Fast five with Claudia Kim
She's a new addition to the Avengers family playing geneticist Dr Helen Cho. So who's this pretty Korean and how did she nab the coveted role?
FACTFILE
NAME
Claudia Kim Soo Hyun
BORN
January 25, 1985, South Korea
FILMOGRAPHY
Queen Of The Game
(TV series, 2006), Marco Polo
(TV Series, 2014), Avengers:
Age Of Ultron (2015)
1. HOLLYWOOD PRESENCE
The model-actress is making her presence felt in Hollywood, thanks to her new association with some of the greatest superheroes on Earth. The 30-year-old edged out over 40 Korean actresses for the part of Dr Helen Cho, a brilliant geneticist whose research and technology aid the Avengers in the fight against the genocidal Ultron (voiced by James Spader).
2. BLIND AUDITION
As with all Marvel projects, the audition process was a top-secret affair, Kim told M at the Avengers: Age Of Ultron press junket in Seoul last week. "I auditioned without knowing what I was getting myself into. I was just happy to receive an English script," she said. "So you can imagine what a mind-blowing experience it was when I found out that it was for the Avengers sequel!" The knowledge came only three months after auditioning.
3. WARM WELCOME
Kim said she felt intimidated when she arrived on the Los Angeles set on her first day of work. After all, she was in the presence of the likes of Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson. "I generally struggle with shyness," Kim said, adding she was so welcomed by the team that she immediately felt comfortable. "They all came up to me as they were so eager to meet me. It was really nice. They made filming so playful and fun, it was just like they were at home."
4. LEG POWER
While the Seoul-based actress was happy to align herself with Johansson and Cobie Smulders (who plays Agent Maria Hill) amid the male-dominated cast, she lamented that she didn't get to do much action at all.
"I just did a lot of running away!" she said, laughing. "But the great thing about (director) Joss Whedon is that he loves making female characters very powerful. Helen has a moment where she steps up and faces her fears, and I hope that shows in the movie."
5. CHALLENGE JUNKIE
Kim was recently appointed by Bobbi Brown Cosmetics as its Asian ambassador, making her the first Asian model for the US cosmetics giant.
She has also finished filming her second Hollywood film Equals, a sci-fi romance starring Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult. "I never try to plan my path ahead," she said. "I like challenges and will always keep challenging myself to do something new."
Hot nerds
EMMA STONE AS GWEN STACY
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN & THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2012, 2014)
NATALIE PORTMAN AS JANE FOSTER
THOR & THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2011, 2013)
REBECCA HALL AS MAYA HANSEN
IRON MAN 3 (2013)
LIV TYLER AS BETTY ROSS
THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)
JESSICA ALBA AS SUSAN STORM
FANTASTIC FOUR & FANTASTIC 4: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER (2005, 2007)
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now