Like Her ‘Island’ Character Lee Da-Hee Can’t Stand Injustice.

Lee Da-hee’s character is confused—and terrified—by the fact that multiple monsters seem eager to destroy her. Being hunted by demons is a new experience for a woman who previously lived a charmed life as a chaebol heiress. Her character, Mi-ho, was exiled to Jeju Island by her wealthy family as a punishment for her impulsive behavior. Being sent to a popular vacation destination might not seem like much of a punishment, but in the Korean drama Island, Jeju is a place of mythological creatures and an ongoing bloody battle between good and evil. Mi-ho seems somehow central to that battle.

On the island she meets a mysterious immortal being, played by Kim Nam-gil, and a priest who specializes in exorcisms, played by Cha Eun-woo. Until Mi-ho develops her own powers this often-at-odds duo must protect her from the island’s monsters and more than once rescues her from certain death. Island is not Lee’s first time acting in a fantasy drama, but it is her first experience acting with and responding to imaginary monsters.

“I acted in a fantasy drama called L.U.C.A.: The Beginning,” said Lee. “Back then, my character did not have special powers, but my character in Island does. Acting in a fantasy drama differs from other genres as I had to face monsters, which do not exist, in my imagination. At first, this was unfamiliar and difficult.”

Such interactions involved multiple action scenes.

“I took part in many action scenes in Island,” said Lee. “CGI was used in scenes where I ran away from monsters or confronted them face-to-face, as well as in scenes where I used my special powers.”

While Lee enjoyed filming a fantasy drama, in which her character can potentially save the world, she does not have a favorite genre, when it comes to acting or even when it comes to watching films or dramas.

“I enjoy dramas and films of all genres,” she said. “Recently, I was impressed as I watched Avatar: The Way of Water in the theater.”

Lee’s recent roles include the rom-com Love Is For Suckers, in which she played a TV reality show producer, and the drama WWW: Search, in which she played Cha Hyeon, an Internet search company executive, who has no problem speaking her mind. Both Cha Hyeon and Mi-ho were easy characters for Lee to relate to.

“Cha Hyeon in Search: WWW and Won Mi-ho in Island have personalities that are quite similar to my own,” she said. “I also speak out when I have to and cannot stand injustice. Characters that have a part of me in them are easier to act and are loved by the audience.”

If she could have special powers, like her Island character, Lee would choose time travel.

“It would be nice to have the ability to travel back in time,” said Lee. “We can look forward to the future, but we cannot go back to the past. With the ability to travel back in time, I would like to revisit my happy memories and hardships. I think it would be a wonderful opportunity to motivate myself.”

Lee, who also served as a host for the international hit reality show Singles Inferno, first began to consider acting in school.

“Ever since I joined the broadcasting club back in school, I became interested in the fields of media and entertainment,” she said. “As I started out as a model, I realized that I wanted to try out various professions in the field, and the profession of acting stood out to me. I have been studying and practicing acting since then. The best part about being an actress is that I could become another person and experience things that I would have never experienced as Lee Da-hee.”

Island is based on the Naver webtoon of the same name. The drama is produced by Studio Dragon and airs in the US on Amazon Prime.