Jeon Do-yeon has emerged as a possible history-maker in the Oscar race, with The Hollywood Reporter naming her as a contender who could become the first Korean actor nominated for Best Actress for Lee Chang-dong’s “A Possible Love.”
Yonhap reported the development on October 26, citing The Hollywood Reporter’s October 25 report in the United States. The outlet said a nomination would be appropriate given her outstanding performance in the film.
In the film, Jeon plays Mi-ok, the wife of a laid-off worker. The Hollywood Reporter traced a career that began with advertising modelling in her twenties and has since spanned “The Contact,” “The Harmonium in My Memory,” “You Are My Sunshine,” “Secret Sunshine,” and “The Housemaid,” as well as the drama “Crash Course in Romance” and the stage play “The Cherry Orchard.” It noted that while Lee Byung-hun and Youn Yuh-jung have recently drawn Hollywood attention, Jeon has been relatively less visible in overseas productions.
The praise for her performance was unusually direct. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that it is hard to imagine anyone other than Jeon playing Mi-ok, describing her acting as lively and curious.
Director Lee Chang-dong acknowledged that it is rare and difficult for an actor in a non-English-language film to earn an Oscar nomination. He said, however, that proper recognition from the Academy would serve as visible evidence of both an actress’s achievement and the change the Academy is pursuing.
The Oscar talk is part of a wider wave of praise for the film itself. Yonhap reported that “A Possible Love” holds a 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, and that the site has included it on its predicted Best Picture list alongside “The Odyssey” and “Dune: Part Three,” tipping Jeon for Best Actress and the film for Best International Feature. The Los Angeles Times called the film a masterpiece and the best film of the year.
The buzz builds on an already strong awards-season run. “A Possible Love” won the Grand Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, and earlier in October it was named Best Picture at the 46th Korean Film Critics Awards, where Jeon also won Best Actress.
For now, the discussion remains prediction rather than nomination. Whether that early momentum carries through to the Academy’s official shortlists and nominations will be the next test.
