Actress Han Ga-in returns to small screen with thriller series
This shot from OCN's thriller series “Mistresses” features actress Han Ga-in. / Courtesy of CJ E&M
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Han Ga-in has returned to the small screen in OCN's new thriller “Mistresses,” an adaptation of a British drama, after a six-year hiatus following the hit series “Moon Embracing the Sun.”
In the new series, she plays a widow raising a daughter.
“I think a long break is not a good thing for an actress like me,” she said during a news conference for the new show at the Amoris Hall in Seoul Wednesday. “But it happened to me because I had a baby. Maybe because of the break, I was a little bit nervous when I shot the first episode.” She had a daughter in 2016.
In choosing “Mistresses” as her comeback piece, Han said she was fascinated by the script. “I asked for the scripts of the next episodes, hankering to find out more,” she said revealing her enthusiasm about acting.
She said she was drawn to her character, Jang Se-yeon, a widow who runs a cafe and raises a daughter alone after the sudden death of her husband. After receiving phone calls having no caller ID, Jang becomes anxious and wonders if her husband may still be alive. “It's interesting to play the role of Jang and see how she lives through the turmoil of life.”
Han expressed affection for the series, saying “It's my first time to actually feel thrilled to be on set.”
“Mistresses” revolves around four women ― a cafe owner, a psychiatrist, a high school teacher and a paralegal ― who are entrapped in a mysterious murder case. “Mistresses” was originally aired on BBC in 2008 and remade by ABC in 2013.
On becoming a mother, Han said “I've become a completely different person after childbirth. I used to be resilient, impervious to the fluctuation of circumstances. But raising a child has made me very emotional.”
Although Han was a bit nervous about appearing on TV after being away for so long, she believes her experiences of pregnancy and motherhood would provide a better a scope for acting.
When asked if she had seen the original and remake of “Mistresses,” Han said “I stopped watching the original BBC version after watching one or two episodes, wary that it might disturb building my own character.”
Producer Han Ji-seung said the Korean adaptation is not merely a story of women. It rather sheds light on people who face challenges in their everyday lives.
“I initially focused on the anxiety and fear of women, in particular, but then removed the boundary of women. Everybody has a struggle in life, and you are not alone,” Han said.
“Mistresses” premieres Saturday night on OCN.