Possible Wasted Potential: When Kim Tae Hee Just Didn't Get Enough Villainous Roles

Kim Tae Hee may be 41 now but she's still looking good. Back then, I wasn't so keen nor was I quite a great fan of KDramas though I watched Forbidden Love and Love Story in Harvard harboring a stupid crush (and desire to marry) the actress back in college. Blink and you may miss that the role that launched her stardom wasn't a good girl role but a BAD GIRL ROLE as Han Yoo Ri in Stairway to Heaven. Yes, I'm really talking about her and I think I'm really bashing Glaiza De Castro (who played the Tagalog version of the character) for the wrong reasons. 

Just seeing Tae Hee in the villain role proves she CAN ACT. A year later, she and actress Lee Hui Hyang were reunited in Forbidden Love as nine-tailed foxes. Hui Hyang really pulled the right strings and so did Tae Hee -both can easily steal the show from the protagonists with their acting. I just can't help but be intimidated by Tae Hee's portrayal of a mean, overbearing wicked stepsister who would do ANYTHING to get what she wants. Just the fact she would even attempt murder accompanied by Tae Hee's vicious expression makes my blood run cold. 

After Tae Hee's impressive show-stealing performance - she was later placed into good girl roles. I wonder why haven't directors saw the potential in her as a villain actress? I'm not saying that she should be the villain in each and every KDrama. Rather, she should've had more villainous roles than just the role of the wicked stepsister. 

Just watching IRIS made me drool over her casino undercover scene. The whole outfit might be a tribute to Ursula Andress in the James Bond franchise. I really think she could've played the seductive bad girl next in a project. I guess the directors were probably aware how Tae Hee's character was very well-disliked in Stairway to Heaven. Unfortunately, she got stuck with doing only good girl roles after her launching career when she played the bad girl.

I think the potential was wasted several times over. There are even times I felt she has the beauty of Snow White's stepmother. I feel dressing her in black with strong facial expressions can make her play a beautiful but evil sorceress. I felt directors were getting too used with her good girl roles that they overlooked how she played a really despicable character so well. Then again, I felt that directors might've been afraid that casting her as the villain could steal the show away from the good guys - which I felt she did because of her good looks and acting ability!