The Korean actress talks about why she likes playing men
SINGAPORE — Many of us would kill to be Ha Ji-won. We’re not just talking about her flawless skin and flourishing career. Since her small-screen debut in 1996 in the teen drama Adults Don’t Know, the actress has romanced some of Korea’s most popular and eligible actors, including Hyun Bin and Lee Seung-gi, on screen. In her latest period drama Empress Ki, Ha plays a girl who is caught in the middle of a tussle between the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty and the King of Goryeo, played by Ji Chang-wook and Joo Jin-mo.
Yet, she says it actually took her some time to realise how lucky she was to be working with such good-looking men.
“To be honest, when I was young, I didn’t know that the actors I was working with were good-looking, until a lot of people around me told me that I was really lucky to be working with a lot of handsome actors,” the 36-year-old said during an interview to promote Empress Ki in Singapore. “But now, I definitely know (my onscreen partners) are good-looking!”
Even though she’s constantly surrounded by suave men, the Korean actress says it hasn’t affected her love life. “It’s definitely good to (be with) someone who is good-looking,” she said, thoughtfully.
“But in terms of my ideal type of men, it’s not the first thing I look out for, because I like guys who are humorous and fun to be with. That’s definitely the No 1 thing that I look out for in a partner. Looks are always second!”
Q: You played a man trapped in a woman’s body in the popular television drama Secret Garden. Now, you play a girl who pretends to be a man in the early episodes of Empress Ki. Have you wondered why you’re always cast as men?
A: I can’t be a man in real life, so the idea of playing a male character is really attractive to me. It’s really fun, and when I am on set, I tend to observe the men around me — the way they walk and the way they move their bodies. I must say it is a lot easier to play male characters, because I can be very comfortable. When I sit, I don’t have to close my legs all the time! (Laughs) All these things are little perks. So I wouldn’t mind, even if there are other roles that require me to play a man in the future. I love living in the fantasy of being a man.
Q: Your costume in Empress Ki looks really elaborate and heavy. Was it difficult to use the bathroom?
A: It was definitely not easy. I tried to eat and drink less, so I wouldn’t have to go to the bathroom so many times. (Laughs) It’s not just the costume, the hairpiece was also really, really heavy, so moving about was actually really difficult. Whenever I used the bathroom, two of my stylists would follow me in, carry my costume and wait for me while I (was inside).
Q: What would you do if you could be ruler of South Korea for a day?
A: It’s not easy to be someone who is in the highest position of power. In terms of politics, it’s really about the mind games that go on between different parties and having your stance in the midst of all the conflict. And having gone through that in the show, I know that it’s not an easy path at all. So if I were to imagine myself as the President of South Korea ... I am not sure what I would do!
Empress Ki airs on VV Drama (StarHub TV Ch 855) every Monday to Friday at 5.45pm. It is also screening on VV Drama On Demand (StarHub TV Ch 857).
Reporter: Hon Jing Yi
Photo: Geneieve Teo
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