Actress Ha-young (32) transformed into a down-to-earth nurse in 'Trauma Center'.
The Netflix series 'Trauma Center' tells the exhilarating story of genius surgeon Baek Kang-hyuk (played by Joo Ji-hoon) who is assigned to revive a virtually non-existent trauma team. It is based on a popular webtoon of the same name, created by director Lee Do-yoon, who directed the film 'Good Friends', and writer Choi Tae-gang of 'Adamas'.
Ha-young, who debuted in the 2019 drama 'Doctor Prisoner', has also appeared in dramas like 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' and the Netflix series 'Iduna!'. In 'Trauma Center', she plays the role of veteran nurse Cheon Jang-mi.
In a recent interview at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Ha-young shared that she joined the project through auditions, saying, "I found the script attractive when I received it during the audition. I enjoyed reading the original work and actively appealed to the director. I think the narrative structure of this drama is like a superhero story. The protagonist is a 'munchkin', and it has a refreshing vibe, good tempo, and chemistry among the characters, which made me want to be a part of it."
Director Lee Do-yoon, who directed 'Trauma Center', mentioned, "Ha-young's family is in the medical field, so she provided a lot of help on set."
In response, Ha-young said, "My father is a doctor, and my mother studied nursing but is now doing something else. I once worked cleaning in a hospital, and seeing the everyday staff helped me when acting."
She added, "My grandfather is known as the personal physician of Emperor Gojong, but he wasn't actually the personal physician. I heard he was the first doctor to open a Western medicine practice in Hanyang at that time. He is my great-grandfather, but I haven't heard many detailed stories about him."
Ha-young mentioned that she felt comfortable acting as Jang-mi because of the high degree of synchronization with the character, saying, "I used my actual speaking style when portraying Jang-mi. I tried to highlight my down-to-earth charm, and it felt free and good to express myself comfortably. In 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' and 'Iduna!', I mostly played feminine characters, but this time, the character is similar to my real personality, which I liked."
She also paid attention to her appearance, stating, "I styled my hair in a bob like the character from the original webtoon, and I thought it would be good to look tired, so I tied my messy hair and drew on some freckles. I referred to YouTube videos featuring nurses to see where they place their pens and what pens they commonly use when wearing nurse uniforms."
She continued, "Internally, I initially thought, 'Who is this person?' when I first saw Baek Kang-hyuk, but then I accepted it and thought about the emotional support I needed to provide. As the episodes progressed, I developed camaraderie with the trauma center staff, so I tried to capture those details."
She mentioned that studying the script with Joo Ji-hoon, Yoon Kyung-ho, Choi Young-woo, and Jung Jae-kwang before filming was very helpful.
Ha-young said, "We met in the morning to study the script for seven hours, had dinner together, and had a discussion time with the director, Young-woo, and our team. Joo Ji-hoon made me feel very comfortable. I was nervous at first, but he was very welcoming, and we quickly became close, allowing me to act comfortably. He is a 'food expert', so when we went to restaurants, he taught me how to enjoy delicious wraps."
She continued, "I thought Choi Young-woo was really good from the first reading. He is young but very talented. He performed even better on set. I had seen Jung Jae-kwang in the movie 'Not Out', so I knew he was a good actor, which was fascinating. Since we are around the same age, we joked a lot. Young-woo is humorous, and Jung Jae-kwang has a witty way of speaking, so I remember laughing until I was exhausted."
Ha-young majored in Western painting at Ewha Womans University. She then went to the School of Visual Arts in New York for graduate studies but took a leave of absence after a year to pursue her dream of becoming an actress.
She explained, "While doing video art, I naturally started taking acting classes and felt like I had to act as if I had received a calling. Art is something you do alone in a room, but sharing emotions with others is thrilling. That’s when I decided to take a leave of absence. I was 27 at the time, and I had many concerns. People around me encouraged me to continue acting, and my acting teacher also said it would be good to start early, so I pushed forward. I felt that if I didn't do it now, I might never get the chance, and I didn't want to have regrets, so I took the plunge."
She added, "In the beginning, I failed many auditions and felt a complex about not having a formal acting background. I can't say I don't feel that way now either. However, little by little, as I worked hard and received help, I gained confidence when I passed my first audition and was able to continue acting. I am grateful to the director and the drama team of 'Doctor Prisoner' for giving me the opportunity to get to where I am now."
Moreover, she expressed a desire to work on art someday, saying, "I still find it very enjoyable to visit exhibitions, and I love to look at artworks alone and get emotional. If I have the time and opportunity, I would like to continue painting, even if it's just a little, rather than having a full exhibition. I still have an easel in the studio where I practice acting, but I haven't touched it for three years; however, I always have that desire."
However, Ha-young stated, "Right now, I need to focus on my main job, which is acting," and expressed her passion for acting, saying, "I want to try action acting as well. I would like to play unpredictable characters like Baek Kang-hyuk."
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
