Sharon Choi Is Not Just Bong Joon-ho's Translator—She's Also a Filmmaker

From Oprah Magazine

• Parasite made history last night at the Oscars, but part of the spotlight has been cast on Sharon Choi, the interpreter the cast and crew have relied on for interviews, red carpet appearances, and acceptance speeches.

• A 25-year-old Korean-American who is a filmmaker and aspiring director herself, Choi has gained her own share of fans online, after months of videos of her calm, thoughtful translations went viral on social media.

If you've been following Parasite's dominant presence during awards season—most recently winning four Oscars, including Best Picture—you might have noticed a woman unfailingly by the side of Parasite's director and cast. Her name is Sharon Choi, and she is their interpreter, translating for the Academy Award-winning director Bong Joon-ho and at times for the stars of the cast over the past several months.

According to The Guardian, Choi is a 25-year-old Korean American living in Seoul, South Korea and has been working with Joon-ho and the Parasite crew since May 2019, when the film opened at the Cannes Film Festival.

Although Joon-ho can speak English, it's clear he feels comfortable letting Choi translate for him even on the biggest stages. After months of standing by the director and cast in countless interviews and red carpet appearances as the South Korean movie swept award after award, the woman has won an outpouring of praise for her calm demeanor, her translating abilities, and her easy rapport.

As the South Korean film became a box office hit, grossing over $35 million domestically and $165 million worldwide—Choi's fandom has also grown online, with some even saying she should get an Academy Award herself, for translation.

Starting from the Cannes Film Festival—where Parasite won the Palme d'Or with a unanimous vote—to the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Academy Awards, and many interviews in between, videos of Choi communicating Joon-ho's message to an English-speaking audience have captured the hearts of social media users.

She translated for him as he taught Korean:

She was alongside the director as he made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon:

At the Golden Globes, Choi helped communicate Joon-ho's desire for more people to watch foreign language films:

And, of course, she was there at the Academy Awards as Parasite made history.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Joon-ho praised Choi saying, "She's perfect, and we all depend on her. She's also a great filmmaker." The 50-year-old director also highlighted her work, letting the world know that she was writing a script, and that he was "curious" to see what she had in store.

Great news for Choi, Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding has already volunteered to act in it.

Here's to seeing Sharon Choi return to the Oscars, not just as an interpreter, but as a director in her own right.

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