[Interview] "My One-on-One Showdown with Go Hyun-jung, the Best Experience of My Acting Life." Actor Han Dong-hee from 'Queen Mantis'

〈Queen Mantis〉's hidden card. The character Seo Ah-ra, played by actor Han Dong-hee, is a close friend and colleague of Jung-yeon (Kim Bo-ra), running the same workshop, and has a cheerful and honest personality. As a single woman, Ah-ra envies the relationship between Jung-yeon and Su-yeol, and she playfully shows no intention of hiding her feelings by saying, 'The bedroom is right above, what are you doing here?' In the second half, she forms a strange atmosphere with Min-jae (Lee Chang-min). The most important subtext of the drama is Jung-yeon's agony, sensing that Su-yeol is hiding something, and the protagonist of that consultation is none other than Ah-ra. Knowing well that Jung-yeon must resolve it herself to feel at ease, the brave Ah-ra takes the lead in searching for Su-yeol's secret. However, in the process, the two face an even greater secret. There was a reason why Ah-ra suggested going to visit Su-yeol's childhood neighborhood with Jung-yeon. The chilling reality behind Ah-ra's bright and kind demeanor is crucial in maintaining the tension in the latter half of the drama. Actor Han Dong-hee, who has made impressive appearances in various works such as 〈Shuroop〉, 〈No Secrets〉, 〈Kangmaekgang〉, and 〈Gyeongseong Creature〉 Season 2, is likely to be remembered as the most precious 'discovery' of 〈Queen Mantis〉, skillfully 'playing hard to get' with Jung Yi-shin (Go Hyun-jung).

How did you get cast in 〈Queen Mantis〉?

The audition process was conducted like an entrance exam. It involved extracting a monologue from a play and narrating it freely through acting, which was about a wife writing a letter to her cheating husband. The husband claims that the wife left him for another man, and I completed the content from the opposite perspective. It was very interesting because it wasn't just about mechanically memorizing the lines but about entering the character's inner world and imagining freely.

What was your meeting with Director Byun Young-joo like?

He directly participated in the audition and observed. When I later met him on set, he was somewhat shy like a tsundere, but his seemingly casual remarks were very encouraging. "Dong-hee, you act well. Just be confident, okay?" At that time, I hadn't been recognized much as an actor and found it hard to have confidence, but those words felt like a moment of true recognition, which I remember vividly. I think that helped me keep my spirits up until the very end.

I'm curious about how you interpreted the character Seo Ah-ra, who has the most significant range of change in the drama.

I wanted to accept the character as she is. In fact, the characters I've played in various works have all been bright roles, so I liked the idea of being a supportive and cheerful older sister to Jung-yeon. My real personality is somewhat like that, so I could enjoy blending in without the pressure of 'acting.' Also, even though I'm younger than Kim Bo-ra and Jang Dong-yoon, the character is set as an older sister, which was a bit hard to adjust to. When we're not filming, we're really close friends, but once we start shooting, they call me older sister. (laughs) Bo-ra is also from 'Noon Company,' so we were already friends and just enjoyed the filming itself.

If you had to pick a memorable scene.

Lee Chang-min, who played Min-jae, is actually my classmate from the 16th batch of the acting department at Han Ye-jong. He is also currently with Noon Company. We hadn't worked on a major project together during school, so it felt strange yet nice to appear in a scene with Bo-ra and Chang-min. We were particularly close among our classmates. It was the first time we matched our breaths like that, and it was really enjoyable.

When did you start dreaming of acting, and how did you get into the acting department at Han Ye-jong?

Whenever I say this, people tell me not to make things up, but (laughs) the moment I dreamed of becoming an actor was when I saw Go Hyun-jung in the drama 〈Queen Seondeok〉 (2009). I was just in elementary school then, but that memory is vivid. I don't know why I was so nervous watching Go Hyun-jung's acting. So, how do you think I felt when I faced her directly in 〈Queen Mantis〉? However, I hadn't even thought about pursuing acting until my senior year of high school when I prepared for the acting entrance exam against my parents' opposition. At the point where I had to finalize my career path, I felt like I wanted to give it a try. It was the first time I thought I should do what I want and strongly appealed my opinion to my parents. Perhaps my memories of Go Hyun-jung influenced me in some way. While at Han Ye-jong, I mostly did stage acting and didn't work much in film. In video, I felt like I looked 'puffy,' (laughs) of course, that's half-joking, and I loved theater that much. A work I have a personal attachment to is the tvN drama 〈Shuroop〉 (2022). I was very grateful for the character Min Hwi-bin, who goes out of the palace, being remembered fondly. The time spent with the great senior actress Kim Hye-soo also became a great strength for my future activities.

As the clues to the case begin to unravel, the scenes where you match breaths with Jung Yi-shin are quite lengthy. You must have prepared a lot and been very nervous.

I can't express how nervous I was for the scene where I faced Go Hyun-jung directly. There was a thrill in facing a great actress who influenced my dreams and career. I had to coexist with my idolized version of Go Hyun-jung and the actress I was facing. In fact, I couldn't openly talk about this. However, during a gathering, Director Byun Young-joo, who knew all this, called me over to the same table and expressed how I became an actor and how much I respect Go Hyun-jung on my behalf, for which I was grateful. When filming the scenes in the latter half of the drama, I felt treated not as a senior or junior but as true actors facing each other. If I receive any praise while matching breaths with Seo Ah-ra and Kang Yeon-jung, it is all thanks to Go Hyun-jung. While working together, she respected me as a fellow actor and provided truly 'accurate' advice, which was a great help. Episodes 7 and 8 of 〈Queen Mantis〉 were just a time of learning for me.

If you have a favorite actor.

I like Rachel McAdams and Natalie Portman. Both actors seem to have pure and soft laughter, but at the same time, they also have a very strong image. They are actors I really like because they want to act freely and diversely without being limited to one specific aspect.

What are your thoughts on finishing 〈Queen Mantis〉?

It was a meaningful time as an actor, but I also grew to deeply love this work. It made me think about the existence of 'adults.' If high-level psychological warfare provides genre fun, it shows that even if you are legally an adult, you are not a complete adult. The role I played is like that, but it is a grateful work that made me think a lot about what it means to become a healthy adult. I am truly grateful to Director Byun Young-joo for believing in me to act freely and to Go Hyun-jung for respecting me as a wonderful co-star at every moment. As we reached the latter half, it became difficult to find answers on how to act, but I learned what it means to trust each other. Additionally, I came to understand what it means to breathe with the camera. It was a truly precious experience. It was so good that on the last filming day, I said, "I want to go for 32 episodes instead of 8!" and received cold stares. (laughs)