(Continuation from Interview 1) Actor Lim Do-hwa, who returned through the film 'The Black Spirit,' revealed the difficulties he faced regarding team discord during his time as the youngest member, Chanmi, in AOA.
Lim Do-hwa conducted an interview on the afternoon of the 27th at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. There, he shared his thoughts about the film 'The Black Spirit' with domestic reporters.
Released on the same day, 'The Black Spirit' is an occult horror film that begins with the meeting of Anuat (Anupam Tripathi), who hides a terrible past and secrets, and Sua (Lim Do-hwa), who must die by the age of twenty-five, as they face a chilling fate on a full moon night. Through this work, Lim Do-hwa challenged the screen for the first time as 'Lim Do-hwa.'
While Lim Do-hwa's time was revealed through 'The Black Spirit,' his entertainment debut began in 2012 when he debuted as the youngest member, 'Chanmi,' of the girl group AOA. Lim Do-hwa, who was loved for a long time as the youngest member of a top girl group, has continued to engage with the members of AOA while changing his name to work as an actor.
In particular, Lim Do-hwa's wedding in June was attended by AOA members Hyejeong, Jimin, and Seolhyun. Yuna reportedly congratulated him separately, as she is in her early pregnancy and needs to take care of herself. This moment was also broadcast through TV Chosun's entertainment show 'Lovers of Joseon,' adding warmth to the occasion.
He remarked about Jimin, the leader, shedding tears during the wedding, saying, "Sister cries a lot by nature. We felt affectionate toward each other. I also have many regrets about not being a good younger sibling to the older sisters. I was too young and had a tough time. I wish I could have been a considerate and cute younger sibling, but I was too busy getting through it. The older sisters felt the same. We apologized to each other for not being able to take care of each other more."
Lim Do-hwa said, "So, after the team was disbanded, I kept in touch the most with Jimin unni. When I got a boyfriend, I always told her. When I was preparing for the wedding, I informed her first. So, she became more affectionate. Now, we've become real close friends. I hope everyone is happy now, and I've been praying for that for a long time. I'm glad that we seem to be getting closer little by little," he laughed.
Seolhyun, as a senior actress, has many questions. Lim Do-hwa said, "I'm very curious about what her time as an actress was like. But I think she feels a bit awkward. I'm curious about what she pays attention to in her life. When the two of us meet, talking about work feels awkward. It feels like talking about things with my actual sister. We just become sister and brother. We talk about fashion. I say, 'You dressed like an ISTJ.' I'm still a rookie as an actress, so my spectrum is narrow. Once I do more activities and gain more experience, I think I can talk about acting with her too."
Now, Lim Do-hwa can smile when recalling the time during AOA's activities. He reflected on the past, stating, "It was overwhelming just to complete what was given to me day by day. I thought about the efforts of my twenties. It was about doing my best. Even if I couldn't see the direction, I ran with the best of my ability, both physically and internally, as much as I could. I did that in my twenties, continuously until my mid-twenties. As I approached my late twenties and hit thirty, I really thought a lot about what kind of efforts I should make. I came to think it would be better to have a more accurate direction and purpose and wisely distribute my energy. I'm working hard for that. So even if it takes time, I'm trying not to be anxious and to go slowly in the right direction. I believe I'm doing that now."
He expressed, "In my teens and early twenties, I was someone who fit the idol mold. Back then, I was filled with ambition, saying, 'Let's achieve this, let's take action, let's rise, and let's do our best until the end.' I was very passionate. I thought I could do anything. I truly believed nothing was impossible with effort. At that time, I was the most suitable for being an idol. I found great joy in the constantly changing life, even though I received a lot of criticism. It was a thrill to be loved so much. Now I feel like I don't fit in anymore. After experiencing it, I realized I couldn't be a person who could continue for a long time. During high school, I missed the opportunity to go to a career fair; I chose my path in middle school. The choices I made in middle school, and middle school Chanmi was fitting, but that image doesn't align with my inner self now. My appearance was greatly influenced by my surroundings. My mom worked very hard, and she lived her twenties like that, so I thought I had to do the same. My mom in her thirties worked just as hard, but I'm not my mom; I'm me. So when I looked at who I am, I don't think I'm someone who fits the idol's character."
In particular, Lim Do-hwa expressed his exhaustion from being misunderstood regarding the discord rumors involving leader Jimin and former member Kwon Min-ah of AOA, stating, "I was tired of being misunderstood. During that time when there were many issues, I was still continuing to work. I was filming without quitting any programs. I went to every audition even though questions were mostly about team issues. Many auditions were for roles I hadn't even seen. They would stop me while I was reading designated lines and say, 'Let's have a discussion.'"
He remarked, "If I were the me in my teens or early twenties, I would have endured it by answering diligently, hoping that this person would love me. As I hit my mid-twenties and went through those times, I realized there's a lot of time ahead. Even if I die at 80, I still have almost 50 years left, and I don't want to spend that time worrying about rude people. I also didn't want to hurt myself. I felt that if I couldn't protect myself, no one else could."
Recalling that period, Lim Do-hwa said, "At that time, I really wanted to quit it all. I wished for my life to end. I often thought about whether everything would end if I stopped." He didn't cry all the time, however.
Instead, Lim Do-hwa stated firmly, "It's okay to cry now. At that time, I was scared that crying would be reinterpreted, so I couldn't even cry. As time went by, I realized that to live the life I want, I need to really think about what kind of life I want to live. Once an ongoing program's season ended, it wasn't surprising that I didn't get re-signed, and as things got sorted out one by one, that was when my time of 'nothing' came. At that time, I went fishing, and I spent weeks in Jeju alone. I ruminated endlessly without even watching TV," he said, looking relieved.
Lim Do-hwa shared, "The time I spent thinking about how I wanted to live was about 4 to 5 years ago. The most requests I received were about whether I wanted to try being a dance teacher, but I didn't want to do that. I thought I wouldn't be good at teaching. Teaching is also a skill, and I wasn't good at it. I continued to receive acting lessons from a good teacher, who encouraged me to try. Once I did, it was fun. Now, I'm meeting with another teacher and receiving lessons and having discussions. I want to see acting not as something I do carelessly but as something I want to put effort into, and that's how I ended up here."
Furthermore, he expressed caution about the perspectives regarding AOA, saying, "I'm okay, but I'm concerned about whether the members are okay. Just because I don't say anything doesn't mean it didn't happen. It seems each of us carries a weight that we must bear in our respective places." Above all, he added, "You are free to criticize, scold, or give advice. I hope you watch the film a lot. I want to hear all kinds of opinions. If you have some spare time in your heart, please watch to see if I can handle any wonderful parts in my next work," smiling.
(Continuation from Interview 3.)
[Photo] Provided by Dante Entertainment.
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