Days That Still Require Lot's Of Homework [My Black Mini Dress] Yoon Eun Hye's In-depth Interview
The 20's are strange days. These are days when things end up becoming more complicated as you try harder. Just as you've barely made it through the high school days of storms and gales, you are faced with the cruel days fill with even bigger waves. The movie [My Black Mini Dress] is a story of four friends who bears through the "Nothing can come easy" days with friendship and jealousy. And Yoon Eun Hye has become a common person in her 20's for a change. She's not a crown princess, a cross dressed girl, a city girl without any concerns for others, nor a lady of a conglomerate family. She's an intern writer who is lost after being torn and ripped from the reality. For someone who acted such character, what would her 20's be like?
Writer l Kim Hye Sun(Movie Journalist) Composition | Naver Movie
Days That Are Still Filled With Lots Of Homework, Yoon Eun Hye of [My Black Mini Dress]
"I've experienced the earlier days of the society at age 16"
Q: It's been 5 years since your last movie. It seems like [My Black Mini Dress] is first movie you were determined to film since your debut project [Escaping From Charisma] (2006).
Yes, because [Escaping From Charisma] was even before drama [Goong]. It was a movie filmed when I really didn't know anything. It was a project that I did after thinking about turning it down. I have lots of femininity and I wasn't confident in playing a boyish high school girl from [Escaping From Charisma] as my first project. I ended up doing it because the director kept telling me that I fit the character well. But I realized it then that I had to find projects in which I can perform better. I was inadequate to play a character that didn't even have 1% of my real image. So, little by little I played characters that I could add my real image to, and ended up doing [My Black Mini Dress] 5 years later.
My Black Mini Dress is Yoon Eun Hye's 2nd movie, and it is the first movie she is challenging the industry with since 5 years ago.
Q: [Goong] (2006) [1st Shop of Coffee Prince](2007) [Take Care of the Young Lady](2009) and etc. has been successful, didn't you get lots of offers to do movies?
I've had 2 or so movies that I was planning to do while filming dramas. But I've had many concerns when I thought about doing movies. I'm someone who doesn't really have any problems in showcasing emotion even if the scripts are given to me scene by scene (Rushed, partial scripts) at the filming location. But it's actually harder for me to reserve all the energy and emotion, then to use it bits by bits. I like to spurt out emotions within 2 to 3 hours more. But in movies you would film for an hour, then spend an hour to set the next scene. You'd have to reserve your emotion then to express it later and I wasn't really good at that. So I told myself that I had to wait till I was more prepared. I thought it would take me a year or two, but it ended being 5 years.
Q: You had thought movies were difficult, how did you feel this time around?
We ended filming it at a faster pace than I thought. It's because the premier date was already set (Laughing). I wondered, what kind of territorial bias would exist in the movie industry? Would they see me with a preconceived perception? How can I act more intelligently? I began filming with many concerns. But I ended up meeting a very good director, actors, and staff members. Director Heo In Moo would say later that this movie was immensely valuable experience for him regardless of box office results. He said that it made him look forward to his next movie more and that he felt as if he's already gained everything he wanted from the movie. Ah, but I'm not saying that the box office results aren't important (Laughing).
Q: The movie displays the friendship of 4 women in their 20's pretty realistically. They are close but jealous, then they'd comfort each other. I'd figure that the actresses would think and have discussions together to make the friendship realistic.
I'm really not good with strangers. The director had asked me as a favor to approach others first. He would say that we aren't supposed to be just average acquaintances, but closest friends. He said if I'd open up to others first and move closer towards them, they'd also come closer to me. Really, human relationships are so that if you maintain it close just enough, you wouldn't get hurt a lot. I was worried this time because I had to really give my heart to others, but because the three friends were so nice, we were able to become close fast.
We each tried hard and were able to create natural aura. The emotion from the movie scene, in which Soo Jin (Cha Ye Ryun) gets angry and yells at Hye Ji (Park Han Byul), was only possible because we were close. And I would think about the little things, such as what my character would eat, what products she'd use, and etc. before filming, in an attempt to become my character. This was same for the three friends as well.
Aside from the worries, the 4 actress were able to open their hearts and become close.
Q: It's really not easy to become close to someone because of work. In addition, all the actress have strong personalities. This could be a preconceived view, but just as the friends in the movie had an invisible wall, there must have been many who thought that you'd compete with each other.
People around me worried a lot. They worried that having as many as four actresses together would cause too many opinions, problems, and fights (Laughing). And that there would be scars involved.
Q: You must have had people who tried to stop you and encourage you to do a movie that would have only one actress as the main character or etc.?
I'm...not the type who gets overwhelmed by others so...(Laughing) In any case, everyone says it's amazing that things ended as well and the movie was completed.
Q: [My Black Mini Dress] deals realistically with the concerns of women in their 20's. Was one of the reasons for selecting this project that you wanted to leave you own image of the 20's in the movie?
I did have similar thoughts as such. While I can wear a school uniform at age 30 if asked to, I don't think I'd be able to express the innocence of a teenage girl's emotion. Because of such thoughts, I thought I may regret it in the future if I didn't select this project.
Q: I would have thought that you'd looked back to your past, when you were 24 years old, as you watched the 24 years old main characters?
It's difficult to compare their experience at 24 years of age and mine. The times were different when I first entered the society. Because I had debuted at 16, I think that was more like their experience of being 24 years old. I've had the being confused, 'run over and knocked down' experience during my middle and high school years. Everyone faces the hardships when they first step their foot into the society. Although it's little different than what the characters faced in the movie, I've also had experienced such troublesome times. And as I empathized with the friends who had worried about getting a job, I tried to put into my character, the sensibility of women around that age.
The four main characters of the movie. While they have fun when they are together, each face trials, pain, and errors as new entrants into the society.
Q: The movie tries to capture the image of women in their 20's who "Doesn't like to be labeled as a 'Dwen-jang-nyu' (Girls who love expensive brand labels and lifestyles), but wants to be treated as one". There are actually some parts that is difficult to say it represents an average women in their 20's, when you consider the environment of the main characters. Such things as the way they party, the way they spend, and etc. for example.
That's why there's an expression in the movie that say "It's ironic". It's because they aren't in the position to act that way but they do. The word 'Dwen-jang-nyu' is somewhat sensitive, but it contains a meaning of being fake, having a pretense. Not everyone is like that, but we expressed the mentality of average women who relaxes her mind when she is facing handsome men and nice gifts. I think it's good if you can think that we expressed women who faced a lonely fight within such reality.
"A perfectionist who hates holes, there are reasons"
Q: Against our expectations, you played a character who is most similar to an average woman in their 20's out of the four characters, an intern writer Yoo Min. From the surface, you've must have had more personal empathy with Hye Ji, who is cast from the street or Soo Jin, who is trying to become an actress.
I wasn't given the role of Yoo Min at first. It was another character. The director had thought that Yoo Min could be too obvious of a character for Yoon Eun Hye. After much thought, I told the director that I wanted to challenge myself in making the obvious Yoo Min more comfortable and natural. It ended up that other characters met actresses who fit them very well. It's amazing how everyone fits their characters so well...And because I'm the type who can't see anything else once I've fallen deeply for, I tend not to look at other things. So I don't think I had the luxury to consider other characters later and say "Ah, I've also had those moments."
Yoon Eun Hye plays the role of Yoo Min, an intern writer, in [My Black Mini Dress].
Q: It's beyond our expectation that Yoon Eun Hye is a person who doesn't like to show holes, when Yoo Min from the movie and the characters from previous roles all had and made many holes and mistakes as their charm.
People around me say that I'm a perfectionist. Of course I lack many things and make mistakes, but I do get upset at things like that.
Q: When did you start being like that?
It was when I began facing more things that I had to be responsible for. I wasn't like that in the past. I wasn't very ambitious when I was young. I just worked diligently on what was asked of me...It's still like that today. But I never wanted something that belong to someone else, or felt jealous. I never thought "Ah, I should have done it" or feel jealous if a project that I turned down goes to someone else and becomes a big hit. After all, I wouldn't have done it because I wasn't confident about it in the first place. I guess my personality being as such, makes me try to become more perfect. It's because I know that no one's going to make a certain situation for me and no one else can be responsible for me.
Q: It's seems like a defensive position that you will never make a mistake. Doesn't that make it too hard for you?
I die after interviewing for 10 hours like that (Laughing). I think they get annoyed sometimes because I don't show any holes as you've said. In the end, they just ask me a point-blank question and this ends up being the only thing that becomes the news. For example, I didn't use the word 'Explosion (Burst)'. But then it comes out in an article as if I said it, and I'd be thinking "Uh, what's this?".
The most embarrassing situation is when someone comes with already completed article and tries to get me to say things that support it. But I'm not someone who shows that types of holes (Laughing). But my situation becomes awkward as something I didn't even say becomes news. I had said that I wouldn't do advertisements for certain products because I couldn't be responsible for it (having not used it), but the news article would be released later and quote me, "I wouldn't do that kind of advertisement even if they'd pay me hundred thousands of US dollars (The article actually said in the title that she wouldn't do it even if they paid her a million US dollars)." Then what do I become in the eyes of my colleagues and seniors who are doing the advertisement?
Yoon Eun Hye at the White Day event (Top). With Park Han Byul, Cha Ye Ryun, and Yoo In Na at the media event (Bottom).
Q: You must have worried after getting home.
It's not merely worrying, but going crazy. I didn't even say such a thing. I cried a lot. I'd say that I was too lacking in order to teach newer actors acting during the script reading, an article is released with a title that says, "Yoon Eun Hye doesn't agree to script readings easily." If I say that I tried to get advice from senior actors to fill my shortcomings and they had advise that it's best to find the answers on your own, the article title would say, "Yoon Eun Hye, she doesn't study acting (from others) but only studies on her own." with a quote, "Self studying is best for me (Laughing)."
It's really upsetting. I end up becoming someone without thoughts or ideas. There are even some fans who say these things, "Yoon Eun Hye's problem is being too honest. I don't know why she says everything in her mind honestly and have words like these released in articles." This makes me even more upset because instead of "Yoon Eun Hye wouldn't say such things", it becomes "Yoon Eun Hye makes mistakes like this sometimes".
Q: You do tend to have more articles like those. Why do you think that is the case?
It seems that they are offended because I don't show many holes. They would come with thoughts that I'm fit for a light article, but things don't work out as they had planned. It's true that I notice some people who misunderstand while I talk. So I've changed the way I communicate. I'd tell them first, "I'm going to talk very honestly right now, but I think I'll end up talking with my mind closed if you keep taking it like that." Then there are some who opens up after hearing that(Laughing). It's hard, really. Of course, I'm sure I'm not the only one with such issues. But it's hard that I have people misunderstand me because of my light (not serious) person image.
Q: It seems like your broadcasting image made since the 'Baby V.O.X' days still have some effect.
I really can't even remember that I'd said "Why do they only play soccer/football during early morning hours in Greece", at the World Cup Special broadcast. So I thought about why this story came about. I was very young at the time, and I think there was lots of remarkable ad lib statements and scripted lines that represented my generation. But the mood in the broadcasting location wasn't "Wow, what's up with her?" or so (Laughing).
I think I did say something that talked about being tired because we were doing it in the early hours. But I didn't know what to do when people started saying "Wow, that dummy. stupid". I didn't know that it would spread everywhere. I became a dummy since that day (Laughing). So I got through the situation by saying, "I don't think I ever said that", and it became even a bigger problem as they said, "Why are you denying what you've said?" (Laughing). I thought, "Gosh, I can't say anything", but then I decided that I really have to be careful of what I say.
In front of a black mini dress with Hye Ji (Top). With Soo Jin and Min Hee (Bottom).
Q: So that event is still relevant to our discussion now.
I'm very careful now. A TV program had once recreated the event, and I was definitely one of the characters in the program. I came in 3rd place overall as a person who had said something most ridiculous, "In Greece, why do they play soccer/football only in the early morning hours?". Covered with mosaic and all (Laughing). They even recreated the scene with people who were around my character made faces that said, "Wow, what a dummy".
Then all of sudden it said 'Incident part 2', and my character was beating someone up. I cried a lot then. I think I was okay with the dummy image, but I don't think it was right that they made me look like someone who'd beat up others and curse. I'm not a person who is that clueless.
"I have to be more consistent because of what I lack."
Q: So your perfectionist nature must have hardened more.
I wanted to hear praises or words that I did well.. And I wanted to do well for people to see. So I selected dramas that I'd watch. And during [1st Shop of Coffee Prince], I thought I had to change from head to toe. I had realized that I'm not a person who can go on slowly, I had to be good no matter what. I wanted to improve a step by step, but I wasn't in the situation. Of course, it's also true that I can't complain since I had become a main female character of a drama without any preparation.
(From Top) [Goong] [Vineyard Man] [1st Shop of Coffee Prince] [Take Care of the Young Lady].
Q: Are you saying that you began [Goong] without any preparation?
Yes. If you aren't prepared, it's correct that you should do a small role. I actually went to the [Goong] audition for a small role, but just ended up becoming the main character, Chae Kyung. Director Hwang In Rye thought that I was like the character. That's when I thought, "He wouldn't have chosen me without any reasons, so I should be able to do this if I try hard from where I am at. I'll show him." But at a some later point, I began thinking, "Ah, this isn't it. I have to show everything and be responsible for everything." It was from [1st Shop of Coffee Prince] when I really began to immerse into the roles, study the characters and become more focused.
Q: So [1st Shop of Coffee Prince] became the important turning point in regards to popularity and acting.
I've never had a project that I fell into as such. It wasn't just my effort, but it was because of the director, actors, staff members, and everything else that made it fit, which produced something more than I was capable of. If I was asked to do Eun Chan again, I probably couldn't. I figure some day, when everything falls into its places again, then such images could be possible again. I know this is something irresponsible for an actress to say, because it's correct that I should do well under any circumstances, but it's become important that I meet people who can draw out more than what's inside of me.
Q: While you may have had many worries, it is true that you've met many good projects since debuting as an actress. [Goong]'s Chae Kyung, [Vineyard Man](2006)'s city girl Ji Hyun, [Coffee Prince]'s Eun Chan, [Take Care of the Young Lady]'s Kang Hye Na were all energetic and lovely characters. If there's a character that you love especially, who is it?
Honestly, I didn't like any of the characters during the filming days. It's because I couldn't give myself good grades. I can't even remember what my thoughts were while filming. Perhaps it's because I didn't calculate the details of the performance, but the character in the screen always looked like someone else when I watch it later. I'd wonder, "How did I make that kinds of expressions at the time?" It's amazing.
Even so, I consider [1st Shop of Coffee Prince]'s Eun Chan somewhat more lovable, since I lacked more in other projects. Instead of thinking the characters are lovable, I would think more in the lines of "Why do I lack so much? It's embarrassing."
Yoon Eun Hye and director Heo In Moo at the filming location (Top). At the media event (Bottom).
Q: Looking back, you did have quite a different debut as an actress. Your debut didn't include any unknown days (no name actress days) and you rarely had auditions.
I never quite had a full script reading done at an audition. So even today, I'm not really good at rehearsals and script readings. Hence, I'm very lucky that I'm still acting. For the strangest reasons, I never had a director who asked me to read the script. I feel as if I've only had conversations with directors when I was cast.
Q: Since it was like so for all your projects, you must have bought surprising amount of envy and animosity.
Really, it didn't make sense. For [Goong], I wasn't even able to read the original manhwa (manga) before the audition. I had just heard that it was a TV drama, went to the meeting, and had conversations with the director. "I was raised in an average family, I like to draw, I'm sort of an unruly girl when I'm with people I'm close to, I'm little uncomfortable with strangers, bla, bla, bla, this and that.." When I looked later, that was so similar to Chae Kyung. And I had makeup on that day, and all of sudden the director said that he wanted to see my face without it. I'm not the type of person who'd say, "I'll show it to you next time". So I told him, "Hold on a minute" and ran out like a crazy person to buy a cleansing product, and showed it to him after I took off the makeup.
I guess he thought highly of things like that. If I look back now, I think all of the directors that I've met in the past have considered such things. Even when I was a singer, I'd thought "I'm not that pretty. I can't sing or dance, how have I become a singer?" Then I'm not supposed to become a singer, right? But how did I become an actor when I wasn't even good at acting (Laughing)?" I think I just jump into it. Just because I want to do it. Of course, I now know that there's more to acting then just my desire.
