TO IMAGINATION / SEO HYUN JIN
18 July 2022 📖 Allure Korea
The moment when actor Seo Hyun Jin, who only moves forward with her own strength, and Barrie, a cashmere knit brand with Scottish heritage, met.
Do you remember any kind of situation from 2003? What was Seo Hyun Jin doing that year?
I was an applied musicology student at (Dongduk) Women’s University, and there was a tradition of staying all night long to practice and then taking classes after washing your face in the school’s bathroom. However, they didn’t let us on blind dates. And I heard that there were still people who remembered that I was a member of M.I.L.K
How did you feel then? Were you preparing to seek for acting jobs?
I was a student. Just a student. At that time I thought of not going to do any entertainment activity.
What made you change your mind?
When I got the opportunity to perform in the musical <The Sound of Music>. I met my acting teacher who conducted a private practice room then, and I learned acting like an assistant instructor for 4 years. When those with agencies came to learn acting, I would play their opposite roles. I played multiple roles. That was the only time I learned how to act. I thought of it as a great opportunity, but I guess there weren’t many people who wanted to do it.
So that was how Seo Hyun Jin’s career changed.
I only realized that later. When one of the agency’s people asked me, ‘Is acting fun?’, I realized it then. ‘Ah, my career has changed.’ It felt weird.
The reason why I bring up such an old story was because Allure, which was founded in 2003 is having its 19th anniversary this month.
Wow, I’m having goosebumps. Are you okay with having me (as the cover)? (Laughs)
What do you mean, okay? (Laughs) Where is that Oh Soo Jae who is full of confidence…
I’m always not confident. I’ve never had those things, such as confidence.
Haha. You have been a solid actor for 19 years, and now you have become such a reliable actor.
Even though I’m so thankful for that, I couldn’t help but to think, ‘Just how did that happen?’. At first I thought ‘they’re just saying it’, but if it kept on being said for so many years now, I’m feeling so grateful. I started acting steadily from the year 2010~2011. Before that I was a nameless actor, just like any other rookie actors.
A nameless actor Seo Hyun Jin, I couldn’t think of you being that at all.
If we go somewhere and say, ‘I’ve lived my life as a nameless actor for about 10 years,’ we won’t be ignored. (Laughs) When we talked among ourselves about it, it has the meaning of how we’re somewhat seasoned, how we’ve tumbled down and how we’ve went through a little bit of a hard time.
Are you someone who’s good in looking back? Or are you someone who’s just keep on looking forward?
When asked, I would think about it. I would think about it only then. Am I someone who tend to think about the past?
When my juniors are too young, I sometimes would get carried away with my thoughts. ‘You were born in 1997? At that time I was…’, like this kind of thought.
Ah, kind of like Yoon Sang (Bae In Hyuk)? He’s about 25 years ago, I think.
You’re doing romance acting with people like him, right?
I don’t do romance acting with him. I’m doing romance acting with Gong Chan (played by Hwang In Youp). In Youp isn’t that young.
Now that you think about it. Do you like yourself for the changes and growth through the 19 years?
I can’t really feel that my own self has changed. But even so, I do not want to go back to the past.
Then that’s a good thing.
How do I put it? I think it’s more of how things becoming passable. In my 20s, I was more emotional and had sharper edges. YES or NO. A clear distinction between black and white. It’s not that I don’t have that side of me anymore right now, but I’m thankful that I have become more flexible.
‘Oh Soo Jae’ is someone who only runs forward. On the other side, she has wounds internally. What do you like about Oh Soo Jae?
I liked it the most that she is a main character who is not nice. There are many female lead characters who are noble, pure or kind, but I like how she’s not like that, and I like it better that there’s a story behind her so we’ll get to know her better. And then there’s a lot to be expressed and I can justify inside of me when she was being tough or spitting bad words.
Can Seo Hyun Jin be friends with someone like Oh Soo Jae?
If there’s a chance for me to see the inside of such a person, we can be friends. She is not an easy character to approach. But if you get to know her, you’ll know that she’s of a tsundere type. Oh Soo Jae is a character whose acting changes depending on whom she is facing.
Especially when seeing her going face to face with Choi Tae Gook (played by Heo Jun Ho), the tension between them is great. When seeing Oh Soo Jae not giving in towards his sly old dog character, that in itself makes me more concentrate.
I also enjoyed all of my scenes with Teacher Heo. The screen time is also dominant. (Laughs) Teacher Heo would always say, ‘I knew she would do this’
Was he talking about Oh Soo Jae, or was he saying that to Seo Hyun Jin?
Hmm… I think both. Without losing, he kept on looking at me, saying ‘What’s the point of pretending to be scared? She’s not scared at all. I knew she would do this!’
I think it’s also important to believe in yourself when acting like that. Have you ever come to believe in yourself as an actor?
No I haven’t. Even now, I don’t have the confidence that I can do well. I only have a heart that wants to do well. I always want to do well, and wanting to do even better. I think my lack of confidence became my driving force, always.
Even the praises you received from the world are of no use to you?
I couldn’t hear them well. Praises sounding like whispers to my ears, while criticisms sounding like thunders. I think I’m that kind of person.
Sounding like thunders, you say. In the end, I think it’s a voice coming from your heart?
I’m someone who tend to look back on myself a lot. If I don’t like the way I act or the way I treat someone at the filming location, I would regret it for a very long time. Even so, there’s a low chance that the cuts that I’m satisfied with at the filming location would come out as disappointing. So I try to do it until I feel satisfied, and I usually try to focus on getting something satisfactory within one or two cuts, if possible. I got used to it. Don’t you fall behind once you are satisfied?
I like <Black Dog> among the works you starred in, and I thought about this while watching it. Anyone who chooses this kind of work is a real actor.
I can’t believe it that you watched <Black Dog>! I think I still choose scripts without focusing on their box office success. I think I need to do something that I like and find it as fun so that what I felt could be conveyed to those watching it. My criteria of choosing a work is a little bit far from the box office hit factor.
What was the reason that made you choose <Black Dog>?
The top priority was to choose a script without romance. After filming <Beauty Inside>, I didn’t have the energy to film another romance project, inside of me. There was no love inside of me.
Is it possible to make something that you don’t have?
If you bring out something you don’t have, then all of them are fake, obviously. As I was looking for a work that didn’t have romance, I met with <Black Dog> which scripts I read up to episode 4 and I liked it so much that I decided to do it. Regardless of the box office success, there seem to be a separate work which I like.
When do you feel satisfied?
I like it a lot more when the quality of the work is good. I’m a total processist.
If you think about the process, then how was <Why Her>?
It was so intense, the filming location. I learned a lot and felt a lot of things. I will never do a drama with a titular role ever again…. The amount footage…. I almost died. (Laughs) I’ve done three works with titular roles. <King’s Daughter, Soo Baek Hyang>, <Another Miss Oh>” and <Why Her (Why Oh Soo Jae)>.
How do you feel now that you have already finish filming and the show is almost over?
It has been about 3 weeks since I have finish filming. I’m almost back to my daily life, but I want to give my support and encouragement to those who are working on the post production.
Oh yes, I heard that you sing and dance during filming.
Haha. Mi Ran unnie whom I starred together with was the jukebox for <Black Dog>. She would sing endlessly. That’s what happens when we do it together. Truthfully, I would normally do it too. But I would do it a lot more when I have members that I got along well with.
You have many friendly and detailed anecdotes. But on the other hand, you don’t do social media.
I heard that (not doing social media) is something unique these days. I have a small personal relationships. They are small and deep, so personally, it’s enough for me to Kakaotalk with them, contact and meet them…. social media doesn’t really fit me.
You are always asked about social media, right?
Haha. That’s right. Especially these days.
I’m curious on what you think about communication, rather than having social media or not. Even an interview like this is an opportunity for the public to read actor Seo Hyun Jin’s thoughts.
It hasn’t been that long since I last did my interviews again. People always change their mind but these kind of interviews made my words remain. Maybe I don’t remember what have I said, and maybe the me from back then is different from the my present self and there might be a time when I would became embarrassed of whom I was at the time.
How about our conversation right now?
I’m being honest. So I don’t always say things that are not true. I am being totally honest.
Since your big project is over, what have you given to yourself as a gift?
It used to be travelling, but this time I bought myself a bedding. It’s been only a few years since I’ve used a good bedding, but it feels different when I get into bed. After COVID-19 happened, I started to enjoy cooking and I like housekeeping items.
During an acceptance speech, you once said, ‘I think I’m on a roller coaster.’ Do you ride roller coasters well?
That year was that kind of year. I like Vikings and I can play rides up to the roller coasters. But I can’t ride the Gyro Drops.
A life like a roller coaster, I think it’s going to be fun?
I want to live a life like a lake that doesn’t have any ripple. (Laughs) To live the same life every day. It’s my first break after a year and a half. I want to stay at home.
As you rest, Allure pops into the world. What do you think we should see first?
I want to see the cover first. Because I’ll feel embarrassed, I don’t think I’ll be able to go to the bookstore and see it. Pictorial shoot is still a challenge for me, usually it’s a very special event.
*This article includes sponsorship
Translation by Hyunjinies. Do not repost elsewhere without permission and credit.
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