Shim Eun-kyung debuted as an actress at nine years old, appearing in the popular MBC sageuk Dae Jang Geum in 2003. A talented child star, she won Best Young Actress at the KBS Drama Awards for Hwang Jini in 2006 and Women in the Sun in 2008. In 2011, she appeared in the film Romantic Heaven, which earned her the Best Supporting Actress trophy at the 48th Grand Bell Awards. That same year, she starred in the hit comedy-drama film Sunny, which scored her a Best Actress nomination at the 48th Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2014, she led another blockbuster comedy-drama movie called Miss Granny, which gave her numerous acting citations including Best Actress at the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2019, she acted alongside Japanese actor Tori Matsuzaka in the drama film The Journalist, which took home Picture of the Year at the 43rd Japan Academy Film Prize. She also received the Japan Academy Film Prize Best Actress trophy, making her the first Korean to achieve such feat.

Shim Eun-kyung graduated from New York City’s Professional Children’s School.