Baek Ji-won (백지원; born April 30, 1973) is a South Korean actress. She graduated in Horticultural Science from Kyung Hee University. She made her acting debut in 1996 in play My father got cancer. She is known for her role in television series Once Again (2020), apart from that she appeared in film Solace (2007) and television series The Fiery Priest (2019) and Do You Like Brahms? (2020). She has appeared in television dramas Encounter (2018–19), Racket Boys (2021), Melancholia (2021).
Baek Ji-won grew up in an ordinary family with one brother and one sister, none of whom were artists. Despite being a quiet and diligent student, she found herself drawn to a friend at Ewha Girls' High School who exuded a unique and free-spirited vibe as a member of the drama club. Intrigued, she joined the drama club out of curiosity. However, her parents opposed her desire to major in drama in college, so she pursued horticulture instead. To satisfy her passion for acting, she continued to participate in the school drama club. After college, she joined the Yeonwoo Theater Company. Her debut performance was in 'My Dad Has Cancer' in 1996, which her father attended and saw her act for the first time.
Baek naturally expanded her field to movies and dramas without ever auditioning for them herself. She was always focused on her performances, and it was usually the production team that noticed her talent and cast her. In 2012, she gained recognition on TV with JTBC's How Long I've Kissed, directed by Ahn Pan-seok and written by Jeong Seong-ju. The casting director who saw Baek's performance recommended her for the role.
