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| yna@yna.co.kr 2024-07-08 17:55:25
Editor's Note:
A "scene-stealer" is a term used in various media to describe a character or actor who, regardless of their screen time, naturally captures the audience's attention with their strong personality and charm, often overshadowing the main roles. The term literally means to steal the scene. In this context, K-Vibe presents a relay interview series featuring actors who started with theater and expanded their acting range into drama and film, becoming scene-stealers. The series will be updated biweekly and will serve as an archive of scene-stealer actors with a background in Korean theater, providing valuable resources for casting directors worldwide.
SEOUL, July 8 (Yonhap) -- "Acting is about revealing my life's coordinates without fear. Even though I don't want to share my position with anyone, it gets exposed through the process of working freely."
Celebrating her 45th anniversary in the industry this year, actress Ye Soo-jung (69) shared her unique acting philosophy in a recent interview with Yonhap News. She stated, "My image gets revealed, and that's what is shown externally. You have to acknowledge and accept it."
Debuting in 1979 with the play "A Woman Named Solitude," Ye is a veteran actress who has crossed multiple genres including theater, drama, and film. She has also set a record by starring in four films that surpassed 10 million viewers, including "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds."
On the 12th, her disaster survival thriller film "Escape: Project Silence" is set to be released. The film, which also serves as the posthumous work of the late actor Lee Sun-kyun, features Ye playing Soon-ok, the wife of Byung-hak, portraying an elderly couple.
When asked about the secret to her sustained activity over the years, Ye modestly waved it off. "There's no special effort to perform well. If you like it, it's easy," she admitted. However, she confessed, "I still find it difficult to convey something to others that I haven't convinced myself of or accepted."
Ye approaches her roles with caution, stating, "I can't perform properly if my heart isn't moved, so I approach projects carefully. Some people say I have 'flexible stubbornness' because of this," she laughed.
Ye also highlighted the importance of finding one's own method in acting. "Every actor has their own method. I have mine, and others have theirs. You should explore and learn various methods to find what suits you," she emphasized.
She added, "In my method, there is always an inverted triangle—judgment, emotion, and courtesy. I consider judgment the most crucial."
As a theater actor, Ye also shared her thoughts on the differences between theater and other forms of acting. "I think theater has a much higher literary quality. The weight of language is significant when conveying stories to the audience. In theater, you have to be more of a designer than in any other genre," she said.
She further elaborated, "Sometimes, long lines contain the themes I want to convey. If you don't design your movements, interactions with props, and exchanges with other actors, you might miss out on conveying those themes."
During the interview, Ye also spoke about her family. Coming from a theatrical background, her mother was the late veteran actress Jung Ae-ran. Her sister Kim Soo-ok and brother-in-law Han Jin-hee are also actors, and her daughter Kim Ye-na is a director and CEO of Studio Nanadasi.
"My mother valued life itself immensely," Ye recalled. "I remember her smiling a lot." She shared an anecdote about her mother respecting the working hours of a house helper, highlighting the value of consideration and respect for others' time and worlds.
Ye has a busy schedule ahead for the second half of the year. In September, she will be preparing for a play tentatively titled "Oh My God," centered around euthanasia. The play, which premiered in Germany and was recently staged in Japan, delves into the meaning of life through the perspectives of various experts.
Additionally, she participated as a narrator in the music film "Hawaii Rhapsody," set to release domestically in September. The film, which was invited to the 43rd Hawaii International Film Festival last October, received acclaim abroad. It explores the 120-year history of Korean immigration to the United States through a three-part omnibus, with Ye narrating the second part, "Grandmother's Brass Bowl," based on the true story of 'picture bride' Im Ok-soon, depicting the life and dedication of immigrant women.
[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]