In the Coupang Play series “Family Matters,” Bae Doo-na portrays Young-soo, a memory manipulation technician. With three of the six episodes released, the drama features a stellar cast, including Baek Yoon-sik and Ryoo Seung-bum. Among them, the 45-year-old actor’s unpredictable and finely detailed performance stands out, showcasing her mastery honed over 27 years in the industry. Her portrayal brings a level of craftsmanship that feels like the work of an “acting technician,” skillfully elevating the series.
The series is a revenge drama centered on Young-soo’s unique ability to hack memories and implant horrifying punishments in the minds of wrongdoers. With her bobbed hair and piercing eyes, she assures victims, “If it’s something I can fix, I’ll take care of it.” Carrying a bag of tools in one hand, she swiftly takes down perpetrators with a precise strike before carrying out her work. Her targets include offenders exploiting their power to commit sexual violence and thugs assaulting security guards.
In a recent interview with the Chosun Ilbo, Bae explained, “I was eager to take on a role that was anything but righteous, and this project came along at just the right time.” After playing kind-hearted detectives in “Broker” and “Next Sohee,” she felt drawn to an opposite kind of character. “Sometimes, I’ve thought prison isn’t enough for certain criminals. Reading the script, I imagined punishing these bad people would feel exhilarating. But watching actors portray trembling, terrified criminals made me realize it wasn’t so simple.”
The vigilante drama begins as a dark comedy but shifts to sharper, grittier revenge from episode three. Despite its hardcore elements, the series distinguishes itself with wit and humor, recalling Bae’s earlier performances in works like “Barking Dogs Never Bite.” She noted, “Director Hirokazu Kore-eda once told me that my acting has wit and rhythm, but I haven’t had many opportunities to showcase that side in the last decade. I really enjoy ‘B-grade’ comedy, and it runs in my blood.” Bae described the series as “a story anyone can relate to, about five unrelated people exposing their vulnerabilities and eventually becoming a true family.”
Since her breakout role as an outsider in the 1999 drama “School,” Bae has built a career defined by her dedication to her craft. Long before the OTT era, she worked across Korea and abroad with renowned directors such as Bong Joon-ho (”Barking Dogs Never Bite” and “The Host”), Park Chan-wook (”Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance”), Hirokazu Kore-eda (”Air Doll” and “Broker”), and the Wachowskis (”Cloud Atlas” and “Jupiter Ascending”). “I’ve always chosen projects without bias toward platforms or genres, even appearing in OCN’s first drama in the early days of cable TV. Those choices unknowingly guided me down new paths,” she reflected. “The effort I put into each project during my first ten years still carries me forward today.”
Despite her years in the industry, Bae refuses to be labeled as a “veteran actor.” Instead, she aspires to remain a “rookie.” “The audience has been watching me for over 20 years, and I worry that seeing ‘Bae Doo-na’ might take them out of the role. But when I step onto a set, it feels like theme music is playing around me, and I love that version of myself,” she said with a laugh. “I want to erase the audience’s familiarity with me and deliver performances that feel fresh and completely unexpected, like a true newcomer.”
