Another wannabe actor turns wannabe Hollywood debut-er
by javabeans
Meh.
The “female Rain” pop dance-singer Sohn Dam-bi is making her Hollywood acting debut.
One thing she’s got going for her is that her debut comes in a dance-themed movie, Hype Nation, and even if her vocals are mediocre, she’s a decent (though overhyped) dancer (see MV below). The flick is backed by Universal and, according to the article, was in search of a female lead “with East Asian appeal.” Hence Sohn Dam-bi taking the role.
She’ll star alongside hip-hoppers B2K, who face off in the movie against top Korean b-boy group Gambler. Because she’ll speak entirely in English, she plans to start studying with an English tutor.
Apparently she also hopes of breaking through to the U.S. music scene, but is starting with film. (I say: A pan-Asian superstar like Boa has the odds stacked against her, so it’ll only be that much harder for a B-list singer like Sohn Dam-bi to break through…) Also, she’s pretty, but she’s never acted before, and the fact that she was cast despite non-fluency in English plus an absence of demonstrated acting ability doesn’t make me approach this movie with high hopes.
Check out her “Cry Eye” video (which makes me laugh, for all the wrong reasons):
Via My Daily
Tags: Hollywood, singers, Sohn Dam-bi
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1 deeta
October 6, 2008 at 6:37 PM
This girl just rubs me the wrong way. I know we're supposed to see her talent and her personality, everything behind the facade. But all I see is just a bimbo, or worse, a slut.
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2 k-lover
October 6, 2008 at 6:52 PM
I'm kinda with Deeta. The light blue outfit above is going to give her some bad rep if she thinks she wants to be taken seriously and her singing voice is kinda bleh.
But she seems to be a nice down to earth girl from what I saw in "We go Married".
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3 ar_arguably romantic
October 6, 2008 at 6:58 PM
i only liked her song "bad boy". But I'm hesitant to celebrate Son Dambi's US debut in the entertainment industry. Here's the rough summary of the movie on imdb:
Set against the bright neon lit streets of Seoul South Korea, the Mach 1 B-Boy battle of the year. Ryan and Kevin (b2k) and their crew from Los Angeles are hired by the U.S. Interpool to be matched up against the notorious Gambler Crew from South Korea, known to the b-boy world as the best of the best. Their mission is to gather information about Tony Kai (Cary Tagawa) an "ex yakuza" member who controls the Asian underworld in the United States. Tony Kai is in South Korea planning a worldwide monopoly on drugs, sex, and gambling. Ryan and Kevin struggle as they go deeper into the Asian underworld. Ryan falls for a beautiful Korean girl named Esther who happens to be the sister of "Kicker" the leader of the mafia ran Gamblers crew. Their love is put to the test as the rivalry between the two crews escalate. As reality sets in, the crew from LA is no match against the world champion Gamblers crew in the Mach 1 competition. Ryan, Kevin and the crew go into hiding where they meet underground b-boy legend "Chubbs", and together they prepare for an against all odds battle against Tony Kai, Kicker and the Gambler crew.
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i'm glad that it depicts the South Korean dance scene- because not many Americans know how talented some of the south korean dancers are...but the whole Asian underworld stereotype is being dished out again and again. At least this time, instead of having Hong Kong and Chinese guys dressed in black and holding suitcases full of money earned off the black market , it's the south koreans. I hope the Ryan x Esther relationship will bring Koreans and Black Americans (or just Americans in general) together- that their relationship will overcome any of those black americans versus koreans feelings.
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4 pabo ceo reom
October 6, 2008 at 7:07 PM
Dance movies to me are like really long music videos. I don't watch them for plot...just the dancing basically.
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5 Maddy
October 6, 2008 at 8:06 PM
Her moves in the video seem kind of stiff...I don't think she can dance
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6 c_gunawan541
October 6, 2008 at 8:31 PM
She's pretty, i think the video is alright... just that i didn't like the concept of the video, the director's problem... but anyways, i wish her best of luck. Although i doubt she will succeed. She got a decent voice and she's okay with her dancing, her dancing isn't amazing but it's decent...
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7 Jessica
October 6, 2008 at 8:37 PM
@ asianromance
Ugh...this movie sounds... like something I've seen before.
Every single movie where [random Western guy] goes to [exotic Asian place] and falls in love with the [daughter/sister/ex-gf] of [evil Asian antagonist].
