[Interview] Im Soo Jung is All for Revealing Herself, Physically and Mentally

I never knew this actress would be this candid and this bold. She is Im Soo Jung, who came back to the big screen for the first time in a year with the film All About My Wife.

It seemed like she would always be pure and elegant, but through her most recent piece, Im Soo Jung broke herself down. She stripped down as a bad wife and didn’t hesitate to deal out scathing comments and curses. What made her change so? I met with Im Soo Jung to find out.


Im Soo Jung up close

She was definitely different from the Im Soo Jung in commercials. I thought that she would live on the morning dew with her porcelain skin, but in real life she never hesitated in stating her opinion. More than anything, she held firm convictions about her acting and her life. My fantasies were actually shattered a bit at her unexpectedly straightforward personality.

She was honest in her emotions, however, and she was proud of it. Thanks to that, we could talk more sincerely about various topics, and the mood naturally followed. To be honest, how could I not be happy, with Im Soo Jung sitting in front of me?

Jokes and laughter weren’t enough to learn exactly who Im Soo Jung is. She was an actress living a fierce and passionate life. She showed through her honesty how she managed to stay at the top for over 10 years.

What follows is a transcript of the interview.

How did you like your film?

“A lot of the parts I could’ve done better came to me first, and I kept thinking back to when I was acting out the dialogue, thinking some parts were so hard. I actually thought I never wanted to do characters with so much dialogue again (Laugh).”

How did you feel when you first received the casting offer?

“I was concerned on whether I had any similarities to Jung In inside me. I think I was chosen because I understand the dialogue quickly and I can deliver it well. When I was hesitating, a lot of the people around me gave me courage. I was especially moved when the director said, ‘I think you’re the only one that will be able to do this.’”

You really went through a shocking transformation.

“I think a majority of the audience will think that way because my transformation was so strong, but I’ve always underwent changes in my previous pieces. I’m not very scared of change. I actually want to break through [whatever is thought about me]. You could say I’m trying to break off from the image I’ve piled up until now. I want to show an Im Soo Jung with a variety of multiple personalities.”


Which part was the most impressive?

“When the logic of the woman named Jung In is revealed. She protests that she made her husband suffer because she was ‘lonely’. I think that’s why I sincerely said ‘I’ll kill you’ to Lee Sun Gyun oppa (big brother).”

Your bed scene with Lee Sun Gyun and the revealing scenes were all very surprising.

“It was a method we chose to show more about the character. That’s why I didn’t feel much pressure. I actually walked around the set in the clothes I wore for the bed scene with the thought that I needed to be less awkward (Laugh). In the table scene with Sun Gyun oppa, rather than be embarrassed, both of us tried to come up with new ideas and make it more fun.”

It’s a film about marriage. You’re currently single; I believe you would’ve thought seriously about your own marriage.

“Before shooting this film, I never thought that I wanted to get married, but after acting as Jung In, I’m thinking much better of marriage. Of course, I don’t want to be a wife that suffocates my husband (Laugh). I want to at least protect each other’s privacy and lead a marriage that both of us want.”

The piece must’ve meant a lot to you.

“Because of my image, I always took on roles that were much younger than the real me. I think this is the first time I acted in a role my age. Thanks to that, I think I could relate to the life of a woman my age, in her early 30s. I put together an image for the actress Im Soo Jung in my 20s, and I think in my 30s I’m trying to break it down again. This piece is, in that sense, a turning point in my life as an actress.”

You said you want to continue changing. Are you interested in love stories with a lot of revealing scenes?

“Actually, I’m getting a lot of scenarios like that. I welcome the notion. I think the officials want to break through the parts the public never thought possible because of my image. I still haven’t met one that touches my heart. If I do, though, I want to start working on toning my body (Laugh).”

Lastly, please explain what this film is trying to tell everyone.

“The initial attractions are lost once someone becomes mine. I think that’s why many of us don’t work any harder after that, but in the eyes of others, that person could still be a very attractive person. It’s a film that lets you realize the stupidity of thinking that way, and lets you look after your precious things.”


Photo credit: Kim Byung Kwan

Reporter : Lee, JinHo (zhenhao@cj.net)
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