“Mask Girl” Star Films Underwater Scene For 12 Hours Even Though She Has Aquaphobia

Actress Yeom Hye Ran received high praise for her phenomenal acting in Netflix‘s popular series Mask Girl—so much so that audiences thought her role was the main character. However, the actress’ incredible performance came at the price of hard work and overcoming phobias.

In an interview with Yeom Hye Ran held on August 29, the actress revealed the behind-the-scenes efforts for her various attempts in Mask Girl, including special makeup, diving, and action scenes.

Mask Girl tells the story of Kim Mo Mi, an ordinary office worker with appearance-related insecurities, who covers her face with a mask and becomes an internet BJ (broadcast jockey) while getting caught up in a spiral of dark events that leads to her tragic end.

Yeom Hye Ran took on the role of Kim Kyung Ja, the mother of a man that Mask Girl murders. She turns from a regular church-going mother into a vengeful mother who would do anything to kill her son’s murderer.

As she acted in three generations in the story, Yeom Hye Ran had to wear a lot of special makeup that took a lot of time to put on. She said it took around two hours to put on at first and that the special makeup was painful but that it was a “mask” that helped her act freely.

I was afraid that the makeup would take a long time and if I could act freely while wearing it. But when I put on the makeup and looked in the mirror, I realized that they put Kim Kyung Ja’s mask on me… I think the makeup did half of the work, and I told the other actors that even if I looked at them with the makeup on, it felt like I was acting. The makeup was like a mask that helped me act freely.

— Yeom Hye Ran

In addition to the troublesome yet worthwhile makeup, Yeom Hye Ran, who has aquaphobia, had to challenge herself by facing her fear while filming. There was a scene in Mask Girl where Kim Kyung Ja wakes up in the water after fainting and being pushed into a lake by Mask Girl.

Yeom Hye Ran shared that when she met the director, she said she wouldn’t do the scene without help, so she got freediving lessons. However, when she realized that it might not be enough, she went to the pool and practiced putting her head underwater—looking a bit silly while doing so, too.

I practiced freediving and realized that it might not be enough, so I went to the pool and submerged my head in a kiddie pool that was less than 1 meter deep. People probably wondered what I was doing.

— Yeom Hye Ran

She continued that the staff members put a lot of effort into the scene as well, helping her and making sure she was safe.

The production team helped me with training separately, and while filming, they worked really hard to teach me how to open the lid of the car and how to pull myself out of the water whenever I needed to.

— Yeom Hye Ran

Furthermore, the actress revealed that the short scene from the show took a lot longer than expected.

The scene was only a few seconds, but I spent almost twelve hours in the water. The staff knew my condition well, so they were moved, and the director was almost crying, so I felt understood and grateful.

— Yeom Hye Ran

Despite having aquaphobia, Yeom Hye Ran put a lot of effort into the scene that only showed for a few seconds in the show—showing her dedication and professionalism as an actress. Her hard work is evident through her amazing performance, and many are expectant for her to win an award for her role in Mask Girl.

#MaskGirl was a nice watch. The gore, violence & tragedy that you'd find in South Korean content is back. Extremely triggering, but thrilling too. The entire cast has done a great job but Yeom Hye Ran owns the show as Kim Kyung Ja. pic.twitter.com/xGmUPnw18H

— Hara ✨ (@Mystic_riverrr) August 22, 2023

Mask Girl premiered on Netflix on August 18. Yeom Hye Ran made her film debut in 2003 with director Bong Joon Ho‘s Memories of Murder and has appeared in numerous productions since then, including Dear My Friends (2016), Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016), I Can Speak (2017), When the Camellia Blooms (2019), and The Uncanny Counter (2020-present).