Q: Compared to other actors around your age, you especially had more controversies on your pronunciation, acting, attitude, and etc.. Did such controversies become a motive for you to do better?
Honestly, it does. It may be a small thing if others make mistakes twice, but it's a really big thing if I make mistakes twice. Directors would laugh and say, "Eun Hye, since we are close, I understand what you're saying." They joke like this and it's upsetting. But I know that while I may be weak on pronunciation, they don't think that my acting performance is bad. In the end, it's a homework in which I have to supplement my acting skills and improve.
[My Black Mini Dress] Yoon Eun Hye is in the middle of recording the theme song (Top). Park Han Byul, Cha Ye Ryun, and Yoo In Na also participated together. Yoon Eun Hye monitors with other actors at the filming location (Bottom).
Q: You must be hoping that there wouldn't be any controversies when you film your next movie or drama.
That is so. But the thing that's upsetting and makes me angry is that I caused it myself. I tell myself, "You'll do well someday, right? Let's gain lots of experience and the experience of failing as well." You know, I really think I try just as hard as anyone else, if not more. I also want to do many small roles as well. But they won't give me any roles like that. I guess they think that I wouldn't do it.
Q: I'm curious all of sudden. What did you want to become when you were a kid? Did you really want to become a singer or an actress?
Not even close. I wanted to draw and become a designer. My face is somewhat average compared to other entertainers. I had 'street casting' experiences even as a member of 'Baby V.O.X'. It was that they failed to recognize me (Laughing). So I thought about it. Why? And what was I thinking that led me to where I am today? I think I just wanted to challenge it. And I also thought that I can drew even after I get older (Laughing).
Q: As you were filming a movie that deals with the youthful 20's, how would you like to spend the remaining days over your 20's?
I heard a phrase, "You can't beat someone who keeps working hard". These words were extremely helpful. I want to be someone who keeps working hard. It's not that I want to maintain a current status in acting, but that I want to keep running after everything. So when I look back 10 years from now, wouldn't such experience as failing and etc. help me become mature? I also feel that acting criticisms will decrease as I do more projects (Laughing). There are still many things that people don't know about me. And I'm happy about that since I have many things I still can show them.
Source: Naver Movie, The Place To Meet Movies For The First Time
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Notes:
This is the report that was produced by the movie journalist who Yoon Eun Hye recently thanked in her tweet.
During the promotional stage of MBMD, there was a series of articles written by one reporter which had many 'created' quotes of Yoon Eun Hye. The quotes seemed extraordinary in many cases, causing some controversy. The articles seemed as if it was to promote MBMD and Yoon Eun Hye, but the many quotes used were detrimental to Yoon Eun Hye's image. Some fans couldn't believe that Yoon Eun Hye had said such things, and many people (fans and non fans) thought that the articles were purposely written to make her look bad.
Yoon Eun Hye's acting criticisms and pronunciation issues are way overblown. Every noticeable actor gets criticized for their acting performances and pronunciation on drama forums and etc.. There are always people who criticize any given actors. For example, actress Koo Hye Sun (Boys Over Flowers), Moon Geun Young (Mary's Night Out), Han Hyo Joo (Dong Yi), and etc. were heavily criticized on drama forums by the viewers for their recent performances. Yet, there were very limited numbers of articles that covered such cases. While hoping that no actor would get shown up by the reporters with articles that criticize their acting performances, it is true that Yoon Eun Hye is covered much more on such controversial issues. It could be due to what the interview has pointed out above, that Yoon Eun Hye is a singer turned actress who was successful immediately, from the beginning. Yoon Eun Hye, with her background and never having had the down days before her success, can be a good target for controversial issues relating to acting criticisms and some animosity.
It should be noted that in the midst of such controversies, Yoon Eun Hye consistently rates in top 3 of the best actress in their 20's list, as voted by the viewers and professionals on public forums and reports.
BTW CDBloom, are you an English major or work as a translator?? You did so excellent translated all the news for us. Thank you so much!!
this is the most memorable interview of YEH i've ever read ..
