Genie, Make A Wish's Suzy thanked viewers and shared behind-the-scenes moments from the shoot.
The Netflix series Genie, Make A Wish (written by Kim Eun-sook) continues to attract strong interest even in its second week after release. According to the Netflix Tudum TOP 10 website, Genie, Make A Wish recorded 8,000,000 views (the number of views calculated by dividing viewing time by the work's total running time) from the 6th to the 12th, sweeping the No. 1 spot in the global TOP 10 series (non-English) category. In addition, it appeared on the TOP 10 lists in 50 countries worldwide and ranked No. 1 in 10 countries including Hong Kong, Peru, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and the Dominican Republic. Moreover, it topped the TV-OTT integrated drama buzz rankings announced by Good Data Corporation for two consecutive weeks, proving its popularity.
Interest in Kim Woo-bin and Suzy is as hot as interest in the work itself. The two actors swept the TV-OTT integrated drama buzz performer rankings for two consecutive weeks, with Suzy at No. 1 and Kim Woo-bin at No. 2, and they have received praise for their perfect acting transformations. Reuniting after nine years, they not only showed perfect back-and-forth chemistry but also heightened immersion with explosive performances in scenes where the characters' emotional lines intensify.
In particular, Suzy was praised for portraying the emotionless Ga-young character flexibly and convincingly, showing a new side as an actor. Her widened acting spectrum, as much as her attractive visuals, made viewers fully immersed in the work and the character.
Suzy said, "The moments when I was immersed in Ga-young remain vivid. Those moments mean a great deal to me," adding, "Thanks to the viewers who loved the strange and beautiful "Genie, Make A Wish," those times when I was immersed in this story came back to me and scratched at my heart. Thank you for seeing what lies beyond the scenes. For those who haven't watched it yet, I definitely recommend entering this strange world."
Below is Suzy's full Q&A.
Q. How did you interpret and perform Ga-young's overall character?
Ga-young has a personality disorder called "antisocial personality disorder," but because she was conditioned by her grandmother's and villagers' love from childhood, I didn't try to approach her as a typical psychopath. I thought she lived in a dull, robot-like way where input produces output, so she didn't feel interest in life. So I basically wanted her to remain expressionless and listless, and I thought she wouldn't bother hiding that because everyone already saw her as a psychopath. Sadly, she already perceives herself as "someone called a psychopath," or because people point fingers, I wanted to express that she thinks of herself as bad and terrible even before realizing her true nature. I tried to think of Ga-young's mindset as that of a known psychopath who doesn't need to try to be a good person and simply lives by the rules.
I wanted to portray her past life as someone altruistic, the complete opposite of the current Ga-young, so I tried to change my gaze and tone of voice. While acting the present Ga-young and then the past-life Ga-young, I thought, 'Living by expressing yourself is happiness.' I tried to express that contrast clearly.
Q. Ga-young's last wish—"let me feel human emotions"—is striking. Why do you think she made that wish?
I thought it was an obsessive curiosity about the feeling of being pierced deeply. After her grandmother died, Ga-young lost a fragile safety mechanism and was in a very anxious state. Having gone through many things and reflected on the hearts of the people she observed, I think she wanted to feel emotions she had missed due to routine and conditioning. I think it's Ga-young's true growth.
Q. You show polar opposite sides in the work. Were there particular things you paid attention to in acting or styling?
The present Ga-young is a psychopath, so she doesn't care much about others' gazes, and because she has a lot of money, I wanted there to be no restrictions on what she wears or rides to work. I wanted her to freely match striking colors. The past-life Ga-young had no makeup, toned-down looks and many touches of dirt, and I tried to express her as purely and tenderly as possible.
Q. Your favorite scene
I like the scene where the grandmother (played by Kim Mi-kyung) teaches the young Ga-young many emotions while secretly wiping her tears. I felt both heartache and warmth imagining how the grandmother, who gave unconditional love, must have taught Ga-young with a breaking heart, while the expressionless young Ga-young who didn't know that was so pitiful.
Q. This is your first time working with writer Kim Eun-sook. How was it?
I thought the writer was like our 'golden touch.' It was a very meaningful project. We didn't have many conversations, but her intermittent feedback, generous encouragement and support were a great help.
