Cha Chung-hwa (Korean: 차청화; born April 28, 1980) is a South Korean character actress active in theater, film, and television. She was nominated for a Baeksang Arts Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Court Lady Choi in the tvN historical drama Mr. Queen (2020–2021). She is also known for her roles in Crash Landing on You (2019), Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021), and the film Train to Busan (2016).
Early Life and Education
Cha was born on April 28, 1980, in Suwon, South Korea, and raised in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province. She graduated from the Department of Theatre at Sangmyung University.
Career
Cha debuted on stage in 2005 in the musical Backstreet Story in Daehak-ro. She began her film career in 2010 with a minor role in Harmony. Her television debut came in 2016 with a supporting role in the MBC drama Shopping King Louie.
Her breakthrough came with the 2019 tvN series Crash Landing on You, where she played Yang Ok-geum. In 2020–2021, she gained widespread recognition for her role as Court Lady Choi in Mr. Queen, earning a Baeksang Arts Award nomination. She subsequently appeared in numerous television series including Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021), Dr. Park's Clinic (2022), Why Her (2022), Kokdu: Season of Deity (2023), and My Demon (2023).
Personal Life
Cha married a businessman in a private ceremony in Seoul on October 27, 2023. She gave birth to a daughter later in 2024.
Awards
- MBC Drama Awards (2023): Best Supporting Actress for Kokdu: Season of Deity (Won)
- Baeksang Arts Awards (2021): Best Supporting Actress – Television for Mr. Queen (Nominated)
- MBC Drama Awards (2021): Best Supporting Actress for On the Verge of Insanity (Nominated)
- SBS Drama Awards (2025): Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Humanity/Fantasy Drama for The Haunted Palace (Won)
