Actor Choi Ban-Ya. Photo Stagebridge
Actor Choi Ban-Ya is seeing the fruits of over a decade of work abroad, as she has been cast back-to-back this year in two blockbuster series on major U.S. platforms.
Following her appearance in season 5 of the Apple TV series ‘For All Mankind’, released on the 27th of last month, Choi is now in New York filming the drama ‘Superfakes’, co-produced by Peacock and A24.
Actor Choi Ban-Ya. Photo Stagebridge
It is unusual for an actor to take on significant roles in two Hollywood major-platform series in a single year, and the feat stands out all the more for a Korean actor.
Choi joined season 5 of ‘For All Mankind’ as a new cast member. In the story, she plays Nam Mun-Young, the wife of North Korean astronaut Lee Jung-Gil (C.S. Lee). Beginning with its first release on the 27th of last month, the series is currently unveiling new episodes every Friday.
Another drama, ‘Superfakes’, is led by Emmy-winning writer Alice Zhu as showrunner, with Hollywood star Lucy Liu starring and producing. Framed as a narrative exploring the underbelly of New York Chinatown, Choi is set to play a substantial supporting character.
Actor Choi Ban-Ya. Photo Stagebridge
A graduate of the Department of Architecture at Yonsei University, she debuted as the screenwriter of the 2021 film ‘I Wish I Had a Wife’. Since then, she has steadily built her career with distinctive performances in works such as ‘Scandal: The Secret History of Joseon Men and Women’ and ‘Love Talk’.
She internalized Hollywood-style acting training through world-renowned acting coach Ivana Chubbuck, who has taught Halle Berry and Sylvester Stallone, and signed with the management company Stagebridge, which has offices in New York and Seoul.
Stagebridge stated, “This casting is not simply luck; it is the result of the Hollywood casting system objectively recognizing her value, which combines the intellect and acting ability required by the global market.”
Actor Choi Ban-Ya. Photo Stagebridge
Regarding the casting, Choi shared her thoughts: “The pain and lessons from the life of an actor all become assets for acting, that is, ‘bullets’.” She added, “Korean shooting is number one in the world, is it not? Now that my bullets have begun to fire, I want to hit each target and carry that momentum into the next project.”
Season 5 of the Apple TV series ‘For All Mankind’, featuring Choi Ban-Ya, is currently releasing new episodes every Friday, while ‘Superfakes’, starring Lucy Liu, is now filming in New York with a target release next year.