Q. What did you particularly do to preserve the "flavor" of Kim Eun-sook's script?
I tried to catch the rhythm. Ga-young speaks robotically throughout, but I aimed to speak clearly with the thought, 'Listen to me. Don't make me say it twice.' Like learning the waltz—'don't split the head, split the beat'—I sometimes tried to speak in strange rhythms. The back-and-forth with actor Kim Woo-bin was important, and I'm grateful he matched that well.
Q. Reuniting with actor Kim Woo-bin after a long time, were there moments you surprised or admired each other, and if you met again, what genre and character would you like to play?
I was especially surprised by the deep emotional lines while filming the later episodes. Perhaps because it was a different work and character than before, every moment felt new and full of surprises. If we meet again, I'd like to play a completely different character in a different genre. An office drama would be fun.
Q. How was filming with actor Ahn Eun-jin, who plays Ga-young's maternal grandmother?
Ahn Eun-jin's loveliness and energy were really great. Her smile seems to have something that makes you feel good. Not only did she convey the youthful energy of the character, but in the latter part she also expressed deep sorrow and affection for Ga-young, so it was both joyful and sad to act with her.
Q. The chemistry among the three actors Suzy, Ahn Eun-jin and Lee Joo-young is very good. Were there any fun anecdotes while acting?
I remember everyone had a hard time trying not to laugh because of actor Go Gyu-pil during the scene where Min-ji (played by Lee Joo-young) suspects Miju (played by Ahn Eun-jin), Said (played by Go Gyu-pil) and Je-ni (played by Kim Woo-bin) leaving Ga-young's house. Also, when filming the scene where Min-ji collapses crying because she couldn't stop Ga-young from leaving for Dubai, Lee Joo-young asked to be hugged once for the sake of emotion, which left a deep impression on me. So I hugged her very warmly.
Q. How was filming with Song Hye-kyo, who made a special appearance as Je-ni-ya?
At the time of that shoot, I wasn't close to the senior actress, so I was very nervous. Playing Je-ni's ex-girlfriend required a lot of restraint while filming, so it was challenging but an honor, and I'm personally very happy we became close after filming. Afterward, whenever it rained I joked, 'Is my sister in a bad mood?' thinking of Je-ni-ya, and when I told her that, she really liked it.
Q. Was it difficult to perform lines in Arabic?
I practiced by listening to the recorded voice without rest. It was so difficult that I would forget it as soon as I turned around even after memorizing it, but before I knew it I was able to immerse myself and act. Still, I felt lucky that I didn't have more Arabic lines than other characters. (laughs)
Q. If you had to define the love between Ga-young and Je-ni, who have a millennium-long narrative, in one word
Habibti (my love)!
Q. Are there any reviews or reactions since the release that stand out in your memory?
The reviews that resonated most were those that accurately felt the story's message that humanity is ultimately a "choice." Reading reviews like "I felt that what matters more is the choices you make in life than how you were born," I felt very grateful as the person who played Ga-young, who believed she was born bad but made the right choices as she lived.
Q. What do you think about the mixed reactions to the work?
I think any work will have mixed reactions, and that's a perfectly natural response. That makes me even more grateful to those who enjoyed it.
Q. You've been playing impactful characters in recent projects. Do you have criteria or reasons for choosing projects?
First of all, if the script is interesting, I become intrigued. Above all, I think the character I will play needs to be attractive, and I hope there are no overlapping points with previous characters. I haven't been chasing only strong and intense roles; I find a character attractive when the complex human inner world is well shown.
Q. What does Genie, Make A Wish mean to you, Suzy?
The moments when I was immersed in Ga-young remain vivid. Those moments mean a great deal to me. Also, through this work I grew to like things like affection and warmth more. Warmth is the best!
Q. To the viewers who love Genie, Make A Wish
Thanks to the viewers who loved the strange and beautiful "Genie, Make A Wish," those times when I was immersed in this story came back to me and scratched at my heart. Thank you for seeing what lies beyond the scenes. For those who haven't watched it yet, I definitely recommend entering this strange world.
[Photo] Provided by Netflix.
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