Bae Hae-sun
Bae Hae-sun is a South Korean film, television, musical, and stage actress. Bae made her debut in 1995 as an understudy in the play Gone with the Wind. She gradually built her acting career by alternating between small and large theaters, musicals, and plays.
In 2015, she made her television debut with a supporting role as Nurse Hwang in the SBS drama Yong-pal. Bae has since become known for her supporting roles in various television dramas, including Don't Dare to Dream, ''Judge vs. Judge, A Pledge to God, Hi Bye, Mama!, Hotel del Luna, Happiness, All of Us Are Dead, as well as her lead role in Political Fever''.
Early years
Bae Hae-sun was born on May 8, 1974, in Seoul. She grew up in a challenging family environment but showed singing talent from a young age. She would often gather the women in her neighborhood and perform for them, receiving payment in return.After completing high school, she followed a friend's recommendation and applied to the Seoul Institute of the Arts. During her entrance examination, a professor recognized Bae's singing abilities and encouraged her to pursue this path. One day, while in a car, Bae heard the song "Miss Saigon," which introduced her to the world of musicals. "I had never seen a musical before," Bae recalled, "but the moment I heard the song, I felt excited. I was glad to have discovered a genre that allowed me to combine music and acting and share it with others."
Career
Debut (1995 to 2000)
Bae Hae-sun made her professional theater debut in 1995 while in her second year of college. She was cast as an understudy for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in the play Gone with the Wind, directed by her late professor, Kim Hyo-kyung. dPark Sang-ah performed the lead role, with Lee Deok-hwa and Kim Kap-soo playing Rhett Butler and Ashley, respectively. The production ran at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from July 29 to August 2, 1995. Bae did not perform in any shows, as Park Sang-ah appeared for all performances.Following her understudy debut, Bae pursued an acting career by joining the You Theater troupe. Her first significant professional stage role came in February 1997 in the play Taxi Driver, written and directed by Jang Jin. In the play, Bae portrayed Hwa-yi, a former lover of Deok-bae who becomes a taxi passenger.
Subsequently, Bae performed a chorus role in Leo Tolstoy's play Holstomer - The Story of a Horse, presented at Hoam Art Hall from May 10 to June 1, 1997. In October of the same year, she reprised her role as Hwa-yi in the Seoul Theater Festival's Taxi Driver - Where Are You Going?. Her next role was in 1998, playing Marianne A in Molière's L'Avare at Culture and Art Hall Small Theater, which ran from February 21 to March 13, 1998. Also in 1998, Bae took on the role of Gannan in the musical Sworn Brother, directed by Kim Min-ki. At age 25, she portrayed a housemaid who discovers she is pregnant with twins and faces challenges raising multiple children.
Career as Musical and Stage Actress (2000 to 2014)
In 2000, Bae joined the theater company Hakjeon and began her career as a musical actress. She started as an ensemble cast member in the musical ', which earned her a nomination for the Best Rookie Award at the 2001 Korean Musical Awards. Later that year, Bae played Serena in the musical Fame at LG Arts Center from September 29 to October 15, 2000.In 2001, Bae acted as Bae Jang-hwa in Jeong Bok-geun's play Bae Jang-hwa Bae Hong-ryeon, performed at the small theater of the Dongsung-dong Literature Center in Seoul. She also collaborated with the You Troupe again in the play A Midsummer Night's Dream, where she played Puck.
In 2002, Bae performed in the musical The Rehearsal, held at the Mesa Popcorn Hall in Namdaemun from January 26 to February 17. Bae won the Best Rookie Actress Award at the 8th Korean Musical Awards for this performance. She then played a role in the musical Cheoyoung. In the middle of 2002, Bae was selected as Annette in musical Saturday Night Fever. During practice, she sustained a right ankle ligament injury. Despite the injury, she participated in practice with a cast for over two months, focusing on singing and acting. Bae said, "Six months ago, it was hell. I like to dance in this work, but I might never be able to dance again. I was so painful because of anxiety. But the role of Annette is better than dancing. Yoon Seok-hwa's encouragement and rebuke that singing and acting are more important. I put it out." She overcame her injury and subsequently performed in lead roles on larger stages.
The following year, Bae joined the 20th-anniversary production of the rock musical ' by the theater company Hakjeon. Hakjeon had a reputation as an "Actor's Academy," having launched the careers of many actors, including Sul Kyung-gu, Bang Eun-jin, Cho Seung-woo, Jang Hyun-sung, and Hwang Jung-min. The production ran from November 5 to 8, 2003, at the Grand Theater of the Seoul Daehak-ro Literature Promotion Agency. Also in 2003, Bae was cast as Sophie in the musical Mamma Mia! She initially auditioned for a different role but was given the lead role by the directors due to her acting. This role became significant in her career as a lead actress in major musical productions. The Korean premiere of Mamma Mia! was held at the Seoul Arts Center Opera Theater from January to April 2003, attracting a total audience of 200,000 and earning 14 billion won.
