Kim Tae Hee in Beijing for Press Conference and Filming of Period C-drama Sage of Calligraphy

Like many famous A-list Korean stars before her, Kim Tae Hee is finally making the logical jump from small pond to huge pond with her decision to join the cast of the upcoming period C-drama Sage of Calligraphy Wang Xi Zhi (书圣王羲之). She’s well known already with the C-audiences since some of her K-dramas like Stairway to Heaven, Love Story in Harvard, and IRIS were all quite popular over there. Not to mention her tabloid ready real life relationship with fellow A-lister Rain, who is himself in China making a C-romance movie with Crystal Liu. I find it amusing that Kim Tae Hee and Crystal Liu have pretty much the exact same reputations in their respective countries, enviably all-natural gorgeous but can’t really act. I’ve watched both ladies and find Kim Tae Hee making bigger improvement strides in the last few years though Crystal is also getting better. In this drama, Kim Tae Hee will be playing the wife of the famed Sage of Calligraphy himself Wang Xi Zhi played by C-actor Wang Ren Jun. This won’t be a silly period idol fare and is billed as a big-budget serious period dramatization of the life of China’s most famous historical calligrapher who lived during the Jin dynasty and is considered the godfather of Chinese calligraphy. Kim Tae Hee was in Beijing this week attending the drama press conference and she expressed great excitement to join in such a sprawling production which will include production staff and actors from China, Korea, and Japan. The drama will also feature elements of Korean history during the same time period as Wang Xi Zhi including how his calligraphy spread to Baekje and Shilla. I’m thrilled she’s gotten such a high profile platform to keep shedding her reputation as a pretty flower vase, she’s already won my heart after My Princess and also won my respect for her improved acting in Jang Ok Jung, Live in Love. The drama films this Summer for a scheduled 2015 premiere.