Ha Ji-won Calls New Drama Climax the Hardest Role of Her Career

Ha Ji-won has portrayed warrior empresses, secret agents, and hospital doctors across a three-decade career that has made her one of South Korea most respected actresses. But according to the star herself, nothing has challenged her quite like Chu Sang-ah — the fictional actress at the center of ENA upcoming Monday-Tuesday drama Climax, premiering March 16.

Playing an Actress Proved Harder Than Any Action Scene

In a candid conversation on YouTuber Kian84 channel Life 84, Ha Ji-won opened up about why the role pushed her to her limits. Chu Sang-ah is a once-celebrated star who experienced a devastating career downturn and now burns with the desire to reclaim her place at the top. What made the character uniquely difficult, Ha explained, was the meta-challenge of playing a fellow actress without letting her own identity bleed through.

She described the psychological tightrope of the performance, noting that the audience could not be allowed to see Ha Ji-won on screen — they needed to see only Chu Sang-ah. That distinction, she said, required her to dismantle years of instinctive performance habits and rebuild her approach from the ground up.

A Physical Transformation That Startled Her Co-Stars

The commitment extended far beyond mental preparation. When Kian84 greeted Ha Ji-won for their hiking segment in their shared hometown of Suwon, his first reaction was visible shock at her dramatic weight loss. He bluntly told her she looked far thinner than she appeared on television. Ha Ji-won explained that she had deliberately sculpted her body to match Chu Sang-ah physical state — a woman whose career pressures have left visible marks. To maintain muscle mass while staying lean, she revealed that she eats up to six servings of meat per day, even before bed.

A Hometown Reunion With Deeper Meaning

The Suwon hiking trip also revealed a warmer side of the actress. Kian84 recalled that Ha Ji-won was legendary in their hometown during their school years, claiming that every male student social network in Suwon somehow connected back to her. Ha Ji-won responded with gratitude, telling Kian84 that she found healing in watching his free-spirited approach to life and wished she could live more freely herself.

Can Climax Dethrone Extraordinary Attorney Woo?

The stakes for Climax are enormous. ENA current record holder remains Extraordinary Attorney Woo, which peaked at 17.5 percent viewership in 2022. Director Lee Ji-won has assembled a formidable ensemble — Ju Ji-hoon, Nana, Oh Jung-se, and Cha Ju-young join Ha Ji-won in what Korean media are calling the network most ambitious production to date. The series will also stream on KT Genie TV and Disney+, expanding its potential reach far beyond domestic audiences.

For Ha Ji-won, the premiere represents more than just another project. It is the culmination of what she describes as the most grueling preparation of her career — a performance built on sacrifice, reinvention, and the unshakeable belief that the best work often emerges from the deepest discomfort.