Netflix’s brand new original K-drama series, “My Name” (마이 네임) is set to premiere in a few days, and fans are already excited to witness Han So Hee stepping out of her comfort zone as a badass character willing to take extreme measures in order to seek revenge!
Apart from the rising model-turned-actress, the stellar lineup include Park Hee Soon, Ahn Bo Hyun, Kim Sang Ho, Lee Hak Jo and Chang Ryul. Helmed by “Extracurricular” director Kim Jin Min, the action-packed series tells the story of the lead female character Yoon Ji Woo (Han So Hee) who will do whatever it takes to avenge her father’s untimely death.
We at Hype.my recently attended the virtual press conference of the upcoming drama series with the director and also the cast members. Here are 8 fun facts we got from the session:
1. What drew the cast to star in “My Name”?
Han So Hee said, “I was drawn to the action. But more importantly, I loved watching Director Kim Jin-min’s ‘Extracurricular’ and wanted to work with him. Just those two things: wanting to try the action genre and to work with Director Kim.”
Additionally, Park Hee Soon (who plays the role as Choi Mu Jin, the leader of the country’s largest drug ring Dong Cheon Cartel) revealed, “A lot of people have the impression that noir genre only depicts the dry, dark world of tough guys. But this series gripped me the right away, because the characters have complex traits interlaced with feelings of hopelessness.”
Ahn Bo Hyun also starred in the series as Jeon Pil Do, a police officer under the Drug Investigative Unit. In response to the above question, the hunky star said, “The script was so fun to read. And I’m a huge fan of Director Kim Jin-min.
He added, “I really enjoyed his most recent work ‘Extracurricular’ and thought that it would be amazing to work with him one day. Also, I really wanted to do an action-related project, and ‘My Name’ came up. I had so much fun working on the intense action scenes.”
2. Real Actions + Raw Emotions
The thing that sets “My Name” apart from other noir-themed projects would arguably be its action realism, guaranteeing viewers with mouthwatering action-packed scenes that are blended with the characters’ emotional journey as the story goes on. As revealed in the press release, the action in “My Name” is derived from the characters’ unique traits and genuine emotions.
“Noir films usually involve a lot of action. But in ‘My Name’, there are so many emotions that come into play. So, I want to refer to the scenes in it as ‘action with emotion’,” Director Park revealed. He also shared that the actors did almost 90% of their action scenes by themselves (along with some professionals of course). All of the cast members (excluding Kim Sang Ho) also enrolled in action school for two to three months in order to prepare for their roles.
“Our action (scenes) doesn’t rely much on the wires (equipment) and also CG effects. It was down first hand. It was emotionally charged so I would call it emotional action. It wasn’t just a simple hit but you really had to go grab someone and really go into the scene,” Director Park added in the interview.
3. Han So Hee’s 360° transformation
Upon seeing the teasers and trailer of the series, it’s safe to say that the performance displayed by So Hee in the K-drama series is the complete opposite of what fans have seen in her previous works. Director Park stated, “So Hee was all into it and said yes right away without any hesitation. She didn’t even go through a manager to give me the answer. Once you break out of that potential, you will.”
So Hee’s co-star Park Hee Soon also had nothing but praise for the actress, “It would not be an exaggeration to say that ‘My Name’ was made for and carried out by Han So Hee. She prepared her role very well and poured her heart and soul in it. And both the emotional and action scenes reflect her painstaking efforts!”
4. The actress gained 22 pounds (10 kg) for her role
As revealed by her co-star Park Hee Soon himself, So Hee practised a lot and surprisingly gained 10 kg of muscle during the shooting process, to which it made the main MC of the event Park Kyung Lim’s jaw literally drop! She commented, “I exercised a lot and I ate what I wanted, so I gained 10 kilograms from the weight I had while filming ‘The World Of The Married’.”
During the press conference, So Hee also revealed that her athletic abilities have improved a lot while preparing for her role. “I think I can do 30 sit ups in one go, and I’m also learning kickboxing these days,” she was quoted as saying.
Side note: So Hee actually began her training process a month before the rest of the actors. This stunning bombshell right here definitely deserves an A for effort!
5. How did Ahn Bo Hyun prep for the action scenes in “My Name”?
The K-drama heartthrob is well-known among fans for his perfectly-built physique as displayed in his previous projects such as “Her Private Life”, “Itaewon Class” and also “Yumi’s Cells”. In the upcoming series, fans can expect a more tough and macho side of Bo Hyun as he shows off his skills in combatting the criminals.
“I used to work out a lot, so I enjoy physical training. But preparing myself for the action scenes was something totally different. So I went to action school every day. And we had many rehearsals. The other actors and I always shared our film practice sessions and tried to synchronise with each other,” the 33-year-old said.
6. Han So Hee & co-star Lee Hak Joo previously starred together in the hit drama “The World Of The Married”
For most K-drama junkies out there, So Hee is perhaps best known for her antagonist role as Yeo Da Kyung in the highest-rated cable TV series “The World Of The Married”, which propelled her to superstardom. In the drama, actor Lee Hak Joon also starred in the family drama as Park In Kyu.
Hak Joon, who was also present during the press conference, talked about working with So Hee again in “My Name, saying, “We actually didn’t have many scenes together while filming ‘The World of the Married’, so there weren’t many opportunities for us to talk. I enjoyed meeting her again and working together again through ‘My Name’.”
The 27-year-old star echoed his sentiment, saying, “In ‘The World Of The Married’, we didn’t have many scenes together. We didn’t cross paths often. I thought he was reserved then, but through our training together, we saw sides of each other normal friends don’t see.”
7. Han So Hee & Ahn Bo Hyun dishes on their first impression of each other
Notably, “My Name” also marks the first time that two of the hottest Hallyu stars – Han So Hee and Ahn Bo Hyun – work together on screen! We bet a lot of fans are curious on what was their first impression of each other. Here’s what they revealed:
Ahn Bo Hyun: “I met So Hee for the first time at action school (while preparing for the series), and not at the script reading. I saw her training really hard and breaking a sweat. I was so impressed by that because she was so passionate.”
Han So Hee: “I saw his previous dramas and I really enjoyed them. I was a bit afraid of him due to his terrifying character in the past. He helped me focus a lot. He also gave me a lot of advice and also (our co-star) Chang Ryul.”
8. Han So Hee & Ahn Bo Hyun’s on-screen chemistry
In the series, So Hee’s character Ji Woo is transferred to the Narcotics Unit and ends up joining a sting operation to take down Mu Jin where she has to balance between investigating her own crime boss and maintaining her undercover.
This is where she meets the ace detective Jeon Pil Do, and they end up becoming partners. Their prickly relationship takes a surprising turn when the pair opens up about their past to each other. Fans are expected to witness these two characters’ friendship blooms with some trust and understanding as the story goes.
“My Name” will be premiering on Netflix on 15th October (Friday). Watch the trailer here:
Images courtesy of Netflix.
