Ha Ji-won returns after 6 years: Why she learned to smoke

Actress Ha Ji-won has embarked on a radical acting transformation through 'Portrait of a Family,' her first return to the big screen in six years. To portray a character who has fallen from a top star to a struggling actor fighting for survival, she revealed that she attempted hair bleaching and even smoking scenes for the first time, even comparing different types of real cigarettes to enhance the character's sense of realism and daily life.

On the YouTube channel 'Sung Si-kyung's I'll Meet You' released on the 31st, Ha Ji-won appeared alongside actress Kim Sun-young, who played her co-star in the film 'Portrait of a Family,' to share behind-the-scenes stories and episodes from the filming process. During the broadcast, held at Sung Si-kyung's house while eating aged Hanwoo beef, the two actresses naturally revealed their acting philosophies and human sides.

The character Nam-mi, played by Ha Ji-won in 'Portrait of a Family,' was once a top star loved by the public but is now an actor struggling to make a living. As the glamorous exterior of a star and the poverty of an ordinary person coexist within one individual, Ha Ji-won was required to take an acting approach that maintained a certain distance from her existing image.

Ha Ji-won explained, "It was a character that made me feel ambitious to express new emotions and aspects of myself as an actor." In particular, she stated that to build the character more concretely, she challenged herself by bleaching her hair and performing smoking scenes for the first time.

She said, "I bleached my hair for the first time and even learned how to smoke. The director gave me a large shopping bag filled with various types of cigarettes. It was meant for me to choose a product I could feel comfortable with."

For an actor, a prop is not merely a decoration but can serve as a tool to build the character's physicality and lived reality. Ha Ji-won's scrutiny of cigarette types and the sensation of use can be read as a detailed approach to making the character Nam-mi appear like a person who actually exists. However, this is closer to acting preparation to convincingly implement the character's actions and habits rather than an act to encourage actual smoking.

Ha Ji-won also expressed high trust in her co-star Kim Sun-young. She said, "She is such a great actor that I had faith in her as an actress herself. She acted as enthusiastically as expected in this work as well."

She continued, "Watching her being able to act so flexibly in such situations made me envious and made me want to learn from her. I was so happy to act alongside her."

Kim Sun-young has also established herself as a familiar actress to the public through recent works, but her starting point was the long-standing theater stage. Ha Ji-won's emphasis on 'faith in the actress herself' goes beyond simple praise for a colleague; it highlights the importance of ensemble acting, where one adjusts their performance based on the reactions of their scene partner.

The two provided laughter during the broadcast, not only with stories about the film but also with a small dispute regarding their actual relationship. When Kim Sun-young claimed she had to contact Ha Ji-won via her KakaoTalk profile because she didn't have her phone number, Ha Ji-won countered that they had actually exchanged contact information and been in touch.

Ultimately, it was revealed that Ha Ji-won was telling the truth, and Kim Sun-young, having lost the bet, conceded by drinking 51-degree soju. A second dispute broke out afterward regarding whether promotional text messages for a performance had been sent, revealing the natural friendship between the two actresses.

Ha Ji-won has recently been expanding her connection with the public through new methods beyond the traditional field of acting. The YouTube variety show she is appearing in, '26th Class Ji-won,' is also content that puts intergenerational communication at the forefront.

Ha Ji-won said, "I have wanted to communicate with different generations than mine for a long time. When the perfect proposal came in, I thought, 'This is it.'" She added with a laugh, "The students played well with me."

In particular, she drew laughter by mentioning that Kim Si-a, who appeared as her daughter in 'Portrait of a Family,' is actually in the class of '26, saying, "Since starting the program, Kim Si-a is the only one I can actually hold a conversation with."

This is significant in that an actress who has held the position of a top star for a long time is attempting to directly approach the language and culture of the younger generation rather than clinging to her generational image.

Ha Ji-won has established herself as a representative female actress of Korean popular culture, active in both dramas and films since the late 1990s. She showed a strong presence across various genres and characters in works such as 'Da Mo,' 'Bali in Heaven,' 'Hwang Jin-i,' and 'Secret Garden,' and expanded her range in films like 'Haeundae,' '7 Kor,' and 'The Three Musketeers of Joseon.'

This film, 'Portrait of a Family,' represents a turning point for Ha, as she moves away from her star image to play a character struggling for survival. Her return after a six-year hiatus carries weight beyond a simple comeback.

'Portrait of a Family' tells the story of a top star couple, Jung-gu and Nam-mi, who face a breakdown after the sudden appearance of their daughter, Dong-ju, and later attempt to uncover the truth to save Dong-ju from a shocking incident eight years later. The film explores themes of love, wounds, and forgiveness as the private family unit clashes with their public star images.

Ha Ji-won said, "'Portrait of a Family' is a deep family story that evokes words like love, wounds, and forgiveness. I think it will reach audiences as a charming and lingering work."

The key interest lies in how Ha Ji-won, having shed her glamorous persona to embrace a more grounded character, will shape this new role. All eyes are on whether she can dismantle her familiar image and present a new acting face upon her return to the big screen.

'Portrait of a Family' is set to be released on September 2.