his first film A Millionaire's First Love (written by internet novelist Guiyeoni). The film was a hit with the young audience. Hyun's next television project, The Snow Queen, although underperformed, earned him his first Best Actor nomination at Baeksang Arts Awards. 2008–2011: New career challenges and Secret Garden To expand his acting profile, Hyun started to choose more eclectic projects. In 2008, he acted in director Yoon Jong-chan's film I Am Happy, playing Man-soo, a man who suffers from mental illnesses. The film was selected to screen at the 13th Busan International Film Festival in 2008, but it was not released in theatres until late 2009. After The Snow Queen, Hyun returned to television with Worlds Within, which was well-received for Noh Hee-kyung's writing. He was praised for his nuanced acting in the drama series. In 2009, Hyun drew critical acclaim with his portrayal as a sociopath in the gangster saga Friend, Our Legend. To prepare for his role, he reportedly watched Kwak Kyung-taek's original film 20 to 30 times. In 2010, Hyun starred in Secret Garden, a romantic fantasy drama written by Kim Eun-sook. The drama recorded its highest viewership ratings of 35%, and gained enormous popularity both domestically and internationally for its fashion, catchphrases and music. His portrayal as Kim Joo-won created a "Hyun Bin Syndrome" as his name and face were plastered everywhere, from newspapers to television and the internet. Hyun was recognized at the 2010 SBS Drama Awards and the 47th Baeksang Arts Awards for his stellar performance. He also contributed to the soundtrack of the drama with "That Man", which peaked at number one in eight Korean music portals. In 2011, Hyun appeared in two films that were released back to back; Come Rain, Come Shine, a minimalist breakup indie directed by Lee Yoon-ki, and Late Autumn directed by Kim Tae-yong. Shot in Seattle, Late Autumn is an English-language remake of the 1966 Lee Man-hee classic, in which Hyun played a man on the run who falls in love with a woman who is on special leave from prison (Chinese actress Tang Wei). It became the highest grossing Korean film released in China to date, taking in more than over two weeks, which was unprecedented for a melodrama. He received a good review from The Hollywood Reporter which stated, "It is Hyun who impresses more for not underplaying the dandy, narcissistic side of his personality."