Minh Hang (R) and Thuy Tien, who will co-star in the upcoming Ngoi nha hanh phuc, a Vietnamese version of Korea’s hugely popular drama “Full House”

Ignoring mounting pressure, entertainer Minh Hang says she’s looking forward to adding her own spin to the Vietnamese version of “Full House.”

The local edition, directed by Vu Ngoc Dang, will be called Ngoi nha hanh phuc (literally means “happy house” in Vietnamese) and is scheduled to start shooting this month and air in July.

Hang, 22, who often plays teen roles said she’s ready to embrace a new chapter in her life.

“Full House” is a 16-episode South Korean television drama first broadcast in 2004, starring Song Hye Kyo and pop star Bi Rain. It is a televised version of a Japanese manga. There is a lot of pressure to assume the leading role played by a Korean actress, Hang said.

“More than 20 online forums discuss, comment on and even object to my taking the role,” she said. “I avoid them so I’m not disheartened by the comments.”

She said a massive amount of people loved the series when it aired in 2004.

“I was eager to take the role, but then I’ve worried a lot,” she said. “I’ve watched the show again and again and kept thinking I wouldn’t be able to outperform Song Hye Kyo.”

The toughest issue is to interpret the character differently and not simply mimic what was done previously, she said.

“Since I received the script, I’ve tried to put Song Hye Kyo’s acting out of my mind,” she said. “I’ll have to build an entirely new character.”

The drama attempts to answer the question of whether two people - a famous actor and an ordinary woman - can learn to love each other in a marriage agreed only on paper.

Hang is taking her character’s physical looks seriously. She cut her hair short for the first time for her character in Ngoi nha hanh phuc.

“It’s normal for actors from other countries to gain or shed weight, or make themselves unattractive for a certain role,” she said. “I think Vietnamese actors should do the same.”

She once gained nine kilograms for a character on 2007’s most watched drama Goi giac mo ve (Call back the dream).

She liked the role in Goi giac mo ve, but the director said she was too thin.

She started gorging herself and plumped up to 56 kilograms.

Her portrayal of a chubby, carefree and kindhearted girl earned her the Best Leading Actress at the 2007 Ho Chi Minh City Television Awards.

After that, she struggled to shed the weight. She worked out intensively and stuck to a strict diet.

However, Hang doesn’t regret it.

“I’ll continue to sacrifice for art even when I’m a star,” she said. “I’m willing to make myself ugly for a role.”

Hang was born in 1987 in Ho Chi Minh City. Her parents divorced when she was 13 years old.

She enrolled in a singing and dancing course offered by the Youth Cultural House.

Though she has never received professional training in acting, Hang’s roles have been praised by critics and viewers alike.

“I just follow my emotions when acting,” she said. “First I read the script, then imagine what I would do and say if I were the character.”

She also played the lead in the 2008 blockbuster Giai cuu than chet (Hot kiss 2) directed by Nguyen Quang Dung.

In 2008, Hang released her debut album Mot vong trai dat (Around the world), which includes 10 pop songs popular among youths. The title song was a hit among local youngsters.

Leaked photos of Hang in lingerie created a minor scandal last month.

“Two days after the incident, I didn’t dare to go out,” she said. “Everything came to a complete standstill. But I soon realized so many people, including my family, company, friends and fans love me and are always by my side.”

Director Dang, who was the first person to send Hang encouraging short messages by phone, said the incident would not stop her from taking the role in “Full House.”

Many accused Hang of orchestrating the incident to create publicity, which she fiercely denied.

The photos, in which Hang is seen modeling revealing lingerie, were from her birthday two years ago. They were taken from a camera that was stolen from her office last year, she said.

“I tried on the underwear [which was a] gift from my mother after the party,” she said. “We laughed and took the pictures just for fun,” said Hang.

Reported by Luong Trong Nghia