Actress Kim Hye Soo made a guest appearance on a YouTube channel, hosted by actress Song Yoon A.
"Do you have good eyes for the script or have you been lucky?", Song Yoon A questioned Kim Hye Soo, the actress with 39 years of experience who has achieved numerous successes with blockbuster movies and series.
"Both.", Kim Hye Soo started, "The actress Kim Hye Soo becoming 'the actress with good choices' wasn't until later. For a long time, I struggled for a while to find the proper script for me. It bothered me in my 30s. I acted all smart but I had no eyes for the scenario.", she confessed.
She then continued, "You asked how to choose the right script, I think preparation comes before choosing. Building the foundation and putting much effort into it is a start, in my opinion.", she shared her insight with Song Yoon A, which came from her own experience.
"Good ones didn't come to me because I wasn't ready. I started acting when I was 16 and became overly consumed by the public eye early in my career when I wasn't competent enough. Directors with clear visions steered away from me. Was I new and fresh? No. Was I then, talented enough to push over the line? No, I wasn't. I had no values."
"Before I got the part as 'Madam Jeong' in the film 'Tazza: The High Rollers', the scripts I received were only exclusively comedies, romantic comedies, or sometimes erotica, out of the blue."
Then the actress resumed, "Not that I hated those genres. My distaste was in the industry's perception of me, that I was objectively verified as an actress with limited ability."
They were piercingly accurate in their assessment of her, said Kim Hye Soo, but as they say, the truth hurts.
"I knew they were right. But sometimes I thought, 'I did my best. Why do they have to be so harsh?'", Kim Hye Soo revealed her past hurt feelings.
"I was unaware that 30 years had passed. I realized it after it was published in the article.", said Kim Hye Soo.
"I started that job in my early 20s. Since I was so young, hosting was difficult. But at the time, the only source to find the current issue of the industry was in a few magazines. I accepted hosting for Blue Dragon Film Awards to know what kind of movies were made that year and who did a good job. That was the start."
Kim Hye Soo, 52, said that she learned a lot as a host. "When I am listening to acceptance speeches, some words just come right to my heart. I couldn't help but imagine the level of engagement they had put into the work."
In 30 years of the Blue Dragon Film Awards red carpet, Kim Hye Soo has consistently drawn attention with her stunning appearance. It has been almost customary for her dress to catch the public eye.
However, for the first time, the actress expressed her sadness behind the spotlight.
"There I am, in front of all the key personnel who ran the year's film industry, as a flamboyantly dressed host, not an actress. I remember feeling quite sad about it one day in my 20s. I hated seeing all those headlines about my dress. Was I supposed to be happy about it? There was no glory, no round of applause about it since I wasn't invited as an actress."
As the story ended, Song Yoon A's face exhibited sadness. She said, "I know that feeling. I was standing there just to applaud other actors when my work was kept in the dark, unappreciated.", she sympathized with Kim Hye Soo.
"It must be a part of being an actor, I suppose.", Kim Hye Soo picked up the cake in front of her and said, "You feel happy and appreciative when you put what is yours in the mouth after being hungry. But as you swallow, you forget how you felt before. So I try to remember the feelings, the importance, for they made me who I am. After all, I am lucky to tell this story with a smile."
(SBS Star)