(Following interview ①) Actress Kim Hee-ra spoke about the situation immediately after she was falsely accused of school bullying in the film "The Savior."
Kim Hee-ra conducted an interview on the morning of the 23rd at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul. At the interview she talked about the upcoming release of the film "The Savior" (director Shin Jun) and her recent activities.
"The Savior" is a mystery occult film in which miraculous things happen to Yeong-beom and Seon-hee after they move to the blessed land Obok-ri, and when they learn that all of it is the price someone paid for misfortune, events unfold. Among them, Kim Hee-ra plays Chun-seo, who lived in Obok-ri, maximizing the mystery.
Kim Hee-ra returned to the screen with her first commercial film, "The Savior." She drew major attention in 2023 for the Netflix original series The Glory, but immediately afterward she endured embarrassment from a school bullying controversy that surfaced. Fortunately, she resolved misunderstandings with the accuser and the allegations were found to be untrue, but afterward Kim Hee-ra had an unintended hiatus except for the musical "Frida."
Kim Hee-ra recalled the moment she decided to appear in "The Savior," saying, "I was at a cafe in Guri with a friend, talking about how long we would enjoy a relaxed but not entirely comfortable leisure. We were talking about whether I should take a part-time job when the manager called. I was nervous; he said he would send a script to read. Because it was a very close friend I said sorry and read the script right there. Although it was a supporting role, the character gives the film its central incident and was attractive, so I called within 30 minutes and immediately said I'd do it. I said I would work hard. I remember accepting it in one day."
Kim Hee-ra said of that time, "I simply accepted my situation. I thought that people would move on as if life had been made for her even without me, and what I needed to do next, no matter what happened, was to be chosen as an actor and continue acting, so I had to do better. I thought I had to show it through acting; you can't hold onto every single person."
She continued, "So I even went to the United States. I took the deposit for the place I was living and went to the U.S.," and explained, "I couldn't just stay in bed or only wait during that time, so I spent a lot of time reflecting. I went to the U.S. to study, backpacked around and had meetings in imperfect English. Thanks to that, I had that time."
She said, "After that I became a little stronger, and I think I saw people going through even harder times than I did. If before I was someone who moved forward just dreaming, now I also look around. While playing Chun-seo, I told the director I wished Chun-seo could be someone who could protect herself a little. Not someone who gives up everything. I felt so sorry for Chun-seo. Even the moment she meets Seon-hee and Yeong-beom, I couldn't help but become much more immersed. Seon-hee's lines and Yeong-beom's lines resonated a lot. So I spent that time with even more gratitude," she said.
"The Savior" opens on Nov. 5.
(Continued from interview ③.)<
[Photo] Provided by MINE.
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