Kim Ha-neul in a scene from 'Red Swan.' Photos courtesy of Disney+

Kim Ha-neul, renowned for her performances across Korean television and cinema, has etched a new milestone in her career by joining the cast of Disney+’s revenge drama “Red Swan,” which marks her debut in streaming entertainment.

As it turns out, Ha-neul’s decision to take part in the project is rooted in her love for “The Bodyguard,” the 1993 film about a former Secret Service agent who becomes the bodyguard of a famous singer, played by Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, respectively.

“I loved the film ‘The Bodyguard’ back in the days because I grew up in those days. It was so hooking to see this concept after quite a while,” the 46-year-old actress said in a recent online press conference.

“Red Swan,” which premieres Wednesday (July 3) on Disney’s streaming service, centers on Oh Wan-soo (played by Ha-neul). Once a promising golfer, Wan-soo ends up marrying Kim Yong-guk (Jung Gyu-woon), the heir of the family-controlled conglomerate Hwain Group.

After marrying into the Hwain Group, Wan-soo becomes a philanthropist who runs the company’s foundation, but soon finds her life in danger after figuring in a terrorist attack. The incident leads to Seo Do-yoon (played by Jung Ji-hoon) entering Wan-soo’s life as her bodyguard, harboring a secret motivation to avenge a friend who lost his life.

“When I first read the script... What hooked me about the script was how there were a lot of twists and turns. It was so gripping, a page-turner,” Ha-neul said.

Dubbed as a “queen of romantic comedy,” Ha-neul gained fame through a series of romance films in the early 2000s, notably including “My Tutor Friend.” 

Over time, she has expanded her cinematic repertoire, starring in the crime thriller “Blind,” for which she received accolades at prestigious award shows like the Grand Bell and Blue Dragon Film Awards, and the psychological thriller “Misbehavior.”

More recently, she is known for starring in the series “18 Again” with Lee Do-hyun, and “Nothing Uncovered,” alongside Yeon Woo-jin and Jang Seung-jo.

Kim Ha-neul, left, and Jung Ji-hoon (Rain)

‘Intense, fierce action’

For Ha-neul, the most intriguing part of “Red Swan” are its “intense and fierce” action scenes, most of which feature her co-star Ji-hoon, who is also known as the K-pop star Rain.

“I have a lot of lines, I'm the one that does most of the talking [in the series]... but when we filmed those action scenes, there were less lines, I just screamed, shouted and watched people being engaged in that intense action,” she shared.

“That gives me so much excitement — the fact that people are risking their lives and throwing themselves in front of me to help me, so I was really immersed in those scenes.”

Ji-hoon interjected, saying in jest, “She was on set every time I was doing those action scenes but she was sleeping. She was so reassured, so safe that she dozed off.”

Preparation

In preparation for her role, Ha-neul said she conducted research on goodwill ambassadors, closely observing their behaviors. “They’re very confident, graceful so I tried to learn from their gestures and how they stand before the public, their mindset and everything,” she said.

Additionally, the actress practiced golfing since Wan-soo was a world-class golfer. “I did play a little bit of golf in the past, but [in this show] because I have to be the best in the world, no matter how hard I practiced, my posing and everything, I couldn't quite pull it off 100 percent,” she said.

“I tried my best to practice and director Park [Hong-kyun] did his best to capture it beautifully on camera,” she added.

At the press conference, Ji-hoon was all praise for his co-star, especially in scenes where she would exchange lines with veteran actress Seo Yi-sook, who plays the chairman of the Hwain Group.

“I think she (Ha-neul) was oozing with charisma. For me, I thought she was truly a professional because of the amount of lines that she had,” said Ji-hoon.

“With Yi-sook and Ha-neul, the two of them acting against each other and off of one another on screen, it’s truly something that grips you. I think their banter was really amazing to see, to the point that when I was watching, I told the director, ‘I think I need to leave.’”

Ji-hoon said he hopes the series “will become the most successful, biggest show on Disney+ this year.”

Ha-neul, on the other hand, believes Disney+’s global subscribers would be able to appreciate the show. “The stories are sometimes very straightforward and relatable so I think foreign, non-Korean viewers will also be able to relate to our show very much,” she said.

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