In 2004, Bae starred in the encore performance of Saturday Night Fever. Later that autumn, she appeared as the main character in the musical Crazy for You, a Broadway production choreographed by Susan Stroman. Performances were held at the Sejong Performing Arts Center and ran until October 3, 2004. In December 2004, Bae reprised her role as Sophie in Mamma Mia!. This production opened at the Daegu Opera House on January 15, 2005, and ran for approximately six weeks, with around 50 shows.
Bae, alongside Moon Hye-young, was double-cast as Susan in the Korean production of the musical Tick, Tick... Boom!. Directed by Shim Jae-chan, the production ran from May 23 to 29, 2005. This was the first in the "Musical Favorites" series by Shinshi Musical Company to commemorate the opening of the New City Musical Theater in Daehak-ro. Bae received praise for her acting. Later in 2005, Bae initially auditioned for the role of Aida but was cast as Amneris in the first Korean premiere of the musical Aida. Her performance in this production earned her the Best Actress Award at the 11th Korean Musical Awards in 2005.
In 2006, Bae played Camille Claudel in the musical Camille Claudel. This musical depicted Camille Claudel, a 19th-century French sculptor and associate of Rodin, who experienced personal and artistic struggles before spending 30 years in a psychiatric hospital. The Korean premiere, the fifth work in the "Musical Favorites" series by Sinsie, began its open run on July 7, 2006, at the Daehakuro Shinshi Musical Theater. In late 2006, Bae and Kim Seon-yeong were double-cast as Eva Perón in the musical Evita, which opened in November. Evita is a rock opera musical that premiered in London's West End in 1978 and on Broadway in 1979. It recounts the life of Eva Perón, who rose from poverty to become an influential political figure in Argentina.
In 2007, Bae was appointed as an ambassador for The Musical Awards with actor Oh Man-seok. Also in 2007, Bae was triple-cast as Shinda, the lead role in the musical Dancing Shadow, with Kim Bo-kyung and Kim Sung-jo. Shin Sung-rok played the male protagonist, Solomon. Produced by Shinshi Musical Company, Dancing Shadowwas based on a play by Cha Beom-seok and was initially planned in 1999. The musical script was written by Ariel Dorfman, with music commissioned from Eric Woolfson, and directed by Paul Gerington. The production held a workshop in England in September 2006. Later, Bae and Ock Joo-hyun played Roxie Hart in the first South Korean production of the Broadway musical Chicago. Shinshi Musical Company produced the musical, which ran at the Sejong Center for two weeks from September 18 to September 30, 2007.
In 2008, Bae reprised her role as Roxy Hart in an encore performance of the South Korean production of the Broadway musical Chicago. This was followed by a role as a Casino showgirl in Eric Woolfson musical Gambler. In winter 2008, Bae acted as Catholic actress Catherine in the musical The Last 5 Years. The play opened on November 28, 2008, at Chungmu Art Hall in Sindang-dong, Seoul, and ran until February 22, 2009.
Bae returned to the play stage for the first time in eight years in the opening play of the Seoul Theater Festival, Women of Picasso. The play is an omnibus featuring monologues of four women associated with Pablo Picasso, including Bae's character, Francoise, a painter 40 years Picasso's junior. Unlike other women in the play, Francoise is depicted as an independent figure who leaves with her children when Picasso is unfaithful. Women of Picasso was performed at the Towol Theater of the Seoul Arts Center on April 16 and 26, 2009.
In 2009, Bae and Baek Min-jung both played Milady in the musical adaptation of The Three Musketeers. The musical was performed from May 12 to June 21 at the Grand Theater of Chungmu Art Hall.
In 2010, Bae played Nannell Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's older sister, in the Austrian musical Mozart. The musical was performed at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul from February 19 to 21, 2010. It was the first Austrian musical introduced in Korea and portrayed Mozart's musical journey and his relationships with individuals such as his father Leopold, his guardian Archbishop, and Constance.
In 2011, Bae acted the role of Jang Mi-joo in the play Chrysanthemum Fragrance. In 2012, Bae played the role of the daughter-in-law in the Korean production of Bob Goepfert's musical The Memory Show. The musical, which centers on family recovery and the mother-daughter relationship, was performed at Elim Hall in Daehangno, Seoul, from August 28 to November 25, 2012.
Bae acted opposite Park Ho-san in the Kim Min-jung musical Eric Satie. Park Ho-san played Eric Satie, while Bae played Susan. Directed by Park Hye-sun, the musical ran from November 22 to December 1, 2013, at the Grand Theater of Daehak-ro Arts Theater in Dongsung-dong, Seoul.
Asia Bridge Contents Co., Ltd., the performance production company, announced on November 26, 2013, that Agatha would be performed at Dongguk University's Lee Hae-rang Arts Theater starting on December 31, 2013, and running until March 2, 2014.
