Son Ye-jin laughed, saying it is not easy as a working mom when asked about plans for a second child with Hyun Bin.
On the morning of the 23rd at a cafe in Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, an interview was held with Son Ye-jin, the lead actress of the film "No Other Choice."
"No Other Choice" (director Park Chan-wook, distributed by CJ ENM, produced by Moho Film·CJ ENM Studios) tells the story of Mansu (played by Lee Byung-hun), an office worker who felt his life was so fulfilling he had "achieved everything," who is suddenly fired and, to protect his wife Miri (played by Son Ye-jin) and their two children and to hold on to the home they worked hard to obtain, prepares his own war toward reemployment. Based on the original novel "X" by American novelist Donald Westlake, it is a remake of Costa-Gavras's film Axe, a dangerous guide to employment. It was invited to compete in the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, selected as the opening film of the 30th Busan International Film Festival, and has been officially invited to the 50th Toronto International Film Festival and the 63rd New York Film Festival, receiving global attention.
Park Chan-wook's new work and Lee Byung-hun's passionate performance are drawing attention, but the fact that it is Son Ye-jin's comeback film is also a hot topic. Son Ye-jin married fellow actor Hyun Bin, who is the same age, in 2022 and gave birth to a son in November of that year. It is her first new work in three years, marking a return to the screen seven years after "The Negotiation."
Returning after marriage and childbirth, Son Ye-jin said, "The change my son gave me is so great. Everything changed from one to 10. My life changed so much there's nothing that didn't change. Now I barely remember what kind of actress I used to be. (Laughs) I just push a stroller every day and go to the playground, and people quietly come up to me and say, 'I'm such a fan.' Mothers from the local kindergarten give me coffee and are surprised when they see my shabby appearance," she said, drawing laughter.
She continued, "Before, I always wore a hat and covered up, but now with the baby, since there's no one to play with the baby alone, we go together. Still, I made quite a few friends. There's a twin family in the neighborhood we became close with," and said, "Somehow my life itself has become, first and foremost, being a mother. And I am a happy mother because I have work, and I am happy to be an actor. At the same time, while having work in the midst of it, I can discipline myself, exercise, go out to work, and I feel grateful for that. Mothers are doing such great things. Having experienced it myself, I feel it bodily and all mothers become united."
When asked, "People are curious when you and Hyun Bin will have a second child," she laughed and said, "In my heart I've wanted three, but it's not easy. As a working mom."
Having taken a three-year hiatus for childcare, Son Ye-jin said, "I feel so strongly that this time with my child will never come again. I strongly feel that childhood does not return," and answered, "I'm so sorry to my manager, but I want to be with the baby until he falls asleep, so I stay with him until 3 a.m. and then leave for the set. Living that way makes my on and off time clear. Certainly becoming a mother has made me firmer. I feel like becoming firmer as a mother. You inevitably become more mature. To have a child is..."
Meanwhile, "No Other Choice" opens on the 24th.
[Photo] Provided by MSTEAM Entertainment
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