The Multi-faceted Lee Da Hae

From certain angles I think Lee Da Hae resembles Song Hye Kyo who’s one of my favourite korean actresses. I’ve heard a lot about how Song and Lee are both acknowledged as very beautiful actresses but some claim that Lee is a better actress. In terms of experience, I believe Song Hye Kyo is more veteran. To me, Song Hye Kyo has brought to us one of the most classic korean dramas, Endless love (aka Autumn In My Heart), which has still remained one of my top favourites. Hence I felt quite unjustified for Song Hye Kyo whenever fans of Lee Da Hae make it sound like Song Hye Kyo is just a newbie who got famous because of Full House which was broadcast only a year earlier than My Girl. 

Well enough of digressing, this post is on Lee Da Hae!

Lee da Hae’s first memorable role was in Sweet 18 (as Moon Ga-Young) opposite Lee Dong Gun. Her character was supposed to be older than she really is so they made her wear old-fashioned clothes and her hair was short and ugly. In terms of acting, since she made me cringe so much, she did a good job making us hate her clingy ex-girlfriend character.

 

 

In 2005, Lee Da Hae acted in Green Rose with the charismatic Go Soo. There, she successfully dropped her bitchy image, as she transformed into the sweet and caring Oh Soo Ah. She looked pretty and elegant but I didn’t really appreciate her constant weeping. Tears is one thing, but crying that really brings out the agony of losing your loved one is more than tears. The story of losing your beloved, who comes back years later seemingly as another person has already been done in Winter Sonata and subsequently Stairway to Heaven, and I thought both Choi Ji Woo (as Jung Yu-jin) and Kwon Sang Woo (as Cha Song-ju) did better in their dramas respectively. (I know this sounds confusing since Choi Ji Woo was in both dramas.)

  

 

 

In the same year, Lee Da Hae transformed yet again in drama My Girl with Lee Dong Wook – this time into a cute, bubbly, and cheerful girl who’s good at lying.. and lied her way into two cute guys’ heart. At first I found her acting overly exaggerated, but it did have the comical effect. She has that mischievous gleem in her eyes and that grin which says she has something up her sleeve. Her various stunts which fooled the gullible and kind hearted Seol Gongchan upside down really made me laugh. 

  

 

 

It’s funny. When I watched her in Sweet 18, I felt she could only act as a villain because she looked really shrewd and ugly. Whereas in Green Rose, my opinion of her was that she could also do well in melodramas, but nothing more (and a comedy was even more out of the question).. But HEY! I bet she really proved alot of us wrong by successfully bringing out the liveliness and loveliness of Joo Yoo-rin.

As a follow up to her bubbly role in My Girl, her recent drama Hello! Miss did reasonably well given Lee Da Hae’s huge popularity. Her role Lee Soo Ha is the 38th granddaughter of the Jae Ahn Lee clan and owner of the clan manor Hwa Ahn Dang, who is trying to save the place from going bankrupt. She is extremely conservative and clings on to old customs, since she was brought up this way. Sounds like a refreshing background and character for romance? Lee Da Hae is less bubbly in this show but she still displays comical acting, just not as exaggerated. And I think she looks prettier in this show than in My Girl.

  

However, I feel that she will not be able to outdo her character Joo Yoo-rin in another similar role. Instead, she should try a different role and continue to amaze us with her versatility!      

Profile

Name: Lee Da Hae / Real name: Byun Da Hye / Profession: Actress / Birth date: 1984-Apr-19 / Height: 170cm / Weight: 47kg / Star sign: Aries / Blood type: O / Family: Parents and an older brother