In an interview with Star Today, Ha Ji Won confessed that she loves that nickname -- a name she often hears lately from her Japanese fans. So yeah, her fans worldwide start calling her the same.
Well... First of all, she's an amazing actress. When she's acting, she's totally absorbed in the story.
She said, "I can only cry if I understand the situation. I can never cry if I think of sad thoughts that are irrelevant. Even if the staff is quiet or loud, it doesn't bother me (when I have to cry)."
She admitted that she cried watching (watching, okay. not acting) some scenes of Secret Garden. (I remember Lee Jong Suk talked about it too. He saw Ha Ji Won cry watching a scene of SeGa and he was very amazed). On Win Win, she cried as she talked about the script of Korea (As One). And when it comes to love line in the movie/drama, she said she really falls in love during filming. Aww...
Ha Ji Won chooses her projects very well, that's what people say. About this, she reasoned that if she's touched by the script, it usually works with the audience too. Ha Ji Won takes bold steps to try out roles that are less thought of. She acted in Damo and Miracle on the 1st Street which others were reluctant to take up. We saw her pioneering spirit again in a 3D block buster, Sector 7.
Ha Ji Won's devotion to her work is legendary. For Sector 7, she had physical training 8 hours a day. Due to it, her trainer said, she has the most muscle mass out of all actresses in Korea. She also refused to use stunt for dangerous scenes.
While filming Hwang Jin Yi, she slept no more than 5 hours a week. The result? She fainted out of exhaustion and her skin suffered. Her eyes were so sore that she had to keep applying eye drops to keep them moist.
Wow.. No wonder she's a constant awardee.
Korea's action queen
(Like Hyun Bin said, she's so good at it.
And, ehem, look at that toned body)
Ha Ji Won is also chosen as the actress most actors want to work with (Lucky Lee Seung Gi. He said he wanted to work with Ha Ji Won and his dream came true), because she's known to be an actress who shines the light most for actors.
What does it mean? Well, let's review an article released via newsen.com. The article describes Ha Ji Won as a midfielder because she diligently influences the outcome of a match, passes the ball to her team, and at the right time she also scores the points for the team. What is common in actors like Ha Ji Won who focuses on others? It is the absence of the 'I should stand out' attitude and selfish desire. The actors who played opposite of Ha Ji Won have all received an upgrade in skills and performances. Lee Seo Jin, Jo In Sung, and Jang Geun Suk have all become top class actors after working with Ha Ji Won (translation credit: alou from thedramascenes.com).
It reminds me of what Hyun Bin said on tvN's Taxi. He said, he used to think of sad events in real life to act out sad scenes, but it's different for Secret Garden. He really cried as Kim Joo Won.
Then there's Lee Seung Gi. He was in despair when he started The King 2 Hearts because he felt his limits in acting. But later on, he's so into his character, Lee Jae Ha. Watching Jae Ha, I could feel the weight on his shoulders and his deep love for Hang Ah. Lee Seung Gi himself admitted that among all actresses he's worked with, Ha Ji Won left the deepest impression on him. He learned a lot from her and he thinks he's becoming a better actor.
So I came to a conclusion: Ha Ji Won brings out the best in people.
Furthermore, she has a great personality. Based on what I've seen so far, she is always able to get along with her co-stars, and thus, create chemistry with them
(In a recent interview, Ha Ji Won said that her chemistry with Lee Seung Gi is so good that she can actually cry just by looking at his eyes. Oh, and they ranked first in the 'best-matched older woman-younger man couple in a drama' poll).
(cr: jiwonderland0628@YouTube)
Even with Hyun Bin, she has that chemistry. I heard it's not easy to be close to him. Hyun Bin's co-star in "Late Autumn", Tang Wei said that Hyun Bin was reserved and that "he acts too cool around people". Wait, what? That's not what I see on Secret Garden BTS.
Well, Hyun Bin himself said that among all of his leading ladies, Ha Ji Won is the one he didn't feel awkward with, for some reasons...
I don't know how she does that. Is it because she laughs a lot? When she guested on Family Outing 1, she was really popular among male casts. One of them said, it's because she gave big reactions. Even if it wasn't that funny, she laughed with all her might. Haha.
Well, I guess it doesn't work. She laughs a lot until now. I remember on Secret Garden DVD Commentary, she said she tried really hard to suppress her laughter when she filmed a scene with Hyun Bin. In the scene, Joo Won poked Ra Im's cheek. And I was like, huh? What's so funny about that?
