Actor Kim Jeong-hwa expressed her desire for characters while mentioning what she wants to show through her acting.
On the afternoon of the 17th, OSEN met actor Kim Jeong-hwa at The Good Theater in Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and conducted an interview.
After debuting in 2000, Kim Jeong-hwa left many hits such as New Nonstop and Stove League, and has spread positive influence through steady sponsorship activities and operating social corporations. After the 2013 musical "The Days," Kim Jeong-hwa, who had not been on stage for a while, returned to the stage after a long time through the play "Schumann" and is meeting audiences.
When asked whether she felt she had changed in any way after performing many works since her debut, Kim Jeong-hwa said, "What I feel most strongly is that I debuted through street casting, so I started acting without preparation. I did many works right after my debut, and I often felt that I was really exhausted. I had nothing left to show, but the situation of having to keep doing something repeated itself, so there were parts I couldn't enjoy. I often felt rushed, like I was doing it because I had to, not because I wanted to."
Kim Jeong-hwa said, "Now that I'm older and married, when choosing works I think the point of consideration changes to what I can enjoy more and what I can show. So I want to try new roles more, and I keep having expectations that there might be something inside me that I can show. The process of drawing it out is actually difficult, but after going through that hard ordeal new things are created, and I think I've become able to enjoy that process. Even if the process is hard, I have confidence that I can enjoy it."
When asked what image she would like people to have when they think of actor Kim Jeong-hwa, she said, "I think I am both the person Kim Jeong-hwa and the actor Kim Jeong-hwa. I'm grateful that people see me with positive influence and a good image, but I also have selfish or angry moments. So I try not to hide those sides and express them."
She continued, "Sometimes my husband says, 'Manage your image a little.' Then I say, 'That's me too, and this is me too.' I'm very grateful that the public thinks of me with a good image. But there is also the person Kim Jeong-hwa, so whatever people think, I think I can accept it all," showing a composed attitude.
Kim Jeong-hwa emphasized, "As an actor, my current desire is to show more diverse images. But since I'm running a business and raising children now, there may not be opportunities to fully expand. I hope to continue doing works, even small ones like now, showing this image and completely opposite images, and show more of Kim Jeong-hwa acting."
It was perhaps a candid answer from Kim Jeong-hwa. She explained, "I think my perspective broadened after marriage. My husband is not an entertainer, so after marriage I got to see a wide variety of people. I met very wealthy people and also heard deep stories of people living with difficulty, and by empathizing with their pain I realized there are really diverse people in the world. Someone may think something right while another may think it wrong; there are many thoughts. So I realized that what matters in the end is what standards I hold and how I live. Rather than being swayed by other perspectives, I felt it is more important to keep my own thinking."
She added, "And I still think my husband is a very wise person. There are many aspects I respect. There were moments in the past when I clashed while being stubborn, but looking back, there were many cases where my husband's words were right. Going through that made me learn more."
When asked if there are characters or genres she wants to challenge as an actor in the future, she said with bright eyes, "When I think about it, there are still many characters I haven't done. So I want to try a wider variety of roles. So far I've often been offered feminine or rich family's daughter roles, but I want to try characters completely different from those."
Kim Jeong-hwa said, "For example, I want to try a very easygoing, short-haired detective-like character, or roles with a more masculine feel. And I definitely want to try a comic role once. I think comedic acting really requires good acting skills, so it won't be easy, but I still want to keep thinking and researching and try it at least once."
Kim Jeong-hwa emphasized that she ultimately wants to show a variety of sides, saying, "I think the biggest thing is that as an actor I want to show diverse sides. The 'Schumann' role I did this time was an elegant, alluring and strong-willed character, and people who saw it told me, 'It suits you so well,' 'It's perfect for you.' While I was grateful for those comments, I also thought, 'Oh, was that seen within the image I've shown so far?' On the other hand, if seen positively, I also thought, 'I digested this character well.' I felt it could be seen in this way too. So since I tried a refined and strong-willed character this time, I want to try a completely different role next time."
Kim Jeong-hwa said, "Because I'm continuing to work on projects now, I want to continue showing acting aspects bit by bit. Whether it's a big role or a small role, I want to continue projects while keeping and carrying my identity as an actor. But since I'm running a business and raising children, it's actually not easy to do everything perfectly. I didn't know, but I have a somewhat perfectionist tendency, so I want to do this well and that well. Still, I think balancing is more important than being greedy right now."
In closing she said, "I want to do my best in acting, give sufficient love to my children, and do my best in business within the scope I can. Although I have big goals, my current goal seems to be to move forward correctly, step by step, as much as I can do."
[Photo] Kenneth Company, H E&M, UMI Entertainment
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