“Butterfly” isn’t your average bullet-ridden thriller with a convoluted plot and faceless villains. It’s an explosive emotional device wrapped in the sparkly veneer of global spying, and actress Kim Tae Hee is at the epicenter of the chaos.
The series features Daniel Dae Kim, Reina Hardesty, Piper Perabo, and Park Hae-soo, telling a story that is as much about family shame and trauma as it is about spy craft and action. However, a little closer to home was a film that represented the South Korean cinema icon Kim Tae Hee.
When she met with Where Is The Buzz’s Kori Nicole Barnes, it was readily apparent: this part was different.
“It Wasn’t Just Spy Drama. It Was Family.”
“I was drawn to the story because, yes, it was a spy thriller,” Kim shared warmly, “but more than that, it had a deep emotional thread about family.” She described how the show doesn’t stop at explosions or car chases to make its point. Instead, the base is a damaged family situation, complicated, painful, and heartbreakingly true.
That emotional core is personified in her, Eunju, the current wife of former U.S. intelligence agent David Jung (Daniel Dae Kim). When Jung’s estranged daughter Rebecca (Reina Hardesty) reenters the scene, it doesn’t spark reunion. It sparks war.
“There’s a scene on the KTX train where Inju meets Rebecca for the first time,” Kim recounted. “Rebecca is incredibly hostile, and Inju is caught off guard. But she still feels this deep, maternal instinct to accept her.”
That battle, Kim explained to us, was among the most tiring and hardest scenes for her as an actress. The tension, the humiliation, and the agony all converged into one cringe-inducing, unforgettable shot.
No Action Scenes, But She’s Ready
In spite of being filled with violence, stealth, and stunning set-pieces, however, Kim Tae Hee admitted she did not actually get to go on any action herself this time.
“I didn’t do any action training for this role,” she admitted, “but I love action. I’ve done a lot of wire work and firearms in the past. If I get the opportunity again, I would love to do more.”
For fans who’ve seen her break out her action chops in earlier work, the wish is clear: give her some guns and strap her up to a wire harness again, stat.
What Is Butterfly Actually About
At its core, Butterfly is a book about the ghosts that do not leave. The book is about David Jung, a mercurial retired spy living in South Korea, whose decisions of the past ruin his life today. As he is hunted by Rebecca, a deadly young agent affiliated with an extreme clandestine organization known as Caddis, David is required to deal with his shattered past relationships, especially with the daughter he never raised.
Directed by Ken Woodruff and Steph Cha, and executive directed by a team that includes Daniel Dae Kim and Arash Amel, Butterfly is part action thriller and part family drama. It deals with betrayal, trust, and the cost of keeping secrets.
Kim Tae Hee’s Standout Moment
Although her character is not at the center of the action set pieces, Kim Tae Hee’s Inju is going to be one of the series’ most richly nuanced performances. Her power, subtlety, and tragedy are all on display in that now-infamous KTX train scene.
“I haven’t seen the final version of it yet,” she confessed. “I’m nervous, honestly. But filming it was powerful for me. It was hard, but also one of the most fulfilling scenes I’ve ever done.”
Watch Kim Tae Hee’s Full Interview Below!
Catch Butterfly When It Drops
Prime Video’s Butterfly premieres August 13, 2025. With an ensemble cast, razor-sharp storytelling, and emotional punch, it’s set to be one of the most talked-about series of the year.
