12 Things About Korean Actress And "Start-Up" Star Bae Suzy

She's not only a talented actress-singer, she's also one of the most sought-after brand endorsers and one of the most followed Korean actresses on Instagram

Grace Libero-Cruz

October 17, 2020, 04:10 AM

Korean actress Bae Suzy is starring in the new K-Drama Start-Up, opposite actor Nam Joo-hyuk. The series premieres on Netflix today, October 17.

Last year, she starred in the well-loved action series Vagabond, wherein she played the role of a National Intelligence Service agent. With this new project, viewers will see a different side of Bae Suzy yet again. Her character Seo Dal-mi is expected to serve inspiration as a hardworking, goal-oriented young lady, who dreams of becoming Korea's Steve Jobs.

Bae Suzy's decade-long entertainment career has given her several opportunities to grow with every character she portrays—from a high school student (Dream High), to a reckless girl head over heels in love with a guy (Big), to a martial arts instructor (Gu Family Book), to a documentary producer (Uncontrollably Fond), to a pansori singer (The Sound of a Flower), to a journalist (While You Were Sleeping), to a pregnant wife (Ashfall)! Her evolution, growth, and maturity as an actress can be seen and felt in her choices of roles.

Her level of artistry and passion for acting was especially recognized in the 2019 film Ashfall; despite her character not having a lot of scenes, she took on the role because she felt strongly about it. She said, "I had a lot of fun while reading the scenario, so I really wanted to take part in the film... Ji Young’s screen time may be short, but I don’t particularly focus on the screentime when selecting a project. There’s always a different charm in doing genres I’ve never done before."

In new K-Drama "Start-Up," Bae Suzy plays Seo Dal-mi who dreams of becoming Korea’s Steve Jobs. | Photo courtesy of Netflix

Check out the gallery below to know more about Bae Suzy:

Get to Know Actress Bae Suzy

By Metro.StyleDecember 09 2022, 8:02 AM

1. She's a K-Pop star-turned-actress.

She debuted in 2010 as the youngest member of South Korean girl group Miss A under JYP Entertainment. Prior to that, she was actually a finalist in Mnet's "Superstar K" talent show in 2009, but she got eliminated. Despite that, it was what led to her being discovered by a JYP Entertainment scout. The training to become a K-Pop idol is arduous and usually takes a lot of time, but perhaps when one is born to become a star, things just naturally happens faster than one would expect. That was exactly the case for Bae Suzy as she made her debut just about 10 months after she was discovered.

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2. She just turned 26 years old.

She celebrated her birthday last October 10. That makes her a Libra. Libra women are known to be to be cool, intelligent, charming, and organized. Hey, the fact that Libra is ruled by Venus that's associated with beauty doesn't come as a surprise, too; Bae Suzy, after all, is one of the most beautiful Korean actresses today.

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3. She studied in School of Performing Arts Seoul.

She's one of the school's notable alums. Many K-Pop idols attended this school as well, including BTS' Jungkook, BLACKPINK's Jisoo, EXO's Kai and Sehun, Girl's Day's Hyeri, April's Lee Na-eun, NCT's Taeyong, and Apink's Son Na-eun.

Photo Credit: @skuukzky

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4. She was dubbed the "Nation's First Love."

This nickname is usually given to those up-and-coming Korean actresses who wow not just with their natural, innocent-looking, fresh-faced beauty but also their promising talent in acting. Bae Suzy got this nickname sometime in 2012, when she starred in the movie "Architecture 101," a role that earned her awards and nominations. In the past, other top Korean actresses who were given that nickname were Jun Ji-hyun and Son Ye-jin.

Photo Credit: @skuukzky

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5. She's a good host.

At this year's 56th Baeksang Arts Awards, Bae Suzy looked stunning in her ivory Grecian-esque Dior gown. She shone onstage as the host of the prestigious award ceremony, a stint she's been doing for five consecutive years. When she was just starting out, hosting has always been a huge part of her career, beginning with her stint on MBC's "Show! Music Core." She's been a go-to host for music shows and major award ceremonies since.

