YOU MAY either like her or you may be irritated by her. There is no in between. I’m talking about Kang Han-na’s role in the latest Netflix drama “Start Up” starring Bae Suzy, Nam Joo-hyuk and Kim Seon-ho.
In reality though, Kang Han-na is extremely likeable in person. An intellectual, book afficionado, budding artist (doodles a lot!) and foodie, there is nothing to hate about this wonderful human being.
To ease your stress, or get you more impressed, read on to know more about our lovable (or not) leading lady, Kang Han-na.
EARLY LIFE
Born on January 30, 1989 in Seoul, South Korea, Kang Han-na finished her college education at the Chung Ang University with the degree of Bachelor of Theater. She enjoys travelling, as can be seen in her Instagram photos. She is also interested in reading tons of books. As a self-confessed intellectual and a theater fan, she enjoyed acting in a play “The Seagull” which was written by the famous Anton Chekhov.
In fact, as a theater graduate, she dreams of playing a role in any of Shakespeare’s stories. She believes that the lines on his plays are wonderful expressions of life in general.
CAREER BEGINNINGS: FILMS
Although she began her acting career in her 20s, Kang Han Na slowly climbed the ladder from appearing in minor roles to getting more screen time and projects. She first started her career in her debut films “Last Homecoming” and “King of Guitar” in 2009.
This was followed by several appearances in 2013 in three mainstream movies such as “Fasten Your Seatbelt” (where she played the character Mary), “Commitment” (acted as a part time staff of the Waffle house) and “Friend: The Great Legacy” (played the role of Ah-ram).
In 2015, she appeared in three other films: “Empire of Lust” (played the role of Ga-hee), “Informality” (a short film that she voiced on) and “Stand” (played Kang Han-na).
TELEVISION SERIES AND RADIO SHOW
Her first appearance in a television series was in 2013 with “Miss Korea”, aired at MBC. She got projects the next two years in the series “To Be Continued” and “My Mom”. Her biggest break was with the all star-studded cast “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” where she played the chacter Hwangbo Yeon-hwa, the wife/half-sister of Prince Wang So (played by Lee Joon Gi). For this role, she received the Best New Actress nomination at the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards.
She also is currently hosting a radio show called “Volume Up” on KBS 2FM. This highest rated radio program was dubbed as the “rule or the dinner time” for its high ratings across both AM and FM in Seoul. She joined the long-running program with fellow actors Yoo In Na and Lee Soo Hyun.
FRIENDS, AGENCY, AND OTHERS
Although the antagonist in the show Scarlet Heart Ryeo, she maintained good relationship with the show’s star IU. Through the years, they built good friendship and often hangs out in search for good meals around the city.
She ended her contract with previous agency, Fantagio in 2019. Although the event was highly controversial and was covered numerous news and magazine outlets, the blip was over when she signed with her new agency, KeyEast. KeyEast also handles the career of other actors such as, Kim Dong Wook, Woo Do Hwan, Ju Ji Hoon, Moon Ga Young and Kim Seo Hyung.
2020 PROJECTS
She is currently playing the role of Won In Jae or Seo In Jae in “Start Up”, the older sister of Dalmi. Often the misunderstood “villain”, she portrays her character really well. Although she has everything the society wants, she wants to make it on her own and rely on her skills and talents.
For this role, she was approached by the director Oh Choong Hwan and writer Park Hye Run to cut her long hair, as part of the character. Without any qualms or complaints, she just went to a salon and had a haircut to fit the image of the character perfectly.
Are you convinced yet? She’s such a great actress that she makes her role extremely believable and effective. In reality, she’s just a sweet cinnamon roll who gets along well with her co-actors. As of today, there are only a few episodes left in “Start Up”, so go catch up!
