[TRANSLATION] Kim So Hyun for TENASIA September 2017 Issue

 10+Star COVER STORY 

KIM SO HYUN, GROW UP (INTERVIEW)

Last month, you celebrated your 9^th year debut anniversary. Do you realize that you’ve lived more than half of your life as an actress?
Half of my life? (laugh) I don’t really realize about that. Every time I hear about this, I would be like “that’s how long I’ve been acting” and then I try to find out what works I’ve been doing so far. I’m grateful to be able to act constantly.

 

You were filming “Ruler” continuously in the first half of this year. Is this your first time to be in a drama for such a long time?
I learned many things from this long drama. Especially in the second half of it, I cried a lot as Kim So Hyun and as Han Ga Eun.

Why did you cry a lot?

I think I lack in many things as an actress. It’s my first time to be in a 20 episodes drama, and it was difficult for me to lead the drama. When I was a child actress I didn’t have to worry about it since I wasn’t the lead of the drama, but I have a lot of thoughts in this drama. When I faced the difficulty, the process to solve it was though and difficult.

How did you start to act?
I didn’t have a high aspiration in acting. When I entered the elementary school, my mom asked me if I would go to piano or acting lesson, and I was vaguely attracted to acting academy. That’s how I started acting.

Is it like a fate to start acting?

Well, I started acting out of curiosity and I didn’t have any confidence about it. My mom also didn’t register me to an acting academy to become an international actress. I didn’t know that I would be an actress for such a long time. Ha ha. As the time passed by, acting naturally became a part of me.

 

Did you feel not confident because you thought that you didn’t have any talent in acting?
It was like that in the first 2-3 years since I started acting. My mom followed and took care about me, and because of that I concerned about the lack attentions to my brother. I was burdened because it seemed that my family had to sacrifice pointlessly for me who wasn’t talented enough.

How did you learn about the fun of acting?

When I was in 5^th grade, there was movie “Man of Vendetta”. It was not a character (role) that was suitable for my age, but I really wanted to do it. It was the first time my heart beat (for acting). I prepared for the audition the night before it with enthusiasm until I got the dark circle. After the fifth stage of audition, I cried when I came back home because I felt that I wouldn’t make it. Then I remember returned to the director after I received the acceptance call.

 

You are called as an actress who’s growing up together with Kim Yoo Jung and Nam Ji Hyun. Isn’t it a burden for you to be compared with same age actress?
I think it’s because there are not many actors who are growing up from child to adult actors, that’s why people compare us and make it as if it is a competition. I can’t help this kind of situation, but I think I’ll become gradually exhausted when I’m aware of this competition.  It’s because we consider each other as rival not as a fellow actor, it will be hard for us not to worry about something that we don’t have but our friends have it. Now other than child actors, there will be many new same age actors, but we won’t see it as a competition.

You’ve appeared in more than 30 dramas since 2008 drama “Hometown Legend”. If we calculate it, you appear in 3 dramas in a year. Do you have a prolific desire?

If we only look at the projects, I’m a prolific actress, but actually it was possible as a child actress. To say it, I only appeared several times in total of 16 episodes. Of course I have desire to continue having projects.

Next year you will be an adult actress. Do you want to appear in many dramas as what you did when you were a child actress or do you want to play a great character/role have one project in a year?

It’s a half and half. Until now, I never had a long break period. I’m also afraid that people may forget about me if I take a long break. There are many people who also good at actin, and I think I may lost my sense (if I take a long break). But I also have desire to have a life’s work even though I break a little bit longer.

When you become an adult actor, the public's view will be stricter than it is now.
I felt it slightly when I appeared in “Ruler”. I think now public have a high expectation for me. I also think that it’s a transition period. When I become an adult actress, I will face many more competition than now, I think I should fill my lack parts in “Ruler” in my next project.

Even though you’ve appeared in many dramas and movies, but it seems like you played more sad roles that have many stories rather than a lively or fresh character. Don’t you want to change your image?

Naturally, child characters have many stories. They separate with people they love or their parents passed away, if you don’t lose your memory the drama won’t develop. (Laugh) Rather than change my image, I need to have my own acting color first. Even the senior actors said, “Don’t be impatient”. There are many things that I want to show, but I’ve advised that all of them have their own right time. Now I want to play a role that suitable for my age and grow into an actress who plays various roles gradually.

If you didn’t become an actress, did you have another dream?

I think I studied psychology. When I was in middle school, there was a psychology teacher who always greeted the student with a smile. Not only me, but there were many of my friends who liked to stay in her room. When I had a problem I would tell her and she would listen to me and give me a good advice, it was enough as a healing. I was grateful to have a teacher like her, and I think I’d like to become someone like her.

What do you really want to do when you become an adult?

I want to learn to cook and drive. There are big differences in acting when I know or don’t know about it (have experience or not). Of course, it will be great to learn from someone who’s great in cooking and driving.

Last year in “Let’s Fight Ghost” post interview, you said, “being happy is my biggest concern”. Are you still like that?

I guess that was because there were many happy things that happened last year. (Laugh) This year, I’m suffering in growth problem. There were many parts that didn’t meet with my expectation when I was filming “Ruler”, there are things that I should have done to overcome the public strict evaluation, but I couldn’t do it. But I don’t feel bad about my current situation. I believe that I become more mature as an actress as much as I feel the pain.

cr: TENASIA 

translated by MsSubak