'Owl Seo Sang-gung' Kim Ye-eun "Acting with Bae Doo-na, whom I admire"

The girl who loved drawing dreamed of becoming an actress after watching the movie 'Life is Beautiful' (directed by Roberto Benigni, 1997) with her parents. For a girl with a shy personality, the world in the movie was free and beautiful. The girl drew a vivid picture of herself on the screen.

On a cold winter day with a little snow falling, I met actress Kim Ye-eun (33) wearing a white dress. Kim Ye-eun, with clear and mysterious eyes, told her story with an easy-going charm.

Kim Ye-eun, who dreamed of becoming an actress, announced her intention to act before entering college, but majored in visual design due to her parents' opposition. Kim Ye-eun, who wanted to act, joined a theater company while in college. My thirst for movies grew even more, so I joined Filmmakers and worked in the directing department to make use of my major.

Through the introduction of film officials, I auditioned and filmed an independent film. It was a small role, but it was really fun. Kim Ye-eun, who had a taste for movies, made her commercial film debut with the movie 'Assassination' (director Choi Dong-hoon, 2015). Looking back at that time, Kim Ye-eun laughed and said, "I was so nervous to see Oh Dal-su and Ha Jung-woo walking around in front of me. It felt like a dream."

Kim Ye-eun continued to gain experience by appearing in many movies, regardless of role. It was to show what he had when the time came. Kim Ye-eun, who was cast in the movie 'Owl' (directed by Ahn Tae-jin), which was released last year, poured all the experience she had accumulated over the years into the character of Seo Sang-gung. Kim Ye-eun gave a delicate and dense performance as she assisted Crown Prince So-hyeon (played by Kim Seong-cheol) and Gyeong-soo (played by Ryu Jun-yeol), an acupuncturist suffering from blindness. His collaboration with Man-sik (played by Park Myung-hoon) provided unexpected laughter and served as a scene stealer.

"The scene itself was great. It felt like all the actors, led by the director, were making the movie. I was able to express my opinions and try different acting. The director was not authoritative, so we acted together by coming up with ideas. . The staff were also very touching. The makeup and costume teams made an actor case with my name engraved on it, saying, ‘This isn’t the only time you’ll see me.’ I was really grateful.”

Palace Seo Sang performed most of the scenes with Crown Prince Sohyeon and Gyeongsu. In particular, Kim Ye-eun expressed her gratitude to Ryu Jun-yeol, who plays Kyung-soo, saying, “He helped me a lot in many ways.”

"We previously worked together in an independent film called 'Shepherds' (2016). And we met again in 'Owl'. While acting together, he gave me advice and helped me a lot. When acting, don't just immerse yourself in your role and focus on the whole thing. “I remember the words that it would be good to read the flow of the movie and act while thinking about my role in it.”

What separates Kim Ye-eun before and after ‘Owl’ is ‘confidence’. Kim Ye-eun, who said she was intimidated for some reason when she went on set before, said, "I really liked the 'Owl' set, and there were a lot of good people. I enjoyed the set, and I also gained confidence in my role. Thankfully, there are people who like the character of Seo Sang-gung. “I’m happy because there are so many,” he said.

Kim Ye-eun's role model is actress Bae Doo-na. Kim Ye-eun, who picks Bae Doo-na as her role model wherever she goes and no matter who asks her, said Bae Doo-na as a “cool actress” and her eyes sparkled.

"It's cool that he always challenges himself. I think he's a person who is open to everything and doesn't set limits for himself. That's really great courage for an actor. When I was young, I saw the movie 'Vengeance is Mine' and thought, 'What is that actor?' “I thought, ‘You’re acting raw.’ I think he’s a really great actor, and I really like his acting skills. He’s a senior that I respect more than just like him.”

Kim Ye-eun became an early 'successful fangirl' by working with Bae Doo-na through the Netflix series 'Kingdom' (2019). Kim Ye-eun looked back and said, “I was very, very nervous.” “I was really touched that he came and cheered me on, saying, ‘Don’t be scared, you’re doing great,’ as if he knew I was nervous. He looked after not only me but everyone on set. I think he was born with the courage to be a great person.”

After 'Owl', Ye-eun Kim voiced the role of Shura in the animated film 'Mother's Land' and appeared in the Disney+ series 'Race'. I asked him what kind of role he would like to play in his future acting. “Because I am an easy-going person, I want to play an honest and outgoing character in a youth drama. I am also confident in acting with soft and emotional emotions. I want to act in a way that elicits sympathy from many people.”

Kim Ye-eun, who said that her goal as an actress is "to be an actress who gives comfort to the audience," said, "I want to act while revealing my honest self with raw charm. I want to convey comfort to more people through good work."

This coming Lunar New Year, I'm going camping in Gangwon-do with my friends from the futsal club. My parents may be upset, but I want to take time to rest and recharge. Kim Ye-eun, who said, "I will eat rice cake soup with cup ramen and grilled meat," delivered New Year's greetings to Ten Asia subscribers. “You must have had a lot of trouble in 2022, but I hope you will have less trouble in 2023. I hope you have a year where you make a lot of money and achieve what you want. Health is the best, so be sure to stay healthy!”

Behind her easy-going and bright smile, Kim Ye-eun's words also conveyed her worries and heavy weight as an actress. Just as spring comes after winter, you will find the answer at the end of your worries. A flower in full bloom was seen on the screen on Kim Ye-eun's face.

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr