Han Gru Sends Her Own Profile to Directors — Even After Leading a Daily Drama

Han Gru is cold-calling her own career. On July 21, the actor appeared on her YouTube channel Gru-nikka Maliya alongside Hwang Bo-ra for a candid at-home meal conversation about life in the industry—and what she said about job-hunting stopped the conversation cold.

"I directly send my profile to directors and casting directors," Han Gru said. "I just send it out regularly." Hwang Bo-ra pushed back immediately: "You were even the lead in a daily drama, so wouldn't everyone know you?" Han Gru's answer was essentially: doesn't matter, still sending.

Hwang Bo-ra had her own disclosures. "When I had a child, I filmed a drama and haven't been able to work on projects since then," she said. "Projects aren't coming in." She put the broader picture in numbers: of roughly 40 classmates from Dongguk University's Department of Theater and Film, only one or two are still working as actors. The rest have moved into delivery driving, Coupang logistics, or designated driving—"really hot with the guys," she added.

Hwang Bo-ra is a Dongguk alum alongside Ha Jung-woo, and she brought him up as a benchmark that's hard to reach. "I wish I could do as well as Ha Jung-woo, but that's really a blessing from heaven," she said. Ha Jung-woo himself has credited luck for his trajectory. (The gap between a daily drama lead and a Ha Jung-woo is, apparently, just vibes and fortune.)

The conversation lands at a moment when the structural difficulty of sustaining an acting career—even for recognizable faces—is getting harder to ignore.