While promoting “The Intern,” the actress reflected on anxiety, perfectionism and her changing approach to both acting and life
Han So Hee has spoken candidly about her desire to leave behind the anxiety that once pushed her to the edge, build a healthier relationship with acting and eventually create a stable family life.
During an interview in Seoul’s Samcheong-dong neighborhood on September 8, the actress discussed her upcoming film “The Intern,” the intense pressure she has placed on herself throughout her career and the direction she wants her life to take as she moves through her 30s.
Her remarks about wanting to marry before turning 40 attracted attention, but they were part of a broader reflection on stability a quality Han now hopes to find within herself, in her career and in a future partner.
Han So Hee wants to stop pushing herself to the edge
Director Kim Do Young and veteran actor Choi Min Sik previously described Han as possessing a sensitive and somewhat unstable quality that naturally appears in her performances.
Responding to their observations, Han acknowledged that she has often approached acting by deliberately placing herself under extreme psychological pressure.
“I always tend to push myself to the edge when preparing for a project,” she said, explaining that the behavior may come from viewing herself as an incomplete person rather than a perfect performer.
That anxiety has helped shape the emotionally intense screen presence seen in projects including “The World of the Married,” “My Name” and “Gyeongseong Creature.” However, Han said she no longer believes that continuously destabilizing herself is a sustainable way to work.
The actress now wants to lead herself forward from a more grounded emotional state.
“I cannot continue acting with this tendency forever,” she said. “I need to let it go and guide myself while remaining stable.”
Her comments suggest a meaningful shift in how she defines artistic growth. Instead of treating emotional distress as a necessary source of creativity, Han is beginning to view physical and mental stability as essential to sustaining a long-term career.
Anxiety has long influenced the way she sees life
The subject is not new to Han.
She previously discussed spending considerable time reading “The Book of Disquiet,” a work associated with Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa. She was especially affected by its treatment of anxiety as an ordinary emotion that people continually carry and manage.
Han compared anxiety to thin sheets of paper that must be cleared away regularly before they accumulate. That image reflects how she has approached her career: confronting each day’s uncertainty while continuing to move forward.
Now, however, she appears less interested in constantly fighting herself.
Han said one of her biggest goals is simply to become healthier in both body and mind. Although acting is an art form, she noted that it also requires technical consistency. Managing her condition, energy and concentration is therefore necessary if she wants to portray a wider variety of characters.
She has also begun spending more time examining her own thoughts and identity.
In the past, Han said, she frequently wondered whether the public would approve of her actions. Questions about whether people would like or dislike her behavior occupied much of her attention.
These days, she is trying to focus more on understanding herself. When her thoughts become overwhelming, she also practices finding ways to mentally “switch them off.”
Han So Hee hopes to marry before turning 40
Han’s growing interest in stability extends to her personal future.
During another interview promoting the film, she joked that if she were not an actress, she would like to work as an entertainment reporter because she types quickly and would enjoy interviewing celebrities. Asked what she would want to ask them, she replied, “When are you getting married?”
When the question was turned back on her, Han revealed that she genuinely hopes to marry before she turns 40.
She explained that she does not necessarily have a fantasy about marriage itself. Her interest is more closely connected to her desire to have a child and experience motherhood.
As for her ideal partner, Han named emotional stability as one of the most important qualities. She then jokingly added that she would also prefer someone handsome for the sake of their future child’s genetics.
The lighthearted comment drew laughter, but her emphasis on stability was consistent with what she said about her professional life. After years of using tension and uncertainty to propel herself forward, Han now appears drawn to relationships and environments that offer emotional security.
Han also said that if she eventually has a child, she would ideally like to step away from acting until the child begins elementary school. She wants to spend the early years creating positive memories and giving the child as much time with their mother as possible.
Her comments describe a personal hope rather than an announced relationship or immediate marriage plan.
“The Intern” reflects similar questions about ambition and balance
The timing of Han’s reflections is particularly relevant to her role in “The Intern,” a Korean adaptation of the 2015 Hollywood film starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro.
Han plays Sun Woo, the founder of a company that becomes a rising force in the fashion industry only three years after its launch. Choi Min Sik portrays Gi Ho, a professional with 37 years of work experience who joins her company as a senior intern.
The story follows the unlikely partnership that develops between the young, ambitious CEO and the older employee as they navigate generational differences, workplace hierarchy and the challenge of maintaining a life beyond work.
Like Hathaway’s character in the original film, Sun Woo is highly driven but struggles beneath the pressure of leading a rapidly growing company. That tension between ambition and emotional sustainability closely parallels Han’s recent thoughts about her own career.
The Korean adaptation is directed by Kim Do Young, known for “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982.” According to Warner Bros. Korea, the film will open in South Korean theaters on September 16. It marks the first on-screen collaboration between Han and Choi.
The original “The Intern” became a major commercial success and attracted more than 3.6 million moviegoers in South Korea. The remake retains its central intergenerational premise while adapting the workplace culture and emotional details for Korean audiences.
For Han, the film arrives at a point when the questions faced by her character—how to remain ambitious without losing emotional balance seem especially personal.
Rather than abandoning her drive, the actress appears to be redefining strength. Her next stage may be less about pushing herself to the edge and more about learning how to keep moving without sacrificing her health, identity or hope for a stable future.