I'll pass...
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8 S H A Y
October 6, 2008 at 8:38 PM
I like her.
But this singer-to-actor transition thing is getting really old.
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9 Sue
October 6, 2008 at 9:17 PM
meh. i was starting to like her as a new member on 우리결혼했어요/we got married...
but half the singers i like i only really like because of their tv lovable personas. (ie, super junior)
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10 SORA
October 6, 2008 at 9:50 PM
what is up with the one two steps
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11 Muffin
October 6, 2008 at 10:48 PM
Hmm... she's a wee bit stiff in the dance department.
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12 peachys2sleep
October 6, 2008 at 11:14 PM
ummm I was under the impression that b2k broke up like a long time ago
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13 hanneebuff
October 7, 2008 at 12:12 AM
another one wishing for a career in the States. Is the pasture really greener there?
i wish her the best.
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14 ffiza
October 7, 2008 at 12:16 AM
I'm so agree with Sue. Most of the k-pop artists that I like are based on their tv personality, not because of their singing. I like Son Dambi in We Got Married but not really her singing.
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15 Leeloo
October 7, 2008 at 1:21 AM
Don't like her dancing at all, she looks too stiff, needs some dancing lessons.
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16 tasume
October 7, 2008 at 7:08 AM
...whut.
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17 invisibelle
October 7, 2008 at 8:18 AM
She definitely looks like she's been to Park Shi Yeon's plastic surgeon. Twice.
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18 Toya
October 7, 2008 at 8:35 AM
Why does her video make me think of the "1,2, step" video? Not song wise just graphically.
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19 michca
October 7, 2008 at 8:45 AM
Wow, was anyone else too distracted by the fact that she was a) wearing bright pink MC Hammer pants (?!?! Ouch, just had a flashback to the early '90's!!!) and b) waiting for the massive stereo to blow her clothes off to actually pay attention to her singing and dancing??? No bueno. I know there are more talented K-pop stars out there...so why her???
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20 OMO
October 7, 2008 at 9:51 AM
I just read the summary for Hype Nation and its one of those movies that makes you think, "Why are you wasting money? It's a bad mixture of Romeo Must Die, You've Got Serve and Romeo and Juliet. What a waste. I won’t be watching this movie.
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21 le
October 7, 2008 at 12:31 PM
i thought BoA was the female Rain. but i haven't seen much of her. Dambi kinda looks like Park Si Yeon. can Dambi act? i hope she didn't get the part cause she is pretty.
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22 Liv
October 7, 2008 at 1:47 PM
Err....that video did nothing to showcase her dancing abilities (which she must have if she is being hailed as the "female Rain" right.....?). Because its never a good sign if *I* feel like I could easily master your dance moves (and I assure you, Im not a professional dancer).
If they were going for a pretty girl, who isnt really known for her acting abilities, but can dance well, why didnt they go with Hyori? At least she can dance....
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23 vivian
October 7, 2008 at 3:52 PM
What is she wearing?! Xx Bad way to start man.
Clean up the image.
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24 amy
October 7, 2008 at 5:38 PM
I don't understand why she's called "female Rain".. her dance moves are kind of stiff
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25 mimi
October 7, 2008 at 9:54 PM
yeah everybody has a right to has debuted anywhere , lets see the result American not blind . korean singer iis the most stupid singer ever they still thought sexyness can conquer anywhere maybe your country not others..
yeah lack singing ability she must be another pathetic paris hilton ~ PH better since she has "hilton" name but who is she.
BOA maybe better singing, famous in japan she has the odds stacked against her!!.. lets see the result
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26 Beng
October 8, 2008 at 5:36 AM
Boa is the better dancer.
I think there's also a singer turned actress who's a good dancer. She's one of the cast of Witch Yoo Hee, the 2nd female lead. Forgot her name, but saw her video and she's way better.
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27 rebeca
October 13, 2008 at 3:50 PM
WHAT.IS.THIS.GIRL.WEARING?!??!
seriously! that blue "top"... with a half bra (!?)
hahahah.....ewwww....
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28 james
December 28, 2008 at 9:36 PM
i think the ryan and esther relationship will make me just want to kill black people.
