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Actress Chae Soo Bin sat for an interview with the local reporters to talk about her experience acting in When the Phone Rings.
When the Phone Rings centers around a couple — Baek Sa Eon (Yoo Yeon Seok) and Hong Hee Joo (Chae Soo Bin) — in their third year of arranged marriage. Despite being together for three years, the duo's relationship has been cold. They would have continued living as usual had it not been for a threatening phone call blackmailing Baek Sa Eon with Hong Hee Joo's life in danger.
Chae Soo Bin played the role of Hong Hee Joo, Baek Sa Eon's wife and a sign language interpreter who suffers from mutism due to a childhood incident. Living life as part of a so-called "show-window couple" with Sa Eon, Hee Joo faces a horrifying nightmare when she is kidnapped by a mysterious man. Ironically, this experience becomes the catalyst for her to change her life.
Chae Soo Bin talks about the challenges she faced performing sign language
In the early part of the K-drama, where most of Hee Joo's communication is through sign language, Chae Soo Bin poured considerable effort into practicing sign language for her first-ever attempt at such a performance.
Chae Soo Bin explained, In the interview, Cha Soo-bin discussed her character with selective mutism, saying, "It was a role where I couldn't speak in the early episodes of the drama. As an actor, a significant part of conveying emotions is through language, but I often felt frustrated because I had to express myself through sign language — which I don't usually use — or through gestures and facial expressions without dialogue. That was challenging."
She continued, "For me, performing sign language [was a task], but for Hee Joo, it's her way of communicating, isn't it? Just as we don't consciously think about how we speak, I wanted the sign language to flow naturally, like water, and didn't want to feel disrupted by thoughts like, 'What was the next motion again?'. After deciding to take on the project, I constantly asked to be connected with a sign language teacher and persistently sought help from many people."
Cha Soo Bin further shared, "From two months before filming, I practiced every day. Scenes involving interpretation were more challenging. Expressions like 'I like it' or 'I don't like it' are my own emotional expressions, so I could act them out at my own pace. But for the interpretation scenes, I had to express what someone else was saying, so matching the speed was difficult. Also, they weren't simple signs. It included international sign language as well, with phrases like 'mutual relationship between Korea and Egypt' [included]. It felt like memorizing choreography. I would play recordings and practice every night." "From the moment I committed to practicing, I worked constantly with my sign language teacher. I must have driven that person crazy," adding, "I went through a lot of trial and error. I was quite stressed out, and I became ambitious because I wanted to do it well. But I'm grateful to have received a lot of praise for the sign language aspect."
Cha Soo Bin also talked about the unexpected challenges she faces, saying, "I was told that Korean sign language, foreign sign languages, and international sign language are all different, and when interpreting news, it's different again. And this revelation came midway [through the drama's preparation]. I had already learned [a version] in advance because I didn't want any hiccups in my performance, but then I had to unlearn everything I had prepared and relearn it in a new way. Facing such unforeseen situations on set was tough," she recalled.
She also shared that some regrets lingered, "Since my character doesn't deliver lines verbally, it felt like my hands and feet were tied in terms of expression. There was a sense of frustration, and I had moments where I thought I could've done better, but I think that if I were to take on a similar role in the future, I could handle it more skillfully. While the sign language was very difficult, there were many other challenges during filming as well. I struggled quite a bit throughout the process, but having gone through it all, I thought, 'Since I've experienced this, I'll be able to face other challenges more effectively in the future.' It felt like this project helped me grow through pain."
Cha Soo Bin also explained why she chose to take on such a challenging character, despite the selective mutism and the need to perform sign language. She said, "Although Hee Joo is a difficult character, I found her incredibly charming because she isn't passive. Despite living a tough life, she had her own will. The way she confronts problems head-on, without overthinking, felt so admirable and appealing to me. Plus, the script itself was so compelling that I found it incredibly enjoyable. That's why I didn't hesitate and immediately said I'd do it. While I faced challenges along the way, I have no regrets whatsoever."
When the Phone Rings faced controversy early on for allegedly mocking sign language. In a scene from episode 1, where Hong Hee Joo is shown interpreting a news report, an error causes the program to freeze on her signing the word "mountain." This was misinterpreted as an obscene hand gesture, sparking criticism among Korean viewers.
Regarding the controversy, Cha Soo Bin commented, "Our drama is, in fact, based on [the element of] communication. We should have been more sensitive, and I feel sorry for not being able to do so. While it wasn't intentional, I'm sorry that it came across that way."
When asked about her sign language skills after the drama's conclusion, Cha Soo Bin said, "I've received a lot of compliments for doing well. People even said I have a talent for it," adding with a smile, "Though I might not be able to easily have conversations [in sign language], I think I'm at about an elementary school level. But considering how good elementary school kids are at English these days, I think my skills are comparable to my own English proficiency from back in elementary school."
Chae Soo Bin reveals she suggested casting her sister's baby in When the Phone Rings
In When the Phone Rings, Chae Soo Bin's chukka (niece/nephew) also made an appearance in episode 9. Regarding how her chukka came to be cast, Chae Soo Bin shared, "I thought it would be such a wonderful memory... There was a short scene in the script where a baby in an orphanage cries, and someone soothes her. I immediately ran to the director and asked, 'Has the baby been cast yet?' When he said 'not yet,' I showed them a picture of my chukka and asked, 'What do you think of this baby?'"
Chae Soo Bin shared her delight, saying, "It was an amazing experience." "My mom, older sister, and brother-in-law all came to the set."
Chae Soo Bin on her future plans
Having made her acting debut in 2013, Cha Soo Bin is now marking her 13th year as an actress. During the interview, she mentioned that she's not someone who makes detailed plans, but when asked about her plans for this year, she said, "I hope to get through the year without any major issues. A lot of things have changed [since the past]. When I turned 30, all my neighborhood friends got married by then. My sister also got married and had a baby. These changes make me feel so sad that I once cried while writing in my journal (laughs). I wish everything could just stay the same, but I've realized I need to be ready to embrace these changes. That's my mindset."
