When Lee Da Hee appeared in her breakthrough role in "I Hear Your Voice," she was so nervous she could not concentrate on making a positive impression. She could only focus on not making a bad one.

"I focused on acting alone so that the viewers wouldn't feel uncomfortable," she said in an interview with the fashion magazine "Sure." "I told myself, 'Let's not cause any damage to the drama."

She had a succession of small drama roles before then and worked as a model. But despite her elongated graceful body and classic features, her modeling work did not necessarily lend itself to self-confidence. She resolved not to be judged poorly for her drama work.

"Although I've heard that I wasn't pretty, I thought let's not hear people say that I'm not good at acting."

She did a standout job in her role as the prosecutor Seo Do Yeon, a woman who was very sure of her life and convictions until she wasn't. But the actress did not know she was doing a good job at the time.

"Honestly, it was the first professional role that I was assigned so I was really nervous," she said. "The director suggested that I come out strong during the beginning of the drama but it was hard. I worked really hard. There were times when I cried at home and it was up to the point where my mother started to pity me."

That drama made her a star, and landed her two more drama roles in quick succession. Next she played a supporting role in the melodrama "Secrets" with Ji Sung, the husband of her "I Hear Your Voice" co-star Lee Bo Young. The drama also starred Bae Soo Bin and Hwang Jung Eum. Her character in that drama was chillingly selfish.

"Making a character as the story progressed was fun. Not only the acting, but with the costume and make-up, when everything came together, I felt that my character was being created."

And shortly after that she landed the role of So Mira in "Big Man." So Mira was engaged to the sociopathic chaebol played by Daniel Choi. But as the drama progressed and she learned more about his bad treatment of Kang Ji Hwan's character, her character began to move away from Daniel Choi's character and closer to Kang Ji Hwan's. It was her first leading role.

"The role of So Mira in "Big Man" was the first leading role that I was assigned and I was able to become close with the senior actors, so it was nice," she said.

Given the big impression she made in her last three roles, Lee Da Hee will be around for a while.