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29 pp
December 28, 2008 at 9:39 PM
yeah.. im chinese.
i dont care about bboying.
i dont know much about korea.
but son dam bi is a pretty asian girl
and if she hooks up with some black guy on the screen
it'll just bring stereotypes ... like the mail order bride shit... and it'll make asians hate black guys.
and you cant really say some stupid shit like, oh well asian girls like black guys, cuz this movie... the storyline is making esther the asian girl like the black guy. she prolly doesnt even like him in real life.
hollywood likes to fuck with everyone.
im c hinese and im about to rage on black guys too.
who the fuc are these producers
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30 sara
December 28, 2008 at 9:43 PM
you know what
they need more korean hunks in this movie! :)
all asian guys portrayed in hollywood were the chinese kung fu martial arts guys! SO NOT HOT.
why won't hollywood cast some korean hallyu stars? The Korean men already took over ASIA with their HOT LOOKS and BODIES *droool
i know why they wont bring them to hollywood!
one is.. their english is not that good probably... but who cares! let them speak korean!
the real reason.. is because they dont want america to start having girls dig asian guys... cuz then who would go for white guys and black guys?? i mean afterall, hollywood made white guys and black guys look like the hottest shit!
the world outside asia is missing out on these korean boys!! :))
korean hunks come to japan!! ;)
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31 Melissa
February 17, 2009 at 11:07 PM
People do you know the whole story about SON DAMBI????
Uuuuuu..... I guess not, cuz she shared her story how she became a singer and it wasnt an easy way she got trained to be a singer!!!!! NoBody thats a regular person can do that. She had to go through a Lot of pain, I MEAN A LOT!!! you will know what kind of pain she had to go through when you watch YSM2-S2-E8 4/8 twards the end. After the pain she got, she said that she couldnt even sleep right because it was too painful. She couldnt go to sleep at all.
Son Dambi wasnt this flexable before she became a singer, her dance teacher had to put her against the wall to make her flex easily. If you people just hear her story on youtube (type in: YSM2-S2-E8 3/8 and she talks around 8:26) straight to the next part (type in: YSM2-S2-E8 4/8 til 8:07)
-what she says that she became an actress before being a singer, then she says that she had a chance to dance because of school. But her taeacher said dont dance at all, right in front of her. She didnt want to just stop dancing just that her teacher said "dont". So she started practicing the dance for till mid night over 12 hours straight NON STOP for 2month. She said that she made it into being a dancer and a singer cuz of her hard work on the dance. She becae a real singing that stands up on the stage in 2007. And her debut was late for her age cuz of her dancing. She had to get trained more than 12 hours for 3years and 6 mounth to be a true dancer and a singer.
- after watch her dancing on the song called "It's Raining" from Rain(Bi) and she sang the song to!!!! Ever Junjin the guy says that her dancing is the best out of all the other girl dancers in korea(i think). But he says that shes good.
-so dont judge her too hard, imagine that you people had to go through the hard training for 3years and 6 month more than 12 hours straight.
-Son Dambi is one of Koreas Best Powerful Dancers.
-then look at the other video on youtube (type in: Son dambi in the U.S) how she got trained in the U.S. They even says shes a good dancer and a fast learner.
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32 lei
April 23, 2009 at 7:50 PM
me too if someone will b called female rain not based on the height but the dance moves it would be BOA....she definitely can dance better than son dambi its obviose and boa have better voice than song dambi but hey they have different style and moves plus they have different voice but when it comes to be female rain it must be BOA :D
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33 lei
April 23, 2009 at 7:55 PM
Hey if someone be crowned the title female rain if it based on the dance moves it would be BOA...I know if it based through height BOA Can't be because rain is too big and son dambi is bigger than boa by height but when it comes to dances its obvious that BOA has more potential than Son dambi. Hey they are different, they got different style, personality, skills and voice and they are great artist but obviously it will be boa must be the female rain....its obvious boa's got more better moves when it comes to dance than son dambi
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34 jonas
March 25, 2010 at 7:13 PM
7. Which girl most looks like a slut whos probably lost her virginity just to get into the business?
Son Dambi
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35 Leanne
October 10, 2010 at 11:27 AM
Who looks like a slut? She's fully dressed, if you think this is slutty watch lady Gaga videos, Britney and even Beyonce, this is pretty squeeky clean. And why do u asians hate against your own kind, she's just trying to make it and you could really use some represenation in Holywood, I can't think of any Korean peeps doing it big in Holywood.
Another this is you people are RACIST!
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