“I believe this award will be a great source of strength for my acting. I will become an actor who thinks and contemplates more, but does not hesitate.” These were the bold and confident words of actor Kim Do-yeon, formerly of I.O.I, after winning the Best New Actress trophy at the Blue Dragon Film Awards last November. Now, just six months later, she is heading to the Cannes Film Festival.
Kim Do-yeon’s lead role in ‘Dora’ has been invited to the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, which opens on the 12th. This marks the first Korean film invitation in three years since director Hong Sang-soo’s ‘Our Day’ in 2023. ‘Dora’ tells the story of a family who leaves Seoul for a summer beach villa, where Dora, who suffers from an unknown illness, discovers love for the first time, causing everything to slowly shift. The film is the third feature by director Jung Ju-ri, known for ‘Do-hee’ and ‘Next Sohee’, and stars Kim Do-yeon alongside Sakura Ando, a three-time Japan Academy Film Prize winner for Best Actress.
The Cannes Film Festival marks Kim Do-yeon’s first step onto the global stage as an actor. Julien Lège, the head of Directors’ Fortnight, previously praised ‘Dora’, stating, “Young Dora, who gathers with family and friends for a summer break, becomes the person who triggers all the passion in this small world.”
Fans can expect to see a whole new side of Kim Do-yeon in this project. She is garnering attention for expanding her acting spectrum by challenging herself with deeper emotional acting, moving beyond the youthful image she has shown so far. With the prestigious invitation to Cannes, all eyes are on her performance in ‘Dora’, which will be unveiled at the world premiere.
Her growth has been rapid. Kim Do-yeon won the Best New Actress award at the 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards for her role in ‘Ameba Girls and School Ghost Stories: School Anniversary’. She managed to snag a once-in-a-lifetime rookie award with her very first screen debut. Her fresh energy, stable acting, and ability to embody characters have made her a “blue chip” of Chungmuro and a rising next-generation actor.
It is a successful expansion of her career. Kim Do-yeon first became known to the public through Mnet’s ‘Produce 101’ Season 1 in 2016. She received immense love as a member of the project group I.O.I and later re-debuted as a member of Wiki Wiki. Praised for her stunning visuals, long limbs, and model-like aura, she proved her talent and popularity as an idol. However, after Wiki Wiki disbanded, Kim Do-yeon chose studying abroad over immediate new activities. Even though it was a time when she could have capitalized on her fame, she left for London.
It was all to study acting. Appearing on MBC FM4U’s ‘Perfect Day with Lee Sang-soon’, Kim Do-yeon revealed, “I went to London for two months to attend an acting school,” adding, “I naturally did some acting during my idol activities and loved it, which is why I decided to go to school.” Perhaps that is why, despite her idol roots, she is now being evaluated as an actor in her own right rather than just an “idol-turned-actor.” Her strong fundamentals, stable acting, and natural expressions are cited as her strengths. Her commitment to steadily building her filmography rather than relying on hype is also credited for her current growth.
With the upcoming 10th-anniversary reunion of I.O.I, her reach is expected to expand even further. She is expected to create synergy by solidifying her position as an actor while simultaneously engaging in the group activities that first made her a household name. She is effectively expanding her presence as an entertainer, moving between the different stages of acting and singing.
This is why all eyes are on Kim Do-yeon. Instead of relying on simple name recognition, she is proving her potential through deep contemplation, effort, and consistent work. From the Blue Dragon Film Awards’ Best New Actress to the Cannes Film Festival, Kim Do-yeon is establishing herself as a next-generation actor, building her career at her own pace.
