During the 2024 Paris Olympics, many netizens clamored for the viral Korean sharpshooter Kim Ye Ji to star in an action project. Now, it seems that their wishes have finally come true.
While Kim Ye Ji may have brought home a silver medal in the women’s 10-meter air pistol event, the athlete also gained a legion of admirers for her cool and nonchalant demeanor while dominating her sport. Users, including Elon Musk, suggested that Ye Ji should be cast in a movie or series, and now that has become a reality with her upcoming acting debut in a global spinoff series.
READ: Korean Olympic Sharpshooter to Make Her Acting Debut in “Crush”
The Korean Olympic athlete is set to appear in the series Crush, a spinoff of the global film project Asia. Ye Ji will put her real-life sharpshooting skills into use as she portrays an assassin, starring alongside Indian actress Anushka Sen.
Helmed by screenwriter, producer, and screenwriter Lee Jung Sub, the series will tackle “intertwined human stories dealing with racial hatred and discrimination,” according to a report by NPR. The project will star actors from the United States and seven Asian countries, ranging from two-minute to 30-minute short films and two-hour films.
Stills and teasers posted by the Seoul-based entertainment firm Asia Lab depicted Anusha and Ye Ji in sleek leather looks, showcasing a peek into their “potential synergy” as a “killer duo.”
“[Kim Ye Ji’s] casting as a global Korean assassin was a natural choice given her precision and performance at the Olympics—particularly her shooting skills, which even caught the attention of figures like Elon Musk,” Lee Jung Sub in the NPR report. “The moment I saw that, I was convinced we had to cast her as the killer—it brings unparalleled credibility to the character.”
Who Is Kim Ye Ji?
The 32-year-old Korean sharpshooter became the talk of the internet during the 2024 Paris Olympics, after footage of her during a competition spread across the web. Donned in shooting gear and “cyberpunk-esque” regalia, the athlete broke the world record for her pistol category at the 2024 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup, while appearing seemingly unfazed.
The athlete has since then received mass attention, including from brands across South Korea. A spokesperson from her agency, Plfil, told The Korean Herald that Ye Ji has received advertisement offers from “nearly 20 brands” and inquiries for appearances in “over 10 TV shows.”
While she’s set to appear in Crush, Plfil emphasizes that Ye Ji’s athletic career is still her top priority. “I am very thankful that the general public and the internet is loving me on social media, but I am not like an influencer, I am a shooting sport athlete,” Ye Ji said in an interview with the International Shooting Sport Federation. “I wish this love and interest is not just for me and this will go to the shooting sports.”
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