Ji-hye-won, even her mother was shocked by the "wildness"..."I even gave up skincare and exercise" [★ FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

She stopped her skincare routine and exercise, even deliberately damaging her hair. But what Ha Ji-won let go of for "The Outlaw" was not just her appearance. At the 30th year of her debut, she asked herself again why she became an actress, and with the same trembling she felt when she first started acting, she met South America.

"Bi-gwang" is a heartfelt family saga by director Lee Ji-won, known for "Miss Back," in which the couple Jung-gu (played by Ryu Seung-ryong) and Nam-mi (played by Ha Ji-won), once top stars, find their lives upended after the sudden appearance of Jung-gu's daughter Dong-joo (played by Kim Si-a). Eight years later, they risk everything to save Dong-joo from a shocking incident and uncover the truth.

Ha Ji-won, once a top star, took on the role of Nam Mi, who suddenly falls from grace due to the unexpected appearance of Dong-ju and ends up living as a survival-level entertainer.

Ha Ji-won, who has primarily showcased strong characters in the fantasy and action genres, revealed that she was drawn to Nam Lee's portrayal of a character grounded in more realistic life experiences.

He said, "I have played many strong characters in fantasy or action genres. However, what was attractive about this role is that it is a character placed in a more realistic life." He added, "Not only South America but also the families and the lives of people living within it felt extremely vivid. I really wanted to work with senior actor Ryu Seung-ryong."

In particular, he said that because Nam Mi-ga is a person who has the profession of an actor, it made him reflect not only on simple character analysis but also on his own life.

Ha Ji-won revealed, "Usually, I can analyze a character and fill in the details one by one, but Nam-mi is a person who lives as an actor like me, so rather than just looking at the character, it became a time for me to reflect on myself."

He added, "At that time, I was going through a period of deep contemplation about 'What am I' and 'Who am I.' When I started asking myself the question, 'Who are you, and why are you an actor?' I met Nam Mi." He explained, "This led me to think not only about my own existence and the world in which I live, but also about the world in which Nam Mi lives."

"Bikwang" was naturally given time to ponder the character for an extended period as filming was delayed by about a year due to the aftermath of COVID-19. Ha Ji-won stated, "The delay in filming did not mean I let go of the character Nam-mi; rather, it gave me more time to hold onto and contemplate her deeply." She added, "As a result, the character of Nam-mi does not feel light to me."

He added, "I also had many conversations with the director about living together, sharing my own story and listening to his. We exchanged a great deal of ideas on how Nam Mi, the character, survives and lives within the society we are placed in, which helped us build the character."

He added, "Preparing the character for such a long time during the pre-production stage at Navy Headquarters was a first for us," and noted, "Because we entered the set with a fully matured preparation, it felt like we could play freely while being excited."

Ha Ji-won stated, "Nam Mi-ga said in her mukbang video that she felt like she was gaining weight because it had been a while since she held a camera, and I felt the same way on the set of 'Bi-gwang,' as it was my first film shoot in a long time and gave me a sense of being alive." She added, "Since I approached the filming with the excitement of a newcomer rather than an established actress, there were many parts that resonated with me."

Ha Ji-won showed a cautious reaction regarding her own completed performance. She said, "Since I acted in it, I am not sure how satisfied I am with the acting," and explained, "I did not act thinking that I should look different. Being placed in the life of South America, I put a lot of effort into creating the character of 'South America,' including my acting, tone of lines, costumes, hair, and makeup."

Particularly, considerable effort was made to convincingly portray the period when South America fell from top stars to survival-type entertainers in terms of appearance.

Ha Ji-won said, "The red shades of the lipsticks were not even the same. We focused on changing the eyebrow shapes and expressing the mood that Nam-gi is in a difficult life."

The costume was also a crucial element in understanding the character. He explained, "When I saw the clothing pattern, I thought I had arrived in the jungle," and added, "Wearing that outfit allowed me to feel that this is what people from South America are like."

She said that even she felt strange seeing the completed version. Ha Ji-won remarked, "Even though I was the one who filmed it, I felt a sense of unfamiliarity while watching the screen," and added with a laugh, "I showed it to my mother, and she seemed quite shocked."

To express Namie's exhausted look, she boldly abandoned her usual hair care routine. Ji-haewon stated, "I intentionally damaged my hair, and even after filming ended, it remained damaged. The signs of Namie lingered for a long time," and added, "I also continued to bleach it on purpose."

He added, "I did not even undergo skin care or exercise. I wanted to create a body and mood that reflected the weariness of life, fitting for a Latin American character," conveying that he meticulously designed even the external aspects for the role.

The behind-the-scenes details regarding the harsh profanity-laden acting were also shared. Earlier, when Director Lee Ji-won gave Ha Ji-won a score of "20 points" for her profanity performance, Ha Ji-won laughed and said, "I cannot agree with that score."

He said, "I had no idea the director personally added profanity during post-recording. I thought I did well," and added, "It seems I didn't realize that profanity requires aging, as I had only recently started using it."

He added, "It seems that even the same curse words have different flavors. It's not just about spitting out curses; I worked hard to deliver curses filled with resentment within the character's life. There is clearly a difference between curses that have been aged for a long time and those practiced over a short period," while adding with a self-deprecating tone, "I think the director felt that difference. Still, 20 points is too disappointing."

Ha Ji-won revealed that during the dubbing process, she repeated recordings dozens of times just to deliver a single curse word. She stated, "I worked so hard during post-dubbing that I spat out the line dozens of times and selected the best version," adding, "For Nam-mi, cursing was not simply about using rough language; it was an extension of a life where such words were unavoidable."

He added, "So even in parts of the script where no profanity was written, I kept trying to use profanity naturally as if it would come out for a South American character," conveying that he struggled to create expressions that were ingrained in the character's life.

In addition, Ha Ji-won revealed that meeting "Bi-gwang," a project marking her 30th year since debut, prompted her to reflect on the profession of acting and her own existence. She stated, "I mentioned that I had many doubts about who I am and why I am an actor, and at that time, I met the character Nam-ra." She added, "'Bi-gwang' is a work that made me feel as if I were starting to act for the first time again."

He added, "It was not merely an exciting and thrilling emotion, but rather a process of delving deeper to reflect on my existence as an individual." He explained, "Since this work was filmed during a period when I had many concerns, I believe I approached it with the same trembling heart I felt when I first started acting."

Although he has been active as an actor for a long time, he said that his attitude toward the profession of acting has changed since "Bi-gwang."

Ha Ji-won stated, "I have worked on many projects, but I feel I have come to think more seriously about the profession of acting. With that, I felt I must also bear greater responsibility."

He added, "Rather than just thinking lightly about wanting to try a certain character as I used to, I now feel that when selecting each work, I need to think more deeply about the work itself, the characters, and the message the work aims to convey." He also stated, "I want to approach each project with greater responsibility as an actor."

He also expressed expectations for future works. Ha Ji-won smiled and added, "I am always waiting for good works," and said, "I hope directors will provide many good works."

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*This content was translated by AI.