“If you cannot endure criticism, you should give up being an actor… I always push myself to the edge.”
“Working hard is important, but I believe you must work well. I always push myself to think, ‘I’m the worst actor on this set,’ and drive myself to the edge of a cliff. I believe only by clinging on desperately can you grow.”
Han So-hee, who debuted in 2017 through the drama Reunited Worlds, gained widespread recognition with The World of the Married and later rose to global stardom through Netflix series My Name and Gyeongseong Creature. Recently, she met with reporters at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, to discuss her first commercial film as a lead actress, Project Y, and shared her candid thoughts.
Project Y tells the story of Mison (Han So-hee) and Dogyeong (Jeon Jong-seo), two women who dream of a different tomorrow in the middle of a glamorous city but find themselves at the edge of life as they steal black money and gold bars. Han So-hee delicately portrays Mison’s unstable inner world, heightening the film’s emotional immersion.
“I feel scared and nervous,” she said. “On the big screen, you can see even the tiniest tremor in my facial expressions. I worry whether my acting lived up to the audience’s expectations.” She added, “Project Y carries a rather heavy theme, so I’m curious how people will see it. My emotions are extremely complicated ahead of the release.”
The film has drawn great attention simply from the pairing of Han So-hee and Jeon Jong-seo, both regarded as “icons of the times.” In real life, the two are well-known close friends. Han So-hee explained, “I loved the raw, unfiltered face Jeon Jong-seo shows in her work. After watching the film The Call, I strongly felt her impact and potential.”
She continued, “When I was sensitive, Jong-seo was calm. When Jong-seo was sensitive, I was calm. We were able to comfort each other during difficult moments. Because we share the same profession, we can genuinely empathize with each other’s worries and even suggest solutions.”
She added honestly, “In a way, Jong-seo is my senior. I didn’t start acting through a formal training system, but she did. That made her even more admirable, and I felt I could learn a lot from her.”
Han So-hee recalled, “We first read the script of Project Y at Jong-seo’s house. It started with, ‘Let’s do this together.’ We were curious about what kind of synergy would come out if we acted together in one project. It was also her first time working with a peer actress of the same age, so we were both excited.”
She emphasized that making the friendship between Mison and Dogyeong convincing was her biggest challenge. “Just because people are friends doesn’t mean their personalities match 100 percent. We had to persuade the audience why these two are friends,” she said. “Dogyeong created tension and crisis, while Mison stubbornly pushed through it. We tried to make them look like complementary figures.”
She added, “Project Y delivers many messages, but if I had to choose one, it would be this: even if you have no one on your side in the world, having just one person who truly understands you may already mean you have lived a successful life. I hope people watch this film with their closest friends.”
The film also features powerful performances by Kim Shin-rok, Jung Young-joo, Kim Sung-cheol, Lee Jae-kyun, and Yoo-ah, whose short but impactful appearance stands out. Han So-hee said, “When I first watched the edited version, I felt that in this era, we no longer need to strictly define a single ‘protagonist.’ The ensemble created by each character was so harmonious. Without them, Mison and Dogyeong could not have existed.”
Known for her looks, fashion, and free-spirited charm, Han So-hee is often called an “icon of the times.” With such attention, however, also comes criticism and controversy. She said, “Receiving public attention itself is a blessing. Whether it’s praise or criticism, I consider it feedback I can hear up close. If you cannot endure that, then you should give up this job.”
Now in her ninth year since debut, she reflected, “The charm of being an actor lies in living someone else’s life. Meeting new characters and experiencing their lives is truly precious. I’m still lacking. I want to continue until I’m genuinely told that I’m good at acting.”
She added, “Sometimes I feel a sense of inferiority when working with great senior actors. I wonder what kind of talent they were born with. But they become my role models. There is no end to learning, and I want to keep growing.”
Regarding the rapidly changing media environment, she stressed once again, “In the end, it all comes down to skill. Working hard is important, but being good is more important. Actors must also have an irreplaceable charm, and that can only be supported by real ability.”
She revealed her upcoming project The Intern, a remake of the 2015 film. It tells the story of Sun-woo (Han So-hee), a passionate fashion company CEO, who hires Gi-ho (played by Choi Min-sik), a senior intern with rich life experience.
“Choi Min-sik is an unpredictable actor. No matter how prepared you are, he is always several steps ahead. He feels like an insurmountable mountain,” she said. “Watching his energy, I thought, if I can have even half of that vitality when I grow older, I would already be doing more than enough.”
She continued, “Acting is a kind of performance art that requires enormous energy. In the end, it comes from health. Watching him made me think more seriously about the importance of being healthy.”
In closing, Han So-hee said, “I’m never 100 percent satisfied with my work, but I have no regrets. When I look back on my filmography later, Project Y will definitely remain as a good memory.”
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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