Aema star Bang Hyo-rin shared her thoughts on acting alongside her senior Lee Ha-nee.
On the morning of the 27th, an interview with Bang Hyo-rin, the lead actress of the Netflix series Aema, was held at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Aema depicts the story of top star Hee-ran (played by Lee Ha-nee) boldly facing the dark realities hidden behind the glamorous spotlight of 1980s Korean erotic films, alongside rookie actress Joo-ae (played by Bang Hyo-rin). It captures both the glamorous spotlight and dark aspects of Chungmuro in the 1980s, providing thrilling moments as characters confront the times in their own ways. This is the directorial debut series of Lee Hae-Young, who has captivated the public with continuous new stories and characters and a unique style in films like Drug King, Ghost, and Madonna.
Bang Hyo-rin played the role of Joo-ae, who was quickly cast as the lead in the buzzworthy Chungmuro film Aema-Buin after struggling to make a living as a nightclub dancer trying to become an actress. She acted alongside her senior Lee Ha-nee.
Bang Hyo-rin, who made her debut in 2015 with the short film Let Me In, left a strong impression in various short works such as To Lowell (2017) and It Will Be Cloudy (2020), and won the acting award in the Korean short competition at the 11th Seoul International Pride Film Festival for the film How to Kill That N (2021). Later, in the independent feature film Hell Yeah (2023), she portrayed a school violence victim, and she takes on her first commercial series lead role in Aema.
Bang Hyo-rin, who secured her role through audition, said, "At first, I had a non-face-to-face audition and passed the first round, then had a meeting with the director. I think I was seen with the director and assistant director during the third audition. After going through three rounds, I was finally accepted," adding, "I read the script completely, and I thought the lines were really great. I thought it would be fantastic if I could perform the lines myself, but as a rookie actress, I felt it would be meaningful and good for me to be able to do this."
Regarding her experience acting with Lee Ha-nee, she said, "I was so happy to act with senior Hani. At the same time, I was also worried. I wondered, 'Can I do well?' But still, I was very happy overall. I was glad to be able to work with an actress I really admired, and during filming, senior Hani took great care of me, so I enjoyed it."
"There's a scene where I curse at Lee Ha-nee, calling her 'double x,' wasn't that scary?" In response to this question, she said, "I was so immersed in Joo-ae that I didn't think much about that. Senior Hani always hugged me after they said cut. So, I didn't feel that way," adding, "Senior Hani always encouraged and cheered me, telling me I was doing well."
Meanwhile, Aema was released on Netflix in over 190 countries on the 22nd.
[Photo] Netflix
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