Veteran Actress Receives Less Screen Time Than Newcomers but Embraces It

Bae Hae Sun opens up about 24 years of small roles and career struggles in new interview

Veteran actress Bae Hae Sun has spoken out about her long career filled with mostly small supporting roles. Despite 24 years in the biz, she admits she still gets fewer and smaller parts than many rookie actors and rising stars.

The actress first made her debut in 2002 with the movie Who Are You? and gained attention for a memorable slap scene with Kim Tae Hee in the drama Yong-Pal. Since then, Bae Hae Sun has appeared in hit dramas like Hotel Del Luna, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, and All of Us Are Dead, but mostly in minor roles.

In an interview with ELLE KOREA, she opened up about how she deals with dissatisfaction and career setbacks. Bae Hae Sun doesn’t care about the size of her role. Instead, she focuses on whether the role moves or excites her.

“Especially if I’m worried I might fail because the task is something unfamiliar, that makes me only more determined to say ‘Ok! I want to try it.’” – Bae Hae Sun

She also enjoys the downtime on set, watching the staff and learning from different parts of the filming process.

“Whenever I wasn’t the one filming a scene, I felt that it was refreshing to see how dedicated everyone is to the project. It inspires my world of imagination, which makes me feel alive.”

Bae Hae Sun’s attitude toward small roles is unusual in an industry obsessed with fame and starring parts. She sees them as an opportunity to grow and improve her craft.

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Check out the full inspiring interview from ELLE KOREA below.