Courtesy of Netflix

Actor Ha Ye-rin spoke about her grandmother, Son Sook.

At a press conference for the Netflix series ‘Bridgerton 4’ held on the 4th at Community House Masil in Jung-gu, Seoul, Ha Ye-rin said that while attending Kaywon Arts High School in Korea she learned acting and that she drew much inspiration from her grandmother.

Ha Ye-rin said, “At school I learned acting techniques, but more than anything I learned the attitude of giving my best as an actor. I did a lot of research, and through that I learned a lot about how working hard is conveyed in performance. I think I mainly learned to work hard and do my utmost,” and added, “In this project, since I am the lead, I tried to bring leadership and the kind of attitude one should have on set.”

She also shared that she nurtured her dream by watching her grandmother, who is also an actor, at work.

Ha Ye-rin said, “Since I was young, I watched my grandmother perform in plays. The most memorable was a one-person show; I vividly remember a scene where she held a pillow like a child and cried,” and continued, “Seeing the audience cry and become absorbed, I felt the power of art. I thought it was wonderful that this profession can offer comfort and foster empathy. In particular, seeing my grandmother standing on stage herself made me realize acting is a truly attainable profession, which inspired me even more.”

Asked whether Son Sook had given any advice about appearing in ‘Bridgerton’ and whether she had watched the show, she said, “My grandmother did not really give advice. She watched all of it. She sent me a photo of herself watching with her juniors. Because her eyesight is poor, she was sitting close to the TV. She texted, ‘I am proud of you’ and ‘I love you,’ which made my heart feel warm and a little achy.”

Regarding the scenes with nudity, she added, “This morning she said she had watched those scenes too and felt a bit embarrassed. (Laughs.) I thought she would skip through them, but she said she watched them all,” drawing laughter.

Lastly, she said, “I saw my grandmother today as well. She said, ‘You used to be the granddaughter of Son Sook, but now she is the grandmother of Ha Ye-rin.’ It made my heart ache a little,” and added, “I plan to see the play my grandmother is performing in tomorrow. I leave again on Friday, but she really wants me to come, so I will go.”

‘Bridgerton 4’ is a romance series that crosses the boundaries of love, identity, and class as Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), a free spirit indifferent to marriage, finds himself between the ‘Lady in the Silver Dress’ he meets at a masquerade and a maid in the real world, Sophie Baek (Ha Ye-rin).

Having been popular from Season 1 through the spin-offs, this season as well has reached No. 1 on the Global Top 10 shows and is winning love. Ha Ye-rin, who plays the lead role of Sophie Baek, is a Korean-Australian actor and the maternal granddaughter of actor Son Sook, drawing even more attention.