Interview: 'Study Group' star Han Ji-eun leaves comfort zone to play enigmatic con artist in 'Anna X'
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Over the past few months, the actress has tackled roles across a variety of mediums. Starting with the romantic comedy "Can We Get Married?" in October 2024, Han has since appeared in the action film "Hitman 2," portrayed the devoted chaebol heiress Choi Go-eun in the tvN drama series "When the Stars Gossip" and the passionate teacher Lee Han-kyung in "Study Group."
"There are times when people don't even recognize me from one project to another. It's a little bittersweet, but ultimately, I take it as a compliment. It means they see me as the character."
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From film and television to the stage, Han Ji-eun is making her presence unmistakable this year.
Over the past few months, the actress has tackled roles across a variety of mediums. Starting with the romantic comedy “Can We Get Married?” in October 2024, Han has since appeared in the action film “Hitman 2,” portrayed the devoted chaebol heiress Choi Go-eun in the tvN drama series “When the Stars Gossip” and the passionate teacher Lee Han-kyung in “Study Group.”
On top of that, the 37-year-old actor is pushing her boundaries further by stepping onto the stage as enigmatic con artist Anna in “Anna X,” currently running at the LG Arts Center in Seoul until Sunday.
The play, based on the true story of Anna Sorokin -- the socialite imposter who swindled New York’s elite -- challenges Han with a role that teeters between deception and sincerity.
“I always want to be an actor that sparks curiosity. I don’t want to be confined to a mold or prejudice,” Han said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald.
“There are times when people don’t even recognize me from one project to another. It’s a little bittersweet, but ultimately, I take it as a compliment. It means they see me as the character.”
Though she briefly performed on stage as a student in 2013, “Anna X” is Han’s first major foray into theater.
“As an actor, you develop habits -- ways of analyzing characters, approaches to performance. But I started questioning whether I was becoming too comfortable, whether I was limiting myself without realizing it,” Han said when explaining why she took the stage to break out of her comfort zone.
“I’ve been working nonstop, jumping from project to project, often with very little time to prepare before filming begins. At some point, I found myself wondering: Have I truly poured everything into each role? Or am I just following a pattern?”
This internal restlessness led her to seek a new challenge.
“Stepping into unfamiliar territory forces you to see things in a new light. I wanted to experience something that would shake me up,” she said.
Beyond the format, Han was drawn to Anna's complexity.
“Anna isn’t a typical con artist. She operates in a psychological gray area. Fully understanding her required intense study and reinterpretation,” Han said. “That process was incredibly rewarding. I needed a role that pushed my limits."
Approaching her 20th year in acting, Han remains hungry for more.
“There’s still so much I want to explore. People have certain expectations of an actor’s career, but I don’t see why those limitations matter. I want to break those preconceptions.”
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