Photo Credit: @skuukzky

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6. She was known as a "CF Queen."

CF stands for "commercial film." This title is given to those Korean stars with a long list of endorsements. And Bae Suzy is one of those K-Pop idols/actresses who's been a favorite of advertisers. Through the years, she has endorsed anything from clothing and cosmetics to food and beverage, to technology-related offerings. She represented brands like Beanpole, The Face Shop, Domino's Pizza, and Canon. She currently endorses Guess, K2, Lancôme, and Dashing Diva, and is a muse for Dior.

Photo Credit: @skuukzky

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7. She loves singing and acting equally.

While her focus in the past couple of years has been on acting, it's hard for her to say that she favors it over singing. Music will always be a part of her. Following the disbandment of Miss A in 2017, she debuted as a solo artist. She so far has two albums under her belt: 2017's "Yes? No?" and 2018's "Faces of Love." In an interview with TenAsia, she was asked whether she misses being a singer and if she's one of those singers-turned-actresses who prefer to stick to acting. She replied, "No, it’s not like that for me at all. I actually want to release an album now. When I watch music programs while shooting dramas, I think to myself ‘Why am I here?’ and when I’m active as a singer, I want to act."

Photo Credit: @skuukzky

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8. She'll never get tired of hearing people say she's pretty.

Bae Suzy is, no doubt, stunning. But what's even more attractive about her is her charming self-deprecating humor. She was once asked on SBS' "Han Bam" TV show what it feels like to have a gorgeous face like hers. She candidly said, "Ummm... It feels quite good." In another interview with TenAsia, she admitted that she doesn't get tired of hearing people say she's pretty. She said, "I love it. It’s a word that I never get sick of and makes me happy."

Photo Credit: The Face Shop

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9. She got "scolded a lot" when she first ventured into acting.

In an interview with "Elle Korea," she revealed that she was "scolded a lot" by the director of K-Drama "Dream High," her first foray into acting. This is why she considers this project as one of her most memorable experiences. "My acting skills were lacking, so I was really not satisfied, but it turned out to be an important opportunity in my life to make me who I am today. It was the most interesting as well as the hardest project I’ve ever done in my life," she said.

Photo Credit: K2

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10. She's the first female Korean artist to have a Madame Tussauds wax figure.

Her Madame Tussauds wax figure, which shows her in a white halter and pleated mini dress, was unveiled in September 2016 in Hong Kong. It reportedly took seven hours to get her body's measurements. At the time, she was starring in the K-Drama "Uncontrollably Fond" with Kim Woo-bin. In a Soompi article, she said, "As the first Korean female artist to be invited to Madame Tussauds, it’s such an honor."

Photo Credit: Dashing Diva

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11. She likes to "interview" her friends when they're drunk.

It seems she has a part of her Nam Hong-joo character (as a journalist in "While You Were Sleeping") in her real-life persona, as she's apparently fond of "interviewing" her friends, and it's so funny how she prefers to do that. In a "Ceci" magazine interview, she revealed, "When I drink with my friends, I turn on a recorder and interview them. When they listen to it again when we're sober, they say things they didn't know they would say or use words they don't know, which surprises them. Sometimes they even forget what they said completely. I want to do that sort of interview. When a person's drunk, I think you see a bit more of what they're actually like. I think it'd be fun to write articles and headlines with what people say honestly with the help of alcohol."

Photo Credit: Kerasys

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12. She wants a boyfriend who's like a friend.

When it comes to her idea of a perfect boyfriend, Bae Suzy hopes to meet someone she can rely on and be completely comfortable with. Of her ideal type of guy, she told TenAsia, "Someone that’s like a friend. Someone that I can tell everything to. My ideal guy would be someone I could date comfortably, not someone I have to be lovey-dovey and mushy with." She was romantically linked to Korean actors Lee Min-ho and Lee Dong-wook.

Photo Credit: Dashing Diva

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