Actor Ha Yerin, who has a leading role in the fourth season of the hit Netflix series "Bridgerton," poses for cameras on March 4 at a news conference held at Community House Masil in Seoul's Jung-gu District. (Netflix)

By Xu Aiying

A Korean Australian girl who dreamed of acting while watching her grandmother performing in theater is now a rising actor on the global stage: Ha Yerin.

Playing a major Asian character in the fourth season of "Bridgerton," an original Netflix series, she spoke candidly on March 4 about her identity as an actor and the production at a news conference held at Community House Masil in Seoul's Jung-gu District.

Based on the eponymous novel by American author Julia Quinn, the drama debuted in 2020. Set in 19th-century England, it has gained global popularity for portraying aristocratic social culture through a contemporary lens.

The latest season focuses on the romance between Benedict Bridgerton (played by actor Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Ha). Since the release of its eight episodes on Feb. 26, the fourth season of the series has topped the Netflix charts for shows in English in 82 countries.

Veteran actor Son Sook, grandmother of Korean Australian actor Ha Yerin, appears in Netflix's original Korean series "The Glory." (Screen capture from Netflix's official website)

Born in Australia, Ha returned to Korea to study acting at Kaywon High School of Arts and later attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney. While preparing for her graduation performance, she auditioned for and landed a role in the Paramount Plus series "Halo," whose executive director is Steven Spielberg.

Ha said her maternal grandmother, Son Sook, a veteran actor in Korean theater, inspired her to pursue acting.

"When I was little, I watched my grandmother's plays every time I came to Korea, and the one I remember most is her one-woman show," Ha said. "One scene had her cry like a baby while hugging a pillow, and the audience cried along. I recognized the beauty of being an actor, being able to offer empathy and comfort through theater. I was greatly inspired by my grandmother."

At age 82, Son still performs on stage, most recently in the play "The Dream of an Old Woman."

Ha said, "I plan to go watch her performance again tomorrow."

Scene from season four of "Bridgerton" (Netflix)

The appearance of an ethnic Korean in a Western period drama clearly shows the value of modern reinterpretation pursued by "Bridgerton."

The novel's character Sophie Beckett in the series is depicted as Sophie Baek. "After I was told I got the role, I was asked in a video conference if I could change Sophie's surname 'Beckett' to a Korean one," Ha said. "I thought of Korean surnames starting with 'B' and suggested 'Baek.'"

"It felt refreshing and gratifying as an actor of Korean descent to change the surname to better reflect my identity."

Racial diversity is a key feature in "Bridgerton." Saying she senses Hollywood's growing openness to actors of color, Ha said, "I'm both happy and feel a great responsibility to play a role in leading this change by representing Asians."

She also expressed hope for working in Korean productions.

"If given the opportunity, I want to debut in a Korean production," she said. "I would consider it a great honor to stand at an international film festival through a Korean movie."

xuaiy@korea.kr