FOR AS long as she could remember, Seohyun had always wanted to be an actress. The songstress, in fact, always had aspirations for the big and small screen. But as a member of Girls Generation, Seohyun spent much of her time focusing on her passion for music.
Over 10 years, she along with eight other members would seek to establish themselves as artistes. And much to their credit, the group cemented themselves as among the most successful and influential female groups in K-pop history.
But since parting ways with the unit, the Seoul native has had the opportunity to explore her love for acting. This year alone, the actress starred in two exciting projects. One of which was a television series, titled Jinxed at First.
In it, she plays a goddess of fortune, who stumbles upon a poor unlucky man (played by Na In-Woo). Given her character’s magical ability to foresee a person’s future, the pair bond and help each other navigate their own life.
In a regional email interview, Seohyun reflects on her experience shooting the series and her character, Lee-Seul bi.
Considering that the show is adapted from a webtoon, what was it like making it into a television series?
“I think webtoons and TV series have the same but unique charm. We can read webtoons and at the same time picture things. While doing TV series, we can express and actually feel them. So it was interesting to keep the inherent charm of the character in the webtoon and bring life to the character through my own effort.”
Could you tell us what Lee Seul-bi is like and why you chose to play her?
“Seul-bi has a special ability. She can see a person’s future by touching someone’s hands. Her heart is also clear and innocent. It is actually hard to overstate how innocent she is.
“But though she loves everything in the world, she doesn’t believe in fate. She only believes in the courage of acting out of love.”
How similar is Lee Seul-bi to you in reality?
“Every time I’m in a play, I look for similar traits that I share with my character. So Seul-bi and I do have lots of similarities. I think we both see the world in a positive way, we like people, clearly know our likes and dislikes, and want to take control of our own destiny.”
Were there any moments on set that stood out to you?
“All the scenes that were shot with the people in the market were interesting and impressive. There was a lot of improvisation, and lots of creative ideas, especially in the scene when Seul-bi was selling fish and fought with the Family of Smile. We improvised a lot and it was a lot of fun.’
Speaking of which, how was it like working with Na In-woo? Has your impression of him changed after you got to know him?
“What hasn’t changed since I first met him is that he is a thoughtful and responsible actor. The difference I would say is that he was more active than I expected. During shooting, he could liven up the atmosphere with his jokes.
“We could also communicate and share with each other about the problems we had during the shooting. So I am very grateful and happy to have worked with him.”
What message do you want this character to convey?
“You’re the creator of your own destiny. Everyone has their own destiny. Instead of completely accepting it, I’d much prefer everyone to explore and create their own destiny.”
