Park Eun-bin talks becoming psychopath doctor in 'Hyper Knife'

Park Eun-bin, widely recognized for her infectious smile and innocent roles — most notably as the endearing Woo Young-woo in "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" and the free-spirited Mok-ha in "Castaway Diva" — has taken on a strikingly dark transformation in her latest project.

In a bold departure from her previous roles, the actor plays Se-ok in "Hyper Knife," a psychopathic doctor prone to bouts of rage and a penchant for illegal surgeries.

In the medical crime thriller series, Se-ok is a once-celebrated surgeon whose career is derailed after her mentor, Deok-hee (Sul Kyung-gu), revokes her medical license. Left with few options, Se-ok turns to performing illegal surgeries as a "shadow doctor."

For Park, bringing Se-ok to life was a complex challenge. She explained that her approach to playing the character was akin to making a "new friend."

“Unless it's a historical figure, I create a new character in my own way rather than looking for reference works. This time, Se-ok went through several revisions after the first proposal … and I patiently created her with the mindset of making a ‘new friend,’” Park shared during a group interview held Tuesday in Seoul.

She acknowledged that balancing Se-ok's sense of self-righteousness with the need to convincingly embody a psychopath was a challenging feat.

“It wasn’t easy because, along with Se-ok’s unique sense of self-righteousness, I had to add elements to make myself convincing as Se-ok, while expressing the typical traits of a psychopath in a different way," she said.

Park was adamant about avoiding the typical portrayal of a psychopath or sociopath.

“There’s a stereotype that associates psychopaths with a lack of empathy. When we think of psychopaths, we tend to imagine them as emotionless and without compassion, and I wanted to create a different image for an anti-social character,” she said.

Researching antisocial personality disorder, Park saw certain traits in Se-ok that resonated with the condition. “I can’t deny it, but as I studied more, I think I became closer to Se-ok,” she confessed.

Reflecting on her experience of playing Se-ok, Park shared, "There were experiences I had not had myself and many emotions that were far from common." She added, "Going through these turbulent emotions, I had the fresh experience of realizing that there are people who can live with such feelings."

Looking ahead, Park is set to star in the upcoming Netflix series "The Wonder Fools," alongside Cha Eun-woo. Set in 1999 during a time when apocalyptic beliefs were on the rise, the action adventure comedy follows a group of neighborhood heroes who gain superpowers after an unexpected event and must battle villains threatening their city’s peace.

“I enjoy trying new things. (Working on 'Hyper Knife,') although it’s a medical thriller, I got to experience a mix of genres. The drama I’m currently filming, 'The Wonder Fools,' is a fun one,” Park said.

"Hyper Knife" is now streaming on Disney+, while "The Wonder Fools" is set to premiere on Netflix in 2026.