‘My Name’ actress Han So-hee cherishes worldwide attention

“I felt the most pleasure in my acting career while acting for this role. ‘That’s not like her,’ is the most satisfying comment I’ve heard,” said Han So-hee, a leading actor in the Netflix original series “My Name,” in a video interview on Wednesday. Ever since it made debut this past Friday, the new Korean drama has already landed at No. 4 on Netflix’s TV shows as of Oct. 17. With the rising popularity of the show, people worldwide are keeping an eye on its heroine.

“It’s really surprising,” said Han when asked how she feels about the focus on the show and herself. “I think ‘Squid Game’ provided a window of opportunity for Korean dramas to attract global audience,” Han said. “Unlike other movies that depict undercover agents, such as ‘Infernal Affairs,’ ‘My Name’ depicts a female undercover agent as the heroine of the movie, and I think that’s why the drama is gaining immense popularity.”

Han is applauded for her performance in the drama, which is likened to that of a martial arts athlete. Han’s role in “My Name” is truly a volte-face from the character as a mistress named Yeo Da-kyung in “The World of the Married,” a TV series through which the actress first left a strong impression with the public. Critics say that Han So-hee’s acting career will be completely transformed starting from “My Name.” Describing herself as a person who is really bad at sports, the actress said that “My Name” marked a turning point — an opportunity for her to give a mission and test herself to the utmost. “It’s thrilling to watch how people react when they see a new me,” said Han. “My acquaintances said that I ‘fought and punched well’ in the drama.”

“I was not really nervous when shooting the drama, because I really worked hard on action scenes,” said Han. “I thought it was important not to get agitated when shooting fight scenes. I am immersed in what interests me, and thankfully the scenes captured such personality traits of mine. It would be really nice if ‘My Name’ could show what I can do.”

There were both big and small accidents as every episode in the series had fighting scenes. “If the drama films season 2, I may meet my end; I may have to show supernatural powers,” Han humorously said.

Although Han successfully acted out the role that required her to act highly complicated and delicately choreographed fight scenes, many people still focus more on her gorgeous face. The actress described her outward appearance as an “empty shell.”


Hyo-Ju Son hjson@donga.com