Lee Han Byeol - Mask Girl: Overcame 1000 opponents to accept the role, was once criticized for her appearance

On the big screen, there are actors who only need one role to make a name for themselves. Lee Han Byeol, the heroine of Mask Girl, is a good example. Although she is just an emerging actress, she has left a deep impression on the audience.

Webtoon (network comics) with fascinating, rich stories about the genre has been the inspiration for many Korean dramas in recent years.

Previously, Moving (Super Junior Team) was an adaptation of the webtoon that created great success in many countries around the world. And after Moving, the audience continued to see an adaptation of the webtoon with a huge investment called Mask Girl (Mask Girl) composed by Mae Mi and Hee Se.

The webtoon quickly attracted attention thanks to unexpected twists and colorful characters. And now, under the talented hands of director Kim Yong Hoon – who is known for Beasts Clawing At Straws (2020), the story has been adapted into a movie.

On the day of Mask Girl's release, Netflix also released messages from two original creators, Mae Mi and Hee Se. They were impressed with the actors' performances and made no secret of their pride in the movie version. But amid the sea of people, Lee Han Byul, the film's heroine, stands out above all.

It can be said that after "Mask Girl" aired, unknown rookie Lee Han Byeol became the name that the audience was most interested in. Not as charming, beautiful as Nana, not as famous and good at "age hacking" as Go Hyun Jung, Lee Han Byeol still shines despite only appearing in 2 episodes because of his excellent performance.

Excellent performance of the most haunting version of Kim Mo Mi

In "Mask Girl," Lee Han Byeol plays a version of Kim Mo Mi who has not had plastic surgery. Mo Mi is just an ordinary office worker, with a normal life, close colleagues and of course they all have not too outstanding appearance. Since childhood, Mo Mi has grown up with criticism about her appearance and her dream of becoming a celebrity forced to "shelve" because of her less beautiful face. Even her mother had never spoken softly to her.

Growing up in inferiority complexes makes Mo Mi live a closed life and have deviant thoughts, such as falling in love with a married superior, feeling satisfied when being with this man. She also aspires to fame so much that she decides to wear a mask, dress sexy, livestream and follow all the demands of netizens, as long as she receives acclaim and money. Love, deviant thoughts, appearance complexes,... it all pushed Mo Mi into the pit of tragedy she dug herself out.

There are no action scenes like Kim Mo Mi versions of Nana and Go Hyun Jung, there are many scenes that cover all faces, but Lee Han Byeol still excels at convincing the audience to believe in his character: a pitiful but also obnoxious Kim Mo Mi. It is a truly vivid and haunting Mo Mi, from her face to her voice, her eyes, every gesture makes viewers marvel at her. Watching the drama, the audience could not expect Lee Han Byeol to be an acting rookie, having never had any roles in the past. It can be said that Lee Han Byeol is really a great find by director Kim Young Hoon, a discovery that should have been... discovered much longer.

Overcome 1000 opponents to receive roles, empathize with the character

If you know about Lee Han Byeol's journey to conquer this role, the audience will not be too surprised by her absolutely perfect acting. Lee Han Byeol had to overcome 1,000 other contestants to win over the director: "I'm so grateful that the director believed in me and chose me, reading Mo Mi's story and watching the script, I sympathized with her anxiety and deprivation. Where do emotions take root? Is it sad or proud to see that journey? I met Mo Mi with that feeling. I think I should be well prepared for that feeling." Director Kim Yong Hoon said, "I met Lee Han Byeol fatefully along with a lot of other actors during the audition. Her strong desire to act really resonated with the emotions Kim Mo Mi was having."

Talking about his experience when he first came to the set and met senior Go Hyun Jung, Lee Han Byeol revealed, "When I first met Go Hyun Jung, he said, 'You're Mo Mi A, right? You're Mo Mi C' and hugged me. I was nervous, but when I saw her smiling brightly, when we called out the character's name, we did it together."

Lee Han Byeol said that she really loved the experience of living with Kim Mo Mi, and she also revealed that she empathized with the character because in the past, Han Byeol was treated unfairly because of her appearance: "Similar to Mo Mi, I have also encountered hurtful moments related to my appearance. However, such an experience did not disgust me with myself nor did I have any problem taking on the role of a character who is unattractive in appearance. I found enjoyment and a sense of fulfillment during the entire filming process."

Han Byeol considers her biggest mission to make the character of Mo Mi leave an unforgettable impression on viewers from the first moment of Mask Girl. She also hopes viewers can find empathy and solace when enjoying this work.

Talking more about Han Byeol, she was born in 1992 and has now officially debuted as a member of Ace Factory. This is the agency of some other famous actors such as Lee Si Young, Lee Jun Hyuk, Lee You Young. Currently, the audience almost does not know anything about Lee Han Byeol's education, life, and personal life, partly because the Mask Girl crew has carefully prepared for her surprise appearance. Han Byeol's profile doesn't have many personal photos from the past, only that she seems to be passionate about photography and set up a separate page to store her photos.

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