Pressure of leading 'My Name' all alone was most challenging: South Korean star Han So-hee

South Korean star Han So-hee is not new to playing grey roles courtesy hit dramas like ''The World of the Married'' and ''Abyss'', but the actor says the responsibility of shouldering an action noir like ''My Name'' came with its own set of challenges.

Han underwent intense physical training to portray her character as a revenge-driven woman convincingly in the series, which is being touted as a massive turnaround for the actor.

''I think the pressure of having to lead the show all alone was the most challenging part. And it was my first time doing heavy physical action scenes, so I felt some pressure and fear,'' Han told PTI in a Zoom interview with the help of an interpreter from Seoul.

The Netflix series is directed by Kim Jin-Min of ''Extracurricular'' fame and written by Kim Ba-da.

In the series, Han plays Yoon Ji-woo, a young woman whose sole purpose in life is to avenge her father's murder. To catch the killer, she puts her trust in Choi Moo-jin, a powerful crime boss played by Park Hee-soon, under whose direction she infiltrates the anti-drug police unit.

The 26-year-old actor described the character of Ji-woo as ''a woman of few words'' whose personality is shown through her actions.

''She throws herself entirely into revenge and gets all beaten up along the way, but she always stays determined to achieve her goal, all of which I found fascinating about her,'' she added.

''My Name'' will be the actor's second project this year following the massive popularity of her college romance series ''Nevertheless'' in which she played the soft-spoken and heartbroken sculpture student Yoo Na-bi who starts an uncertain romance with her junior Park Jae-eon (Song Kang), a philanderer who hides his true feelings.

Han initially starred in shows like the slow-burn revenge drama ''Money Flower'', the period drama ''100 Days My Prince'' and played a con-woman who suffered child abuse and is in search of her mother in ''Abyss''.

But it was her role as the young mistress in the superhit series ''The World of the Married'' (2020) alongside Kim Hee-ae and Park Hae-joon that gained her prominence.

The actor, who prepped rigorously for her stunts at an action school for two-three months and even gained 10kg for the role, said ''My Name'' is a series with ''the most realistic action''.

In a global press conference recently, she revealed that she referred to Charlize Theron's films ''Atomic Blonde'' and ''The Old Guard'' for the action sequences in ''My Name''.

Her co-star Park said the audience must look forward to the show as it is an action noir series ''led solely by one of the most popular actresses in their 20s in Korea''.

In ''My Name'', the 51-year-old actor plays Choi Moo-jin, the leader of the country's biggest drug cartel Dongcheon who runs a hotel as his legitimate business. After his friend-cartel colleague and Ji-woo's father is killed, he takes her under his wing to help her get revenge.

Park said the equation between Moo-jin and Ji-woo undergoes a lot of changes, which he hopes the viewers will enjoy watching over the course of the eight-part series.

''From Moo-jin's point of view, Ji-woo is a daughter of his friend at first, and then, she becomes a member of his drug ring, and (finally when) she goes undercover as a cop. In each step of the way, his psychology and inner feelings for Ji-woo changes,'' the actor, known for films like ''Seven Days'', ''VIP'', and series ''The Missing'', said.

''My Name'' also features ''Itaewon Class'' breakout star Ahn Bo-hyun, ''Kingdom'' actor Kim Sang-ho, ''The World of the Married'' actor Lee Hak-joo and Chang Yull. The Netflix series will premiere on October 15.

''My Name'' will also have its world premiere at the 26th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in the inaugural 'On Screen' section on Thursday, where three of the eight episodes of the series will be screened.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)