Interview with Lee Ha-nui as Yeorae in the movie ‘Killing Romance’
Actress Lee Ha-nui mentioned Lee Sun-gyun, with whom she worked in the movie ‘Killing Romance.’
Lee Ha-nui told various stories about the movie ‘Killing Romance’ (directed by Lee Won-seok) at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 14th.
'Killing Romance' is about top star Yeorae (played by Lee Ha-nui), who suddenly announces her retirement after falling in love with island tycoon Jonathan (played by Lee Seon-gyun), and meets Beom-woo (played by Gong Myeong), a student from the 3rd fan club, and plots an extraordinary comeback plan. It's a story.
In the play, Lee Ha-nui plays the role of Tathagata. Tathagata is a retired top star who dreams of a brilliant screen comeback. She meets Jonathan Na by chance, falls in love with him, and suddenly retires as soon as he gets married.
Director Lee Won-seok, who previously directed 'Killing Romance', said that Lee Ha-nui shed tears after watching the movie during the preview. He also worried, “Did you cry because you were embarrassed?”
On this day, when Lee Ha-nui mentioned 'tears', she said, "Oh, now I have to immigrate," making people laugh. Lee Ha-nui said, "I was thrilled. There were twists and turns until the movie came out. When something I read in text and only saw as a script comes out as a movie and meets the audience, I feel so excited that my heart aches. I think that's especially true for this movie." He said.
He continued, "I've been waiting for this movie to come out. I thought it would be meaningful and good. Nowadays, theaters are having a hard time, so don't you think a lot about big movies and movies that have to be seen in theaters? There isn't much diversity in movies. I think we're losing out. I thought diversity was the key to Korean culture and the taste of watching movies, but I felt a bit sad about it disappearing. Movies like this that can sound the alarm about this, truly diverse movies, movies like Mint Choco. “I think it can come out in this era,” he added.
Lee Ha-nui said, "The reason I cried during the press screening was not because I missed (Gong) Myung-eong. They said that while watching the movie (directors Lee Sun-kyun and Lee Won-seok) thought about all sorts of things, but it was because of the character Beom-woo. 'Killing Romance' “What’s strange is that once my eyes fell on Beomwoo and once on Tathagata,” he explained.
Lee Ha-nui said, "Because the Tathagata and Jonathan characters were strong, the fourth or fifth time I saw them, I saw Beom-woo's character. I also saw myself in Beom-woo's appearance. It's dangerous to say, 'You can't do it' or 'You can't do it,' but I actually said those words myself. “When I completely believe in it, I feel like thinking, ‘I really can’t do this,’ ‘Why am I such a loser?’, ‘There’s nothing I can do,’” he confessed.
Lee Ha-nui married a non-celebrity in 2021 and gave birth to a daughter last year. He said, "As I enter a new, different chapter in my life, what's scarier than looking at it with those eyes is that I'm afraid that people will think that way, and the thought of whether I should do more or less makes me feel intimidated and withdrawn. “I thought it was a huge obstacle to taking a leap forward and evolving,” he said.
13 years after the drama 'Pasta', Lee Ha-nui reunited with Lee Sun-kyun and Gong Myung following the movie 'Extreme Job'. Lee Ha-nui said, "It's scary to meet actors for the second time. The energy you have to expend in the beginning is no longer needed. I feel like I know that the chemistry that takes a month or two, for example, is not scary no matter how you slap me in the face. I'm used to Seon-gyun oppa. Even if we act as a couple, it's okay from the beginning, it's okay to do anything, I can accept anything I do, and I have the trust that they can trust me. I'm very close with Seon-gyun oppa and Myeong-myeong. We're close enough to see each other in private. However, “I thought, ‘It’s scary to meet him for the second or third time,’” he said.
Previously, Lee Sun-kyun announced that he chose to appear in 'Killing Romance' after receiving confirmation from Lee Ha-nui. Regarding this, Lee Ha-nui said, "I didn't do anything. As soon as I saw my brother, I asked, 'How are you? Are you going to do it?' My brother also said, ‘I said you would do it.’ We said to each other, ‘There is no way to fall in the middle.’ It was done like a solidarity guarantee. It felt like they were each other's real strong supporters. “As an actor is a job that requires you to throw, it was a great help to have someone who was a reliable supporter to help you with scenes that didn’t exist and stories that didn’t exist,” he said, expressing his affection.
Meanwhile, 'Killing Romance', starring Lee Ha-nui, was released on this day.
Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia reporter kkk39@tenasia.co.kr