MOVIE
Rising Star Jo Yoo-jung Aspires to Work with Role Models Yoo Hae-jin and Gong Hyo-jin
On the 6th, at the Ten Asia office in Jungnim-dong, Seoul, Jo Yoo-jung, who made her screen debut with the film 'Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight' (hereafter 'EITLD'), shared her thoughts.
'EITLD' is a youth romance film about Seo-yoon (played by Shin Si-a), a high school girl suffering from anterograde amnesia, and Jae-won (played by Choo Young-woo), who has a heart condition. The movie is an adaptation of Ichijo Misaki's bestselling novel, which has sold over 1.3 million copies worldwide. Jo Yoo-jung plays Choi Ji-min, the only friend aware of Seo-yoon's memory condition.
When asked about her efforts to become a better actress, Jo Yoo-jung replied, "I still consistently attend acting lessons." She added, "Embarrassingly, I took musical vocal lessons earlier this year. I knew I wasn't good, but I attended diligently. It was purely for my satisfaction. I enjoyed it so much that I looked forward to it." She explained that she naturally watched many musicals due to her acting major and that she used to have vocal lessons in school. After graduation, she had no place to sing, so she decided to take lessons instead of singing at home.
Jo Yoo-jung also mentioned that vocal and acting lessons helped her during the film's production. "Previously, I played a mischievous youngest daughter role, which unknowingly raised my tone. I realized there were many lines delivered in an upbeat manner. My musical teacher, who also designs voices, helped me practice a lot. I trained to tone down," she said. "I prepared various versions and sometimes recorded them for the director. I sent recordings and did readings to adjust the tone with the director. I poured a lot of time, effort, and affection into the project and character," she expressed.
Jo Yoo-jung debuted in 2018 with the drama 'Thirty But Seventeen.' She decided to pursue acting in her first year of high school, inspired by Yoo Hae-jin. "Since childhood, I dreamed of being on TV. When singers looked cool, I wanted to be a singer. When 'Gag Concert' or 'Infinite Challenge' was popular, my mom suggested we become a comedy duo. I also wanted to be an announcer," she shared. "Then, in my first year of high school, I watched 'The Classified File' and was deeply moved by Yoo Hae-jin's performance. I thought, 'How can someone seem so much like a real person?' That day, my vague dream solidified into becoming an actor. I was hooked on acting from that day forward. I persuaded my parents for a year and joined an acting academy in my second year of high school, which continues to this day," she explained.
Another role model for Jo Yoo-jung is actress Gong Hyo-jin. "Even now, when I struggle with lines during script reading or auditions, I watch Gong Hyo-jin's past dramas. When I think, 'Why isn't this working?' I get hints and refresh myself by watching her performances. I often refer to her acting when preparing for roles. I admire her natural and everyday acting style, which is what I aspire to," she said.
Jo Yoo-jung, who enjoys exercising, also expressed her desire to try action roles. "I started with modern dance in high school and took ballet classes in college. I've been consistently exercising. I started working out to maintain my stamina, and now I'm completely hooked. It clears my mind. I initially did it for physical training and body maintenance, but now I find exercise itself enjoyable," she said. "These days, it's cold, so I focus on indoor workouts rather than walking. When I used to walk a lot, I would walk until my hips felt like they were going to pop. I even practiced lines while walking. There were days I walked over 10km. On those days, I thought, 'I must have had a lot on my mind,'" she laughed.
Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr
