Chae Won Bin, who starred in Doubt as Jang Ha Bin, shared how her parents reacted to her portrayal of the complex character.
On the morning of November 18th, Chae Won Bin sat down for an interview with iMBC Entertainment at OUTERUNIVERSE’s headquarters in Gangnam, Seoul. The interview marked the conclusion of the MBC Friday-Saturday drama Doubt, which aired its final episode on November 15th.
The drama follows South Korea’s top profiler Jang Tae Soo (Han Suk Kyu), as he confronts the secrets surrounding his daughter Ha Bin (Chae Won Bin), in connection with a murder case. Praised for its gripping script, detailed and stylish direction, and flawless performances, the series garnered significant attention for its unique “father-daughter thriller” genre.
Chae Won Bin took on the role of Jang Ha Bin, a high school student with a turbulent inner world who engages in a psychological battle with her father. Reflecting on the character, she explained, “She’s not ordinary, but that’s really all there is to it. Yes, she’s an exceptional individual. At first, I kept wondering—is she a psychopath or a sociopath? I even asked around about it. But the director told me, ‘Let’s not focus on that for Ha Bin.’ I didn’t understand at first. I thought, ‘You have to give me something to work with!'”
She continued, “Ha Bin does have an unusual side to her, but growing up with a profiler father, there must have been many moments where he let things slide while still trying to guide her. One of his lines says, ‘The more you know, the more you see, so pretending not to notice is hard.’ I thought that must’ve been the way she was raised. It just magnified within her. At the end of the day, Ha Bin is still a high school student and an immature person. [Her uniqueness] comes from immaturity and instability, rooted in a sense of deficiency.”
When asked about her own high school years and her relationship with her parents, Chae Won Bin described a much lighter dynamic than that of Ha Bin and Jang Tae Soo. “I really get along with my mom and dad like friends,” she said, laughing as she recalled their reaction to her performance. “When the first episode aired, they called me and said, ‘We almost turned it off.'”
She added, “My parents said, ‘We tried imagining having her as our daughter, and it was the worst.’ Back in high school, I was just a normal student. I had a lot of fun, every single moment. That actually made playing Ha Bin harder—I just couldn’t understand her. I even told the director at one point, ‘I don’t think I can do this.'”
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