Actress Han Geuru has made a comeback after a long break. After resurfacing on television for the first time in 10 years, he conveyed a more solid mindset.
Recently, Han Geuru conducted an interview at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, for the finish of KBS2's daily drama 'Cinderella Game.' 'Cinderella Game' is a drama depicting the story of a woman who becomes a manifestation of revenge after being used as a fake daughter by a nemesis, realizing the true meaning of revenge while growing and healing. In the drama, Han Geuru plays the role of Gu Hana, a spirited and responsible single mother who supports her siblings.
During the lengthy run of 101 episodes, Han Geuru, balancing childcare and filming, expressed her concerns, saying, 'I often thought, can I really do this?' After marrying a businessman who is nine years her senior in 2015 and giving birth to twins a year later, Han Geuru took a break from her career. Following her divorce announcement in 2022, she is now solely caring for her two children. She mentioned, 'I survived with the stamina I had from raising the kids. I raised them alone without a helper. When you have kids, you can't sleep or take breaks even when you're exhausted, but that changed into work, and I thought I could do it more than I expected. I was truly struggling and thought about finding a manager to help with driving, but as I thought, 'I'm tired, but I think I can do this?' I kept going until the end.'
Through this project, Han Geuru made her appearance in a daily drama for the first time in about 13 years since MBC's 'Like Yesterday,' which aired in 2012. He said, 'When I was younger, I didn't really think it was hard. I had great stamina. Now, if I don't get enough sleep, my mind does not work as quickly the next day, and sometimes I feel blank. I firmly believe that there is a significant difference between my 20s and my 30s after giving birth. I'm very glad that I usually exercise regularly. I felt I must take good care of my physical health.'
He continued, 'My approach to the work has changed. Back then, I really wanted to finish a mini-series quickly. I thought daily dramas were a gateway to weekend dramas and mini-series. I had the thought of, 'After this, I will do a weekend drama and then a mini-series,' but this time I thought, 'Will there be another opportunity in my life to play a protagonist like this?' which made it very precious and special.'
However, taking on a leading role for the first time in 10 years since the 2014 broadcast of tvN's 'Marriage Not Dating,' there must have been significant pressure. Han Geuru said, 'The pressure was immense. When the viewer ratings don't come in, I wonder, 'Is it because of me?' At the start, I only had the thought to 'not cause trouble for anyone else. I just hoped to not be problematic.' The director is talented, but the seniors and fellow friends are all so skilled that I felt very lucky. I believe I have a lot of good fortune in relationships, and I thought this time too, 'I was truly born lucky.'
The character Gu Hana in 'Cinderella Game' lives as a multi-jobber during the day and a GED student at night to support her siblings. Han Geuru explained that the reason she chose the role was that she saw herself reflected in Gu Hana. He recalled, 'The protagonist Hana's role felt very similar to my current life. It felt like I was looking at myself. Of course, the target is my younger siblings, but I was actually living that way. It's a situation where I'm trying to do something, and after my divorce, I had to care for my kids, so I was constantly looking for things I could do. As I read the script, I became very emotionally invested. I really wanted to portray the desperate and diligent struggle of someone like me.'
Regarding Gu Hana, who sacrifices herself for her siblings without any blood connection, he expressed, 'I think she is a very responsible person. Once I decided to take responsibility, I try to carry things through to the end no matter what. I believe Hana had that sense of responsibility, knowing that from the moment she decided to become family, no matter the reason or thought, family is what she must protect.'
He continued, 'Amid the repeated foster care situations, I encountered a family that genuinely treated me like their daughter. It feels immense, almost dramatic, to think that such an event could occur in one person's life. That's why I may have had a special feeling towards family. In fact, this project feels that way for me. I'm grateful to be working, but I often thought, 'Who would want to cast me as the lead now?' Yet, I'm so thankful to have been cast.'
Han Geuru, who has made her comeback after a 10-year hiatus, is currently active without an agency. He managed everything by himself while filming 'Cinderella Game.' He expressed, 'I exercised alone and picked up a stylist, and it was more fun than I expected. When I was tired on the way to the site in the morning, I would sleep in the car. But when I drove, I was awake and could organize how the day would go. I truly understood how hard others work at that moment. As I started working again, I felt that I had many changes in my mindset, but we came together to fulfill our roles in making a drama. I thought we shouldn't forget these experiences. We are just actors, and being called an actor doesn't make someone great. I thought a lot about needing to always remember that.'
Initially, there was a sense of urgency to join an agency, but Han Geuru noted that he had freed himself from that urgency while working on 'Cinderella Game.' He said, 'Having done this, I feel like I could do anything, so I thought to be a little more relaxed. Sitting still felt like a waste of time, so I held company meetings and, with the help of the former director of Saetbyeoldang, I circulated my profile to casting directors and production companies, and when I had time, I visited to greet them.'
Han Geuru stated, 'People don't really know who I am. Unless they've met me and talked with me, there's a lot of misinformation on platforms like YouTube, so unless I clarify each one, they wouldn't know. They could think, 'Since I was the protagonist of a daily drama, they probably wouldn't give me a small role elsewhere.' But now, I believe the size of the role does not matter. I thought I should promote myself and share my thoughts as much as I can. Even on days when I had shooting, if meetings were scheduled, I would arrange the time, ask the security office to print my profile and go for auditions.'
When asked if he has ever experienced burnout while juggling parenting and his career, he answered, 'There hasn't been a moment.' He continued, 'While raising the kids, I occasionally felt burnt out after putting them to bed, thinking, 'Why am I doing this and living like this?' However, once I started working, there wasn't time for that. On my off days, I still have to take care of the kids, and since I have ongoing filming, there was no time to become lazy or to even reflect. So, in fact, it was beneficial for me. I realized how precious it is to be able to work hard again.'
During the 10-year hiatus, Han Geuru poured everything into raising his children. After going through a divorce, he found himself needing to work to support his family and thought, 'What can I do?' After much consideration, he began acting again. Han Geuru expressed his fear, saying, 'Would anyone even hire me now? I even thought to myself that I probably wouldn't want to hire myself,' feeling ambiguous. He added, 'Though I'm not that old, since I got married, had children, and divorced, I know casting directors would be concerned about what role I can play.'
Amid this, he accepted an offer from director Song Hyun-wook, whom he had worked with since 'Marriage Not Dating,' to play the role of Jin Na-rae, the wife of Uhm Moon-seok (played by Baek Nam-gu) in 'Night Photo Studio,' marking the start of his comeback. Han Geuru explained, 'My peers are increasingly rising in their careers, but my path is a bit different, and I can play the roles that my friends, who want to take on these characters later, might want to play now. Doing so allows me to take on more roles.' His experiences in marriage, childbirth, and divorce have ultimately become another weapon that enables him to handle roles that other peers might find difficult.
He said, 'As long as I have the mindset to work hard in any role given to me, I can work. That's why I can confidently say, 'Please give me any role.' Previously, it took a long time to meet with people, but now I think I can do anything, and I actually find it more fun and see a lot of scripts. The roles are diverse. I believe I didn't have many opportunities to look at such a large number of scripts before, so it's very good. In some ways, I used to only do romantic comedies. Now, I can play various roles I've never tried before, like an aunt or a super boss. I think I'm going to take on many challenges in that regard, so I'm looking forward to it.'
Having gone through ups and downs, Han Geuru shared, 'I've truly grown a lot. My perception of the world and my profession has changed significantly. Looking at my life, it's not necessarily good for an actor's career to have a break in the middle, but I now see it as a necessary time. If I hadn't taken a break, gotten married, had the experience of divorce, wouldn't I have become someone who wonders, 'Why am I living like that?' It's not easy to reflect on oneself while living a busy life, and as one rises in stature, there are many more who encourage them with insincere affirmations, making it easy to get caught up in that. However, stepping back and re-entering has made me realize that being an actor is just a job and not because I am special that I became an actor. That realization has led to significant changes, and I think that is the biggest and most grateful growth for me.'
While working on 'Cinderella Game,' he learned a lot about attitude from senior actors. He noted, 'They treat the staff very well, and even as juniors, they truly take care of us. When we ask questions, they teach us very well and always arrive early. Those small habits explain everything about why they continue to work. It has been a great motivation for me, instilling in me the thought that I need to live with such mindset.'
Returning to acting also served as training to regain his senses as an actor. Han Geuru remarked, 'At first, I had a hard time memorizing lines; my mind wouldn't work. I memorized them, yet forgot everything when I arrived. Daily dramas have a lot of content, right? I thought, 'How can I manage this?' but surprisingly, I could do it as I went along. Doing a daily drama could be interpreted as heaven's intention for me to undergo training. Mini-series don't offer the opportunity to work so closely with teachers. Being beside the seniors helped me grasp my initial intentions and learn how to proceed.'
Looking ahead, he expressed his desire to portray authentic, unembellished motherhood like Jeon Kwang-rye (played by Yeom Hye-ran) in 'When Life Gives You Tangerines.' When asked if he could handle another daily drama, he initially thought he wouldn't be able to do so for the next 2 or 3 years. However, when the production company asked, 'Would you be able to join the daily drama after eight months?' he immediately replied, 'Yes,' and smiled.
Han Geuru expressed, 'Acting is fun, and I have clear goals. When I was young, I didn't know why I worked. Since I started acting at 18, I did it because I was asked to, without being sure of what I wanted to become or whether I wanted to be famous. Now, it's very clear. The work I can enjoy is acting, and since I have to earn money to raise my children, that's a definite motivation. Once that clarity was established, it simplified the process of making choices.'
He added, 'I want to be a familiar actor. One that can be seen without any dissonance, regardless of the work or role. Although all the roles I've taken on previously have been great, my situation has changed in various ways since returning. Therefore, I hope to meet the public with a variety of roles. I'm grateful for my work and incredibly happy, and I believe that feeling is conveyed to the viewers through my acting. I hope to be an actor whose sincerity reaches many audiences.'
[Photo] Han Geuru
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