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| 2026-05-27 07:01:00
actress-interview
Jun Ji-hyun aims to guide viewers rather than stand out through 'Colony' role
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, May 27 (Yonhap) -- Rather than being a "special" character, actor Jun Ji-hyun said she wanted to become a grounded presence viewers can trust and follow through her role as biotechnology professor Kwon Se-jeong in the zombie thriller "Colony."
In Yeon Sang-ho's latest zombie spectacle, Jun plays a righteous but blunt academic who leads a group of random survivors as they battle evolving zombies to make their way out of a Seoul high-rise that has been cordoned off due to a mysterious virus outbreak.
"Rather than appearing as a character that is special, my role was to make the audience trust and follow the choices Se-jeong makes, to help them understand the choices she make in a chaotic situation," she told a group of reporters in an interview on Tuesday.
For this goal, the actress known for her powerful action moves said she opted to tone down such movements to fit the brainy character she was portraying.
"As we were filming, we talked about how it would be awkward for a biotechnology professor to be suddenly good at action moves," she said.
"I did everything I can, but in a more restrained way that Se-jeong would be able to pull off," Jun said, adding she would like to film another work with Yeon, one more dedicated to action scenes.
Jun, who recently visited the Cannes Film Festival with Yeon and the main cast of "Colony" for the film's Midnight Screenings, recalled the experience as "invigorating."
"I don't know how to put it in words. I've been to Cannes before but that does not seem like the true Cannes. This time, it was our red carpet that really encouraged me as an actor," she said.
When asked about the seven-minute standing ovation the film garnered, Jun said she felt that people in the film industry were applauding for one another for their efforts, calling it a "touching" experience.
Jun, who kicked off her career as a high-teen star and has reigned in the top ranks through most of her career, said her aspiration to become an actress with a broad perspective has led her to where she stands.
"On top of good acting, I felt I had to have a broad perspective to become different and to not only limit myself to South Korea but work in a bigger market," Jun said. "I tried to do overseas projects when I was younger and this led to action performances, which naturally built my steps."
Jun, who played half-human, half-vampire Saya in the multinational action film "Blood: The Last Vampire" (2009), said she feels how the global reception of Korean culture, including movies, has changed so much over the past decade.
"I feel that being Korean is being global. I'm a Korean actor and a Korean national. I feel that I need to show good acting here for it to become global," she said. "The mood has changed, so I'm now trying to focus on what I can do."
The "here and now" mantra is also valid for the actress who debuted as a teenager and is now in her 40s.
"As actresses grow older, they often face fewer opportunities and their positions inevitably become more limited ... I want to find roles that allow me to truly convey emotion and I feel that's the right path ... to not be in the past or get ahead of myself but meet and play characters that I can convey (my) present emotions."
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