(Following Interview 1) Actress Han Geuroo revealed her feelings of despair during the 10 years of hiatus she experienced after marriage and childbirth.

Recently, Han Geuroo conducted an interview after the conclusion of the KBS2 daily drama 'Cinderella Game' at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam, Seoul.

'Cinderella Game' is a drama depicting the story of a woman who, used as a fake daughter by her enemy, becomes a Hwashin of revenge, realizing the true meaning of revenge while growing and healing. Han Geuroo played the role of Gu Ha-na, a passionate single mother full of survival instincts and responsibility.

Earlier, Han Geuroo privately married a businessman 9 years her senior in 2015 and gave birth to twins in 2017, but announced her divorce in September 2022. After disappearing from the entertainment industry following the 2014 tvN drama 'Marriage Not Dating' and a special appearance in 'Super Daddy Yeol' in 2015, she dedicated herself to parenting and declared her return to the industry alongside her divorce. She then resumed her acting career through the ENA drama 'Naughty Photo Studio' broadcast last year.

When asked about her life during the 10-year hiatus, she said, "I poured everything into raising my children. The kids had such a strong obsession with needing their mom that I thought I had to do it all by myself. As I started parenting like that, I found it hard to let go. I was gripped by an obsession of 'I can't not feed them.' Then, during the divorce, I thought that I needed to work to support myself. When I thought about what I could do, I found that I have no experience for anything else, and going back to this (acting) is really the only option. I was scared thinking, 'Will anyone hire me now?' and 'Even I feel like they wouldn't hire me.'

Moreover, born in 1992, Han Geuroo is 32, but she has experienced marriage, childbirth, and divorce at a young age. She expressed her feelings, saying, "I became ambiguous. In fact, I am not that old, but I am a person who has married, had children, and divorced. Even if the other person is older, I feel like I am older, so from the perspective of casting directors, I thought a lot about what roles they could give me.

She continued, "Fortunately, Director Song Hyun-wook kept in touch with me during my breaks after 'Marriage Not Dating.' The truth is, I could send texts to directors or acquaintances when I found a project interesting during my breaks, but I thought it would feel burdensome. I was worried that it might feel like I was asking for a favor, so I didn't contact anyone. But Director Song always reached out to check in on me and would ask me whenever he had a project, 'Would you like to try this?' Then, when I expressed my desire to return, he offered me 'Naughty Photo Studio.' When he asked, 'It’s this kind of role, would you like to try it?' I replied, 'Yes, I absolutely want to.' That was the start, and I am genuinely grateful for that.

When asked about the turning point that helped her regain her fallen confidence due to her circumstances, she recalled, "Among the older sisters I became close with while working, many shared similar concerns after getting married, having children, and divorcing. They often talked about their experiences transitioning from playing lead roles to mother roles. They said it was both good and frustrating, and they felt pressured to perform well. But as I started working, I became really sympathetic to what that was like."

She added, "The reason I can confidently say 'Give me any role' is that peers my age are gradually rising and flourishing, while my path is a bit different. I can take on roles that those friends might want to play later on right now. That way, the roles I can take on increase. I feel that if there are just the roles given in any project, I can work with the mindset to do my best. In the past, it took a long time to get to meetings. I used to discuss my thoughts alone and with the company about this and that, but now that I think I can do anything, I find it enjoyable and I end up seeing many more scripts. The variety of roles is also diverse. I think, looking back, I didn’t have the opportunity to review such a large number of scripts back then, so I am really happy about that." (Continued in Interview 3.)

[Photo] Han Geuroo

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