Her ability to speak fluent English isn’t surprising, since it’s her first language. Born Leslie Kim, on 18 September, 1981, Han Ye-seul was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attended Cerritos High School, and graduated from Cerritos College with an associate’s degree in Computer Graphics. After she debuted in the industry, in 2001, Leslie Kim changed her name to Han Ye-seul, renouncing her U.S. citizenship in 2004, and becoming a naturalized South Korean citizen in order to continue establishing herself in Korean entertainment.
Above is a compilation of Han Ye-seul speaking in English in a drama. As we can see, Han Ye-seul is very fluent in both English and Korean. In her daily life she’s not afraid to use both languages when answering questions. It’s become a strength that makes her stand-out among other actresses in the industry. In her latest drama, it became apparent that she can speak another language, as well.
Her astonishing ability in language once again showed itself in her latest drama, Madame Antoine: The Love Therapist, in 2016. The drama is about The Madame Antoine Café, which is run by a charming woman named Go Hye-Rim, played by Han Ye-seul. In order to pay for her daughter’s schooling abroad she provides the extra service of telling her customers’ fortunes. She’s learned to read the tiniest little nuances of the people she counsels, which make the things she says seem more like prophetic warnings than the insightful guesses they really are. To add some credibility to her “act” she speaks French, claiming she is able to channel Marie Antoinette, who is really the one giving advice. In the drama, Han Ye-seul portrays the role perfectly. Her acting is outstanding, and her French pronunciation is flawless. The words come naturally as she speaks, as if she’s been speaking the language all her life. In addition to her gift for languages, she also has a beautiful voice. She was the voice for character Susan Murphy in the Korean-language version of Monsters vs. Aliens, and was praised by Dreamworks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg for her beautiful voice, which suited the role perfectly. Han Ye-seul has revealed her desire to cross over to the U.S. film industry in Hollywood.
