Actor Han So-hee. Provided by 9Ato Entertainment

“It is my first commercial film, and I felt stripped bare... In any case, a hundred years from now we will all be gone, so I want to try whatever I want to the fullest.”

Actor Han So-hee threw herself, without filter, before the big mirror called the screen. Meeting Sports Kyunghyang at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 16th, she offered a calm yet intense confession about the unfamiliar face of herself she confronted through the film ‘Project Y’ and the growth beyond it.

Poster for the film ‘Project Y’.

Opening on the 21st, ‘Project Y’ is a crime entertainment film that depicts the precarious journey of two friends, ‘Mi-seon’ (Han So-hee) and ‘Do-kyung’ (Jeon Jong-seo), who try to steal hidden gold bars to escape rock-bottom reality. As ‘Mi-seon’, who devises meticulous plans to pursue desire and carve out a life, Han So-hee pours out a raw energy different in tone from her previous work.

For Han So-hee, this work is a point where the fear and excitement of a first coexist. Asked how it felt to face her own face on the big screen, she smiled and called it a ‘stripped-bare feeling’.

“Unlike drama, film has a clear beginning, development, turn, and conclusion within one script, and the density of scene interpretation is much thicker. It was scary that even the slightest movement of my eyes would be captured on a big screen, but at the same time I am very curious how viewers will see that stripped-bare version of me. The words ‘fresh and fun’, that one line is what I most want to hear.”

Han So-hee, Jeon Jong-seo. SNS

The decisive reason she chose the project was her partner Jeon Jong-seo. She had long admired the unique appeal of Jeon Jong-seo, and she was passionate enough to send a direct ‘DM’ herself to establish a connection.

“I had high expectations about what kind of mise-en-scene would come from combining the raw vibe of Jong-seo with my own. Once we actually shot, our tiki-taka matched extremely well. In the grave-digging scene, taking off our clothes and splashing water, or suggesting we use our hands instead of a shovel, those were our ad-libs. There was absolutely no sense of competition. This film was a project focused solely on the ensemble, with no solo run by anyone.”

On set, Han So-hee was not just an actor performing but also an active creator. In particular, her ideas were actively reflected in the action sequence in the latter part.

Han So-hee. Still from the film ‘Project Y’.

“We thought a lot about how two women would confront a figure named Boss To (Kim Sung-cheol). At that point, I felt it was important to make something physically impossible alone become possible because we are ‘two’. So I threw out ideas freely. I thought that was the essence of Mi-seon and Do-kyung, who are friends and partners.”

She also offered frank answers about the anguish and maturity of the person Han So-hee, hidden behind her glamorous image as an actor. Having stood at the center of various gossip and controversies in 2024, she looked straight at even the sharp feedback from the public, calling it ‘the feedback you can receive at closest range and a professional privilege’.

“I think humans can learn precisely because they are imperfect. What I did then may have been the best I could, but if the public says that response is not right, then I can accept it and look for a better way next time. If you do not label it as blame and take it as feedback, there is nothing to feel stifled about. My way of thinking has changed from before, when I treated a problem only as a problem and felt trapped like a Mobius strip.”

Actor Han So-hee. Provided by 9Ato Entertainment

Looking back on the years gone by, she assessed herself by saying, “I did live diligently, at least,” and now aims for a life that does not sink into the past but focuses on the present and future. The reason she communicates openly with fans through her blog is also her way of narrowing the gap between ‘image’ and ‘reality’.

“If you live each day well, it becomes a month and then a year. I try not to beat myself up too much for making one mistake in a day. You just live a better tomorrow. Of course, my mentality is weak, so I give myself this kind of rote instruction every time (laughs). A hundred years from now we will all be gone, so living by trying whatever you want to the fullest is the happiest life.”

What kind of work will the film ‘Project Y’ be remembered as for Han So-hee.

“‘Project Y’ gave me the courage to throw myself at any script without weighing it. I hope this film remains a good reference that remembers the fiery audacity we had in that era.”