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Lee Hanee, Korean actress and star of Killing Romance and Phantom, on balancing light and dark roles, and the catharsis of playing a character full of ‘rage and sadness’
- Lee Hanee, star of the cult hit Korean comedy Killing Romance and the period espionage drama Phantom, tells the Post why she sought a ‘dark role’ in the latter
- She also talks about the ‘unique’ appeal of Killing Romance, and the parallels she found between her actress character in the film and her own career
Reading Time:3 minutes
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It is no exaggeration to say that Lee Hanee is having a moment.
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The 2023 New York Asian Film Festival in July gave the Best from the East award for outstanding performance to the Korean actress for three films – Alienoid, Killing Romance and Phantom.
The latter two screened during the festival, giving Lee the opportunity to meet some of her fans in the United States. She took time out to speak with the Post before introducing the North American premiere of Phantom.
A spy drama set in World War II, Phantom finds Lee’s character suspected of being part of an espionage ring in Seoul. She admits it was difficult to play such a dark role.
“It was horrible sometimes,” she says. “I had such a deep, deep sorrow that I had to swallow. There’s a scene where my sister dies in front of me, and it felt like my intestines were being chopped up.
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