Han So-hee blazes vengeful path in action noir ‘My Name’

CEBU, Philippines —  Veteran South Korean actor Park Hee-soon essentially sums up the crux of Korean series “My Name” – another Netflix Original that’s coming on the heels of the unprecedented global hit “Squid Game” which the streamer announced yesterday as its most popular series launch to date.

“This series features the hottest actress in Korea today, Han So-hee. This is a series for So-hee and by So-hee,” said Park, who here plays a charismatic yet chilling cartel boss, during a virtual conference.

The crime thriller, streaming October 15th on Netflix, could indeed be the vehicle that catapults 26-year-old Han So-hee to a much wider audience after becoming a familiar face among Southeast Asian fans with the critically-acclaimed and record-breaking 2020 drama “The World of the Married”, the 2021 romance series “Nevertheless”,  and the 2017 romance drama “Money Flower.”

In “My Name”, Han So-hee’s Yoon Ji Woo joins an organized crime ring and becomes a mole in the police force to seek the truth behind her father’s death. She encounters harsh truths in the course of carrying out her revenge.

It’s a Han So-hee that viewers and fans haven’t seen before: gritty, scruffy, bloody, vengeful, and all-around badass.

The actress threw herself into preparing for the meaty role, including two months in action school, plus exercise and diet that helped her gain 10 kilograms of muscle.

“I asked her two questions: Do you want to do it or not? And are you going to practice?,” shared director Kim Jin-min (“Extracurricular”). “I told her that it will be a lot of responsibility and there is a chance she could get injured. I also told her that it could be a great opportunity for her.”

Han, who shyly shared that she can now do 30 sit-ups in one sitting and is currently into kickboxing, said that martial arts directors pointed her to Charlize Theron’s “Atomic Blonde” and “The Old Guard” which employed long-take action sequences.

“The biggest challenge regarding action was hurting others. If I didn’t practice enough, I could hurt others and I really didn’t want that, so I practiced a lot to finish the series safely,” she said.

Director Kim noted that they wrapped up filming without major injuries which he said shows how much effort they put into perfecting the choreography.

“I really wanted the action to be realistic and I emphasized this to the martial arts director. Because there is a lot of action, there needs to be some variety. All of the actors here besides Kim Sang-ho had action scenes with So-hee, and I didn’t want viewers to feel like they were seeing something for the second or third time. What I wanted to highlight was that it should be a realistic action since she’s an undercover cop,” he said.

Cast members paid Han compliments as they saw first-hand how she put in the work for such a physical, and possibly perilous part.

“I saw her training really hard and breaking a sweat. I was so impressed by that because she was so passionate,” offered Ahn Bo-hyun (“Itaewon Class”, “Her Private Life”, “Descendants of the Sun”) who also had to gain weight for his role as the ace of the police’s Drug Investigative Unit (DIU).

Kim Sang-ho (“Sweet Home”, “Kingdom”, “Bring It On, Ghost”) as Cha Giho, the DIU team leader and mastermind behind the strategies, didn’t have any action scenes. But seeing one long sequence of Han onscreen had him brimming with pride.

“It’s not just me doing it alone. I have to show good choreography with my partner. I think we were smiling a lot more than I had thought on set,” shared Han, who described their characters’ stunts as risky and desperate. “There were a lot of action scenes that involved batons. The baton I held was actually very soft since it was made out of rubber unlike a real baton.”

Park added that the action in “My Name” doesn’t rely much on wires or computer graphics, but were in fact “very emotionally charged.”

Director Kim credited their martial arts directors for making the actors feel comfortable and safe while filming.

“The cast and the actors could have gotten hurt, but because the amazing martial arts directors and stunt actors did so well, all of us were able to film without worrying too much about our safety. The public is well aware of how action sequences are made now. I feel very proud because our team did a lot more of the action than what you see in other projects,” he said.

Talking more about their roles, Han explained how Ji Woo witnessed her father’s death at a very young age, and thus felt she had no choice but to go on this vengeful path. “I feel for her, but at the same time, I admire her determination and the strength that she carries,” she said.

Park (“Beautiful World”, “Missing Noir M”, “All About My Romance”) as Mujin is the head of the Dongcheon cartel and a hotel CEO. When he meets his friend’s daughter who wants to avenge her father’s death, he accepts her and lets her join his cartel.

“When he trusts someone, he trusts them completely,” shared Park. “However, he has a chilling charisma in that he will not give anyone a second chance.”

He added, “Dark noir is very macho and a man’s world. When I read the script, I thought it was very original because the main character is female. All of those complex emotions that come from unfolding her story as well as the dynamic characters we see, I could feel the passion and heat in that story. Director Kim did an amazing job in directing ‘Extracurricular,’ so I had great trust in him.”

Lee Hak-ju (“The World of the Married, “Memories of the Alhambra”, “Sweet Munchies”) is Tae-ju, the right-hand man of Mujin. Said the actor, “He’s very loyal to his boss and he’s always standing by him. While my character is quiet, there were a lot of dynamic emotional changes I had to display.”

As for Jang Yull (“Stranger 2”, “Arthdal Chronicles”, “Secret Boutique”) – whom Park called the dark horse and hidden gem of the series – his Gangjae character is the youngest member of the Dongcheon cartel.

“He wants to be acknowledged by all of the members, and he has a strong aspiration to be the best. He wants to be like his older brothers. He never hides that aspiration, but he is a bit childish. I worked hard to lose weight to be more like Gangjae on the outside,” said the actor.

Director Kim in explaining his casting choices said, “With Hak-ju there’s a sense of mystery and there’s a dichotomy that comes from his outward appearance. There’s a sense of purity and also evil. That’s also how I felt about Yull. That sort of dance between good and evil is something that is needed for the character Gangjae. I found out later that they were around the same age, and it helped them become good friends.”

On why the series is a must-watch, Ahn Bo-hyun promised, “I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of action before, but this is a whole new level. It’s very fast-paced. You could miss a sequence with a blink of an eye.”