Debut in television (2015 to present)
After approximately two decades as a stage actress, Bae made her television debut in 2015. She had received television role offers since her early 30s but had declined them due to her theater performance schedule. However, a postponement of a performance due to the MERS outbreak created an opening in her schedule. The SBS drama Yong-pal, written by Jang Hyuk-rin and directed by Oh Jin-seok, sought an actress with strong acting skills who was not widely recognized. Bae was offered a role based on a crew member's recommendation, who had previously seen her acting in the play Scorched Love. Bae's initial on-screen role was Nurse Hwang, a nurse in charge of the 12th-floor VVIP ward, where Han Yeo-jin, the heiress of Hanshin Group, was a patient. Nurse Hwang was characterized by her distinctive behavior, treating the comatose Han Yeo-jin as her exclusive responsibility.Following her television debut, Bae returned to the stage, performing as Liz in the play Tabasco. This project reunited her with director Park Hye-sun, with whom she had previously collaborated on the musical Eric Satie. The play depicts a middle-aged couple in their 40s, an actress reflecting on past achievements, and an overseas migrant worker concerned about deportation, who examine their lives through the disappearance of their award-winning dog, Tabasco, at a dog show. Theatrical company Sagae Tampa announced on August 14, 2015, that the play would run at Daehangno Arts Theater in Seoul from November 10 to 26, 2015.
In 2016, Bae and Seo Yi-sook shared the role of Juliet's nurse in the play Romeo and Juliet. That same year, Bae portrayed Sophie in Terrence McNally's play Master Class, which is based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas. She performed opposite Yoon Seok-hwa. In autumn 2016, Bae played Dr. Geum Seok-ho in Don't Dare to Dream.
Bae was cast as Dorothy Brock in the 2017 season of the musica 42nd Street. The production presentation for the musical was held at the Millennium Seoul Hilton Grand Ballroom in Jung District, Seoul, on July 17, 2017. Also in 2017, to mark the 20th anniversary of her debut, Bae and two other actors participated in the musical Tick, Tick... Boom! The 2017 Korean production opened at Daehak-ro TOM on August 29 and ran until October 15, 2017.
In 2018, she appeared in two feature films, On Your Wedding Day and Dark Figure of Crime. Bae then reprised her role as Dorothy Brock in the 2018 season of the Broadway musical 42nd Street. This season concluded on August 19, recording an average seat occupancy rate of 95% and a total of 38 sold-out performances, setting a new record for sold-outs. The production also toured, with performances at the Daejeon Arts Center on August 25, followed by the Sohyang Art Center in Busan, Gumi Culture and Arts Center, and Ulsan Hyundai Arts Center.
In 2019, Bae reunited with Hwang Jung-min after 20 years, starring as Jocasta in the play Oedipus. Her television roles in 2019 included Choi Seo-hee, the room service manager in the drama Hotel del Luna and Lee Gil-ja, a wealthy customer in the drama VIP. Towards the end of 2019, Bae returned to theater, taking on the role of Allan in the play The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared. In addition to the 100-year-old Alan, Bae also portrayed other characters, including Franco, Stalin, Song Mei-rin, Dr. Eklund, and Kim Jong Il.
In 2020, Bae was double-cast with Jung Jae-eun as the wife in Ronald Harwood's 1980 West End and Broadway play, The Dresser. Bae appeared in two consecutive dramas: KBS's drama Memorials and tvN's drama It's Okay to Not Be Okay. In Memorials, Bae played Won Won-jeong, a politician who had served as a spokesperson for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, head of the administrative bureau, head of the Planning and Coordination Office, and deputy mayor. In It's Okay to Not Be Okay, she portrayed Kang Eun-ja, a patient with psychotic depression. In May 2020, it was announced that Bae would reprise her role as Dorothy Brock in the Broadway musical 42nd Street, running from June 20 to August 23, 2020. The 2020 season of 42nd Street garnered increased attention as it was staged at the Charlotte Theater for the first time in ten years. In the SBS drama Alice, Bae played Kim In-sook, a character traumatized by the loss of her son, who had a congenital heart defect, but who raises Jin-gyeom as her own son after her husband brings him home.
In 2021, Bae played the antagonist Oh Yeon-ok, a representative of Building 101 living in unit 1202, in the TVING Original Series Happiness. Also in 2021, Bae starred as the title character Cha Jeong-won, a former prosecutor and conservative opposition lawmaker, in the drama Political Fever.
In 2022, Bae was cast as Park Eun-hee, a member of the National Assembly, in Netflix Original Series All of Us Are Dead. In September 2022, Bae signed an exclusive contract with Lead Entertainment. Later that year, Bae reprised her role as Dorothy Brock in the 26th-anniversary production of the musical 42nd Street. The Seoul run at the CJ Towol Theater achieved a sold-out record. Bae also participated in the 2022 regional tour, with performances across multiple cities including Busan, Goyang, Changwon, and other cities from February to April.