Han So-hee has opened up about the preparation she undertook for her role in the upcoming Netflix action-thriller, My Name.
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In a press conference held earlier today (October 5), the actress discussed the challenges she faced while portraying her character Jiwoo, a woman who infiltrates a police department in order to seek revenge for her father.
Han revealed that she had to attend action school and was coached by a martial arts director, who gave her advice on how to play her role well. One of the suggestions was to watch movies that had a similar theme to My Name, and 2017’s Atomic Blonde, starring Charlize Theron, became one of the main inspirations for Han’s character.
“When I had the first meeting with the martial arts director, we looked at different styles of martial arts and something that he pointed out was the movie Atomic Blonde, [which had] a long-take action [scene], and a female lead winning [against] her male opponents,” she said.
Other action films that inspired the actress included Netflix’s Old Guard, also starring Theron. “I had looked at the different titles to get some inspiration, especially the ones that were led by a female lead,” she added.
Han also noted that the biggest challenge while filming My Name was ensuring she didn’t hurt others during her action scenes. “I was practicing a lot, not just to protect myself but I really wanted to make sure that I don’t hurt anyone and finish the project safely,” she shared.
My Name is directed by Kim Jin-min, who previously helmed Netflix’s 2020 gritty hit teen-crime drama Extracurricular. The upcoming series is set to premiere on the global streaming platform on October 15, and will also star Ahn Bo-hyun and veteran Park Hee-Soon.