts.or.kr (in Korean). Retrieved May 8, 2024.
^"공연예술 애니깽". www.daarts.or.kr (in Korean). Retrieved May 8, 2024.
^"공연예술 바리". www.daarts.or.kr (in Korean). Retrieved May 8, 2024.
^"박동하 '김종욱 찾기'로 4년만에 고국 무대" [Park Dong-ha's 'Finding Kim Jong-wook' for the first time in his home country in 4 years]. n.news.naver.com (in Korean). August 28, 2007. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
^"이율.조민아, 뮤지컬 '김종욱 찾기' 합류" [Lee Yul and Jo Min-ah join musical ‘Finding Kim Jong-wook’]. n.news.naver.com (in Korean). September 4, 2008. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
^Choi Yun-na (November 25, 2022). "'한산' 변요한X'장르만 로맨스' 오나라 男女조연상(43th 청룡영화상)" [Hansan' Byun Yo-han X 'Genre Man Romance' Oh Na-ra Best Supporting Actor (43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards)] (in Korean). Sports DongA. Retrieved November 25, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim, Jeong-jin (September 30, 2022). "'헤어질 결심', 춘사국제영화제서 감독상 등 3관" ['Decision to Leave' wins 3 awards including Best Director at Chunsa International Film Festival] (in Korean). k-odyssey. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
^Lee, Mi-ji (December 9, 2022). "[제58회대종상]'헤어질 결심' 작품상 포함 3관왕..박해일·염정아 남녀주연상(종합)" [[58th Grand Bell Awards] 'Decision to Break Up' 3 awards including best picture... Park Hae-il · Yeom Jeong-a Best Male and Female Leading Actor (overall)]. Herald POP (in Korean). Retrieved December 9, 2022 – via Naver.
^Jeong Hee-yeon (December 31, 2021). "곽시양-오나라 베스트 캐릭터상 [SBS 연기대상]" [Siyang Kwak and Nara Oh Nara Best Character Award [SBS Acting Awards]] (in Korean). Sports Donga. Retrieved January 2, 2022 – via Naver.
^"오나라, '상 받으러 왔어요~'[NC포토]" [Oh Na-ra, 'I'm here to get an award~' [NC Photo]]. 뉴스컬처 (NEWSCULTURE) (in Korean). May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2023.