Chun Woo-hee leaves brain and heart at home for 'crazy' acting
Actor Chun Woo-hee plays contrasting roles of Song Se-ra in the Netflix drama "The 8 Show," left, and Do Da-hae in the JTBC drama "Atypical Family." Courtesy of Netflix, JTBC
Actress Chun Woo-hee, 37, plays polar opposite roles in two recently released dramas. Her performances have drawn praise, with her audiences wondering how can one person deliver such powerfully contrasting performances.
This spotlight on her acting skills comes as she celebrates her 20th anniversary in the industry. Both "The 8 Show" and "Atypical Family" have climbed to the top two spots in Netflix's Korean drama ratings, creating the rare spectacle of Chun competing against herself.
In the Netflix's series "The 8 Show," Chun plays Song Se-ra who finds amusement in others' suffering, eagerly proposing arson by saying, "It would be fun." In JTBC weekend drama "Atypical Family," she plays Do Da-hae, a character who survived a major fire disaster and is unable to approach a gas stove flame because of her trauma.
"I'm so happy that both roles in such different projects are being well received. It gives me the strength to approach any role with confidence and responsibility," said Chun during an interview at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul.
Chun is known for her intense characters, such as a delinquent inhaling glue and acting bizarrely in the film "Sunny" (2011) and the desperate North Korean illegal immigrant repeatedly making extreme choices in "Idol" (2019).
However, playing Se-ra in "The 8 Show" was a challenge even for her. Se-ra, who is incapable of empathy and driven solely by instinct and amusement, is a different level of insanity.
"I told people around me that I leave my brain and heart at home and come to the set, focusing only on Se-ra's instincts," she said.
The Netflix original drama "The 8 Show" and the JTBC drama "Atypical Family," both starring Chun Woo-hee, are seen ranking 1st and 2nd respectively in Netflix Korea's Top 10 Series, May 22. Captured from Netflix
Exploring various roles
The character Do Da-hae in "Atypical Family" is also not an easy role. Chun meticulously portrays the pain of a fire disaster survivor while convincingly playing a con artist forced into the role due to her father's debts.
Viewers have empathized with her portrayal of PTSD, commenting that they "felt suffocated," and her ability to change her expression in each scene has been highly lauded.
Chun wasn't always serious about acting. Initially, she took on minor roles as a part-time job. Her decision to fully commit to becoming an actress came while filming "Sunny" (2011).
"In real life, I was living as a good daughter, but on set, I was given the identities of 'Chun Woo-hee' and 'actress.' I really liked that role. Seeing everyone on set doing their best at their jobs made me think about taking acting seriously."
Chun won the Best Actress award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for the independent film "Han Gong-ju" (2014), which dealt with the infamous case a middle school girl being gang raped in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province.
She beat prominent actresses of the time, such as Kim Hee-ae, Son Ye-jin, and Jeon Do-yeon. Her tearful acceptance speech, where she struggled to continue, saying, "For such a small film, and for someone as unknown as me to receive such a big award..." remains memorable to this day.
Even after becoming a "top star" through films like "The Wailing" and dramas like "Be Melodramatic," Chun continued to explore various genres, acting in short films like "Girls on Top" (2017) and independent films like "Maggie" (2018) and "Vertigo" (2019).
One of her criteria for choosing projects is "solidarity and empathy." She said, "I want to support and bring attention to things that can be empowering. I believe that experiencing different works as an actor can broaden my perspective."
Actor