Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) has found his match, Sophie Beckett, in actress Yerin Ha. Variety reported that Ha was cast in the leading role for the show’s upcoming fourth season based on the third Bridgerton book, An Offer From a Gentleman.
This is not Ha’s first role though. The 29-year-old Korean-Australian actress also appears in Halo and the upcoming Dune: Prophecy series, among other projects. Get to know more about Ha below.
Ha is a Korean-Australian actress from a family of actors.
Acting is in Ha’s family. The star spoke to Australian Vogue in November 2019 about why she felt drawn to pursuing the profession. “My grandma’s an actor and my parents met each other in acting school, so I’ve always grown up with this knowledge of what theatre and screen are, so that’s something I was always interested in,” she said.
Ha grew up in Sydney but auditioned for a performing arts school in South Korea when she was 15. “It was three years of intense training—from 7 A.M. to 12 A.M. most days,” she told the outlet. “Just learning about teamwork and who I am and everything like that.”
Ha has been vocal about Asian representation on-screen.
Ha told Australian Vogue in 2019 that she hoped there would be broader representation for everyone in Hollywood someday. “Hopefully there’s a time where we can actually see [people of multiple backgrounds] playing the girlfriend, the romantic lead, but in my opinion, audiences are still not used to seeing that amount of diversity on screen or stage,” she said. Her comments came a year before Bridgerton premiered and became famous for its diverse casting.
While promoting Halo in March 2022, Ha reiterated that stance and explained to The Gamer it was why she took her role as Kwan Ha in the Paramount+ military series.
“I’ve never really gotten briefs for characters like Kwan, to be honest with you,” she said. “The industry is really changing. It really started with Crazy Rich Asians, and I’m going to bring it back there because I feel like that really shook Hollywood up. But to see such a young, powerful Korean woman, just unapologetically speak her voice, speak her mind, try to do whatever it takes to get what she wants, but also trying to do it for the greater good for the people, understanding what sacrifices, understanding what a legacy is. That kind of storyline is what really hooked me. And I found that that was really important to tell, and we don’t really get to see that many times. It’s definitely changing. But growing up, I never saw those stories. I only saw Asian women playing stereotypes in convenience stores and all this kind of stuff. So for me it’s also really important that younger generations see themselves be portrayed in a really fierce way.”
Ha shared the acting advice she got from her grandmother.
Ha told Australian Vogue that her grandmother told her to “be brave, be courageous and stand up for what you believe in. And don’t be afraid to look ugly! I think when you drop that facade, you’re actually able to embrace your true self.”
The Korean Herald reports that Ha’s grandmother is famous Korean actress Son Sook. In June 2022, while promoting Halo, Ha told the outlet that she still thinks she’s trying to prove herself in the industry. “I was honored and thrilled to be part of an amazing project, surrounded by many talented actors,” she said. “Though I was able to play one of the lead roles in Halo, I am well aware of how much work I have to do and learn to become a better actor.”
Ha is a MapleStory fan.
While doing interview to promote Halo, Ha was asked about her own gaming habits. She told ScreenRant, “I was a MapleStory gal,” calling out the online roleplaying game.
Ha is a Cancer and doesn’t have social media.
Ha’s birthday is listed as June 26, 1995 on her IMDB, making her 29 years old and a Cancer. According to ELLE’s Astro Twins, Cancers are well suited to acting, given their gifts include “creativity, emotional intelligence, a nurturing and sisterly spirit.” The actress doesn’t appear to have a public Instagram, TikTok, or X (formerly known as Twitter) account, keeping a low profile instead.
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.