Im Soo-jung is nervous ahead of return to acting
Im Soo-jung
Im Soo-jung is nervous about her first interview in three years - so much so that the veteran actress requested a set of questions in advance.
She came back with a tablet PC filled with answers. Just a quick glance showed that she had taken a long time to prepare.
“I’m really nervous because it is the first interview I’m doing for my comeback to the screen after three years,” said Im.
In her new movie, “Perfect Proposal,” Im plays the lead role Ji-yeon, who is betrayed by a friend and is being chased by moneylenders. When finally cornered, she is asked to seduce a multibillionaire and inherits all his financial assets. The movie will open June 4.
Once she started to talk, it didn’t take long for her to get comfortable, and she ended up sharing more than she had prepared in the interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.
Q.Why did you choose a thriller movie for your comeback?
A.I’ve always been curious about the genre because I’ve never done it. The two features I did before were romantic comedies, so I wanted to move away from that and act in a piece where I could express my innermost feelings.
What did you like about this movie?
After I got the script in summer 2013 I read it in one go. I decided to be part of the movie right away. The story is strong. The main character, Ji-yeon, faces unpredictable events, and I thought the audience would also get sucked into the story. I also read the original novel afterwards.
How is the script different from the original novel?
How the lead character reacts in a certain situation is different. In the original novel, the lead character just collapsed when it came to a situation that she thought she couldn’t ever get out of, but the character in the movie tries to fight. I think the director tried to change the part as women nowadays have different characters in general than in the 1950s when the original [novel] was written. However, the script did not change the part where women have desire to be Cinderella and meet Prince Charming and wish for their lives to be turned upside down.
What are the things you were most concerned about while acting as this character?
I was debating how much I would show about this woman’s desires. She is not exactly a planner, but she is also not obedient. I tried to refrain from calculating every move and just express what felt natural.
Not so long ago, you wrote on your online fan page that you now feel like you’ve found the true joy in acting. What does this mean?
Acting wasn’t so easy for me. I was pressured by responsibility, my own greed, and all types of emotions. Last year, I filmed two movies back to back, so I spent most of my time shooting scenes. It was just too much fun, so I realized that acting isn’t something I should agonize over but should have fun with. I want to film many more pieces and I won’t be afraid to try diverse ones.
You seem more introverted than outgoing. How are you going to communicate better with the public?
It’s true that I’m not so close with the public when it comes to communication. It’s not that I want to play some tricks to look mysterious. I just behave as I want, and this is what has happened. I don’t know how to talk in a fun way on entertainment shows, and I don’t like going online on social networking services.
I always contemplate setting up my own ways to communicate with fans. I’ve been dreaming about becoming a writer, so I have been writing everyday. I hope to show some of my essays or novels soon. This doesn’t mean that I’m confident about my writing. I think I need to not be afraid of showing my work to others to really write in my own style.
BY JUNG HYUN-MOK [lee.sunmin@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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