The History Of Ha Ji Won's Hollywood Courtship
Ha Ji Won met a Hollywood producer this week to talk about a possible future project but it's not the first time she has been to Hollywood.
According to her entertainment agency, Sun and Moon Entertainment, the actress had a recent meeting with Jeffrey Godsick, the director of Twentieth Century Fox.
"She had a meeting with Twentieth Century Fox, but we cannot disclose the details," a Sun and Moon Entertainment representative told Yonhap News.
But this meeting is only the next small step in Hollywood's courtship of the k-drama and k-movie star. She's had Hollywood meetings before.
The actress already declined more than one Hollywood film offer to star in the 51-episode saeguk "Empress Ki." And that was a smart move as the drama led the ratings for the length of its duration.
Before beginning "Empress Ki" Ha Ji Won was already signed with a talent agency in Hollywood. Last summer she became the first female Korean star to sign with The United Talent Agency, the Hollywood agency that represents Johnny Depp, Ewan McGregor, James McAvoy, Celine Dion, Nicholas Hoult, Gwyneth Paltrow, Daniel Radcliffe, Uma Thurman and Channing Tatum. According to Sun and Moon Entertainment she is the first female Korean star to sign with UTA.
One reason the actress is so appealing to Hollywood studios is that she does her own stunts, so she's a natural for the kinds of roles that Angelina Jolie has become famous for.
"My ideal female role model is someone who is not fragile," Ha Ji Won said. "I want to keep doing action scenes."
When she takes on a role, she also learns whatever she needs to make that role more realistic. And that includes learning martial arts training, learning to box, belly dancing or improving her tennis skills. She swims, lifts weights, scuba dives and has a motorcycle license. Her interest in doing her own action scenes began after she played a stunt double in "Secret Garden" and that interest has not diminished.
"I must have been a female warrior in a past life," she said.
Ha Ji Won did her own stunts without a double for the drama "King 2 Hearts" and the film "Sector 7." She rode horses in Empress Ki and did her own martial arts scenes. For the film "The Huntresses," she mastered the art of belly dancing.
Whatever Hollywood films were discussed this week, the actress cannot start any new projects right away as she is scheduled to begin filming "Chronicles of a Blood Merchant" in early June.
