"It Felt Like Magic When I Wore the Mask"...Hayerin Shares Her Excitement About Joining 'Bridgerton'

Hayerin is making headlines as she takes on the lead role in the popular Netflix series 〈Bridgerton4〉. As the granddaughter of actress Son Sook and a Korean-Australian actress, Hayerin has become a rising star, portraying a Cinderella-like story in the series.

According to the official Netflix site Tudum, the recently released 〈Bridgerton4〉 recorded 39.7 million views in its first week, making it the number one English show on Netflix. This series, which has been nominated multiple times for major Emmy Awards, is a Netflix global series first produced in 2020, depicting the journey of the eight siblings of the Bridgerton family in 19th century England as they seek true love amidst social matchmaking activities.

In a Netflix interview, Hayerin expressed, "Joining such a famous cast and project was quite overwhelming," describing her participation in the Bridgerton series as "a gift." The casting of a Korean-American actress in a lead role within a conservative Western period drama clearly showcases the values of diversity and modern reinterpretation that the series aims for.

This season centers around Benedict Bridgerton (played by Luke Thompson) and the maid Sophie Baek (Hayerin). As indicated by the original novel title 「Cinderella」, it follows a typical Cinderella story structure.

Sophie, who attends a ball while hiding her identity, and Benedict fall in love at first sight, but they miss each other when Sophie disappears without leaving a name.

Hayerin cites the ball scene as the most magical moment in the series, recalling, "When I first wore the mask and had everything (the detailed costume), I felt the 'Cinderella moment.'" She shared that it felt like the animated Cinderella had come to life.

In the series, Sophie is born as the illegitimate child of a noble family and lives as a maid, but she is not a passive character who only dreams of rising in status. Instead, she demonstrates a strong moral compass and a firmness that does not change herself for others. Hayerin revealed that she was drawn to this aspect of Sophie.

Hayerin explained, "Sophie builds walls and rejects people, but she learns to break down those walls by meeting various characters like Benedict and Lady Bridgerton," describing it as a process of realizing that accepting people brings joy and enriches life.

Suppressing her emotions to protect herself as a maid is Sophie's unique survival method. Hayerin expressed Sophie's class-related anxieties and inner conflicts with nuanced facial expressions. She stated, "I worked hard to portray both Sophie's boldness and her delicate, vulnerable side in the work."

In an irresistible attraction, Benedict and Sophie nurture a love that transcends the class divide between nobility and maid. Hayerin remarked, "Benedict is noble, and Sophie is of lower class, but the beautiful aspect of their relationship is that they see each other as they truly are," describing their relationship as "a true push and pull."

She interpreted Sophie's journey as "a process of finding love not only from partners or others but also from herself." The core message of the work is about Sophie regaining her self-esteem and learning to love herself.

Hayerin's performance has also received praise from foreign media. The Washington Post (WP) stated, "Hayerin infused a unique determination into the character of Sophie, which could have been portrayed as bland, enhancing the character's flavor."

Part 2, which contains the remaining story of 〈Bridgerton4〉, will be released on the 26th.