Did You Know? "Bridgerton" Star Yerin Ha Is the Granddaughter of a Veteran Korean Actress

When Yerin Ha appeared in Bridgerton, many viewers were introduced to the Australian-Korean actor for the first time. But acting isn’t exactly unfamiliar territory for her—it runs in the family. Her grandmother, Son Sook, is actually a veteran Korean actress!

In interviews with outlets, Yerin explained that she grew up surrounded by the craft. Her parents met while studying acting, and her maternal grandmother is a well-known figure in Korean theatre and television: veteran actress Son Sook. According to her, Yerin always had a sense that performing might eventually be part of her life. “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,” she said.

Her grandmother, Son Sook, had built a decades-long career on the Korean stage.

She has won multiple trophies at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards for her theater, receiving best theater actress honors three times for her performances in Active Volcano (1975), Guest (1979), and Mother (1999). Son Sook has also appeared in television productions, including the Netflix drama The Glory.

Her career even extended briefly into politics. In 1999, she served as South Korea’s sixth minister of environment before resigning about a month later after controversy surrounding a monetary gift she received following a theatre performance, according to reporting cited by the South China Morning Post.

Son Sook’s early life predates her acting career by decades—and includes a childhood shaped by the Korean War. In a 2013 interview referenced by SCMP, she recalled studying in makeshift classrooms, sometimes outdoors with a blackboard set up near trees or rocks.

She later moved to Seoul for high school, where watching a production of Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night sparked her interest in acting. While studying history at Korea University, she was cast as the female lead in a theater production.

Now, even as Yerin builds an international career, her grandmother remains a major influence.

Speaking at a press conference reported by Korean outlet OSEN, Yerin said one of her clearest childhood memories is watching Son Sook perform a one-woman play. In one scene, the veteran actor held a pillow like a baby and cried, prompting the audience to cry with her. The moment left a lasting impression on Yerin and showed her the emotional power of performance.

Yerin also shared how her grandmother reacted after watching her in Bridgerton. “My grandmother didn't really give me any advice,” she said, adding that Son Sook watched the entire series. “My grandmother watched the whole show. I sent her photos and it seemed like she watched them with her juniors. Her eyesight isn't good. She texted that she watched it close to the TV and that she was proud and loves me, which felt warm and bittersweet. She watched the exposure scenes and said she was a bit surprised,” she joked.

Son Sook has also publicly praised her granddaughter. During an appearance on the variety program You Quiz on the Block, she said, “Looks like she’s a better actress than me.”

These days, Yerin said the way her grandmother introduces herself has changed. “In the past it was Son Sook’s granddaughter Ha Yerin,” she said. “But these days she says it’s Ha Yerin, grandmother Son Sook.”

Yerin added that her grandmother often tells her, “I have no regrets now, it’s okay if I go back tomorrow.” She said the comment makes her feel both “bittersweet and proud.” Aww!