ENTERTAINMENT
Extreme Weight Loss for Roles: Ha Ji-won and Park Min-young's Dedication to Character Immersion
≪이소정의 유노왓≫
그거 아세요?(you know what)
그거 아세요?(you know what)
In the ENA drama 'Climax', which premiered on the 16th, Ha Ji-won, who plays the lead role, appeared noticeably thinner at the production presentation held on the 10th. She shared on a variety show that she lost weight to express the sensitive and sharp atmosphere of her character, detailing her preparation process for character immersion.
Ha Ji-won plays Choo Sang-ah, a top actress who announces her marriage to Bang Tae-seop (played by Joo Ji-hoon), a prosecutor from a humble background. Her character, who gets entangled in various incidents behind her glamorous star life, gradually becomes exhausted and frail, serving as a key element in heightening the drama's tension. Given that the character's psychological changes are visibly reflected in her appearance, Ha Ji-won attempted a transformation from her usual healthy and strong image to a gaunt and sharp look.
Her more pronounced facial features and sharper gaze, along with a thinner physique, are praised for effectively conveying the character's unstable psychological state. As the plot progresses, her character's deteriorating condition is convincingly portrayed through her physical transformation. While some viewers praise her focused acting as befitting a veteran actress, others express concern over her excessively thin appearance.
Such instances of actors losing weight for character portrayal are not uncommon in the entertainment industry. Actress Park Min-young also garnered attention for her slim appearance in the tvN drama 'Siren'. Playing the role of a chief auctioneer, she embarked on weight loss to build a sharp and cold image. This marked another extreme diet since her appearance in 'Marry My Husband' two years ago.
At the production presentation, Park Min-young explained, "Due to the character's setting of barely eating, I drank 3 liters of water a day." This was a choice to realistically portray the character's lifestyle and psychological state. However, some viewers noted issues with her pronunciation and vocalization, possibly due to the drastic weight change. Nonetheless, her choice to enhance character completeness received mixed reviews.
Both actresses share the commonality of being leading actresses in their 40s with around 20 years of debut experience. Their willingness to boldly change their appearance and image for each project, rather than just maintaining their status, is significant in proving their continued competitiveness. Ha Ji-won has showcased her presence in various genres, including action, melodrama, and historical dramas since her debut in the late 1990s, while Park Min-young has built a diverse filmography spanning romance and thrillers since her 2005 debut.
This trend is not limited to specific actresses. Kim Hee-ae and Uhm Ji-won have also adjusted their physiques for character immersion, enhancing the density of their performances. Kim Hee-ae, in the JTBC drama 'The World of the Married', heightened immersion with a sharper facial line and restrained atmosphere, portraying Ji Sun-woo, a character engulfed in anxiety and tension within a crumbling family. Uhm Ji-won is also known to have managed her physique to realistically portray characters in 'Postpartum Care Center' and 'The Uncanny Counter'.
Continuing to actively take on leading roles in their 40s is not an easy feat. Despite the rapidly changing production environment and market trends, their consistent expansion of project choices and willingness to undergo physical transformations for characters are highly regarded both inside and outside the industry.
Recently, actors' weight changes are increasingly being used as promotional points for works. In the process of emphasizing how much effort was put into a character, weight loss figures and diet management become topics of interest. At the same time, concerns about excessive physical changes potentially impacting health are also being raised.
The dedication of actors like Ha Ji-won and Park Min-young, who rigorously train themselves for their roles, continues to leave a strong impression on viewers. As their choices to maximize the desperation and tension of their characters through extreme weight loss draw attention, there is growing interest in what acting achievements these efforts will lead to in the future. Finding a balance between work quality and actor health emerges as an important task, with the challenges of these two actresses potentially serving as a catalyst for further acting transformations.
Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr
