Rookie Bang Hyo-rin breaks out in Netflix’s ‘Aema’ after years of part-time jobs

Bang Hyo-rin is emerging as a breakout talent with her role in Netflix original series “Aema.” In a recent interview, she discussed portraying Ju-ae, a rookie actress cast in the infamous 1980s film “Madame Aema,” as the drama explores the hidden struggles behind Korea’s erotic cinema boom.

Opposite Lee Ha-nee, who plays top star Hee-ran, Bang brings to life the challenges faced by women navigating fame and exploitation in that era.

Bang said she was thrilled to finally meet audiences through the work. “We filmed this two years ago, and I’m so happy it’s finally out. I feel good knowing that so many people are watching it,” she said.

She added that her friends praised the show’s dialogue, art direction and costumes. “Some of my friends had never seen me act before, and they told me they were glad to finally watch me perform.”

A long road to the role

Bang earned the part of Ju-ae after a highly competitive audition process. “I submitted a video for the first round, then met the director in the second. By the third round, the director and assistant director had me read almost all of the lines from episodes one through six,” she recalled.

During one reading, she noticed the director tearing up. “At first I thought the light was playing tricks, but he was really crying. Then the assistant director and I both cried too.”

The actress also recalled the director praising her for her sincerity. “He told me he liked how carefully I delivered each line, and that I was the first actor to really express the dialogue he had written.”

On set, she worked alongside veterans including Lee Ha-nee, Jin Sun-kyu, Park Hae-joon and Cho Hyun-chul.

Her confrontational scenes with Park were particularly intense. “In real life, he’s the complete opposite — a very warm senior. He struggled with playing his harsh character and often asked, ‘Do I really have to go this far?’ He would apologize after every take,” she said with a laugh.

An unlikely path to acting

Although she graduated from Sejong University’s film department, Bang said she never planned to become an actor.

“Until high school I had no thoughts of acting. I once mistook a nearby acting academy for a guitar school. I thought I could join a band if I learned guitar, so I signed up — and that’s how it all started,” she said.

Born in 1995, Bang is considered a latecomer to the industry, debuting at 30. “I worked so many part-time jobs before acting — teaching kids, giving acting lessons and working in cafes, ice cream shops, bakeries, clothing stores and even department stores,” she said.

A Daegu native, she added that her parents, though reserved, were proud. “They didn’t express it openly, but after the release they were very happy. They told me it was a wonderful role, and I could feel how proud they were.”

Unlike her bold character Ju-ae, Bang described herself as calm and introverted. “Sometimes I’m amazed at myself — how am I standing in front of people acting? When the camera rolls, I change. But once the director says cut, I go quiet again, sitting off in a corner on set.”

This article from Xportsnews is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.