Shim Eun-kyung revealed the reasons behind her sudden move to the United States and Japan during her peak.
In the tvN entertainment show "Yu Quiz on the Block" (hereafter referred to as "Yu Quiz"), which aired on the 25th, actress Shim Eun-kyung, who has become Yoo Jae-suk's laughter button, appeared and disclosed the circumstances that led to her sudden advancement to America.
On that day, Yoo Jae-suk asked, "They say that an actor follows the title of the work, but like in 'The Wrathful Woman,' you showed an extraordinary path," and inquired about the reason for her sudden move to study in the United States.
At the age of 18, Shim Eun-kyung acted in the movie "Sunny," marking her peak as the film was a box office hit. However, she left for the United States for studies after filming "Sunny." Regarding this, Shim Eun-kyung explained, "I felt that if I didn't go now, there would be no life as teenage Shim Eun-kyung. I wanted to experience life as a student, so I went to New York. I studied abroad for about two and a half years."
Yoo Jae-suk asked, "I heard you became interested in classical and jazz here," and Shim Eun-kyung replied, "There are many jazz bars in New York known for jazz performances. Friends of mine took me and introduced me to many places, which is how I got to experience it then."
The film "The Wrathful Woman," which she shot after studying in the United States, also became a box office success. At that time, Shim Eun-kyung won the best actress award at the Baeksang Arts Awards. She revealed, "'The Wrathful Woman' was a project I initially rejected. I thought, 'I lack confidence, I can't do it,' and I refused the role because I felt the character required more experience. But after a lengthy persuasion from director Hwang Dong-hyuk, I ended up participating in it," drawing attention with her backstory.
Especially, Shim Eun-kyung attracted attention when she suddenly advanced to Japan in 2017. She confessed, "At that time, I was deeply immersed in Japanese rock music. I thought about forming a rock band in Japan and sweeping the Tokyo Dome."
In response, Yoo Jae-suk said, "You must have listened to a lot of songs since you were interested in the band. Since you're here, please sing a band song," making the request. Shim Eun-kyung boasted her dance skills instead of singing, saying she prepared a dance. At that moment, Yoo Jae-suk sent a love call, saying, "Eun-kyung, let's do some entertainment together."
Meanwhile, Shim Eun-kyung reminisced about her time as a newcomer in Japan. When Yoo Jae-suk asked, "Even if you practice a lot to act with emotion in Japanese, it must not have been easy," Shim Eun-kyung responded, "Actually, even now, Japanese is still the hardest for me."
She continued, "While I was studying for about six months for my activities in Japan, a project offer came in, and initially, there was no time for anything but practice. First, I would read the script translated into Korean to fully understand the content, then read the Japanese script."
Then she said, "At the same time, I would start practicing the lines. I would first listen to the recording files, practice alone, and then take one-on-one lessons with a teacher to check every single pronunciation or continuously read until I was ready for the set."
After all that effort, Shim Eun-kyung received the best actress award at the Japanese Academy for her film "The Newspaper Journalist" just three years after advancing to Japan. Shim Eun-kyung expressed, "I was nominated for a major awards ceremony. When my name was called, 'This is Shim Eun-kyung from 'The Newspaper Journalist,' I was so surprised that I almost had a convulsion. I remember barely walking to the stage."
[Photo] Screenshot from the broadcast of "Yu Quiz on the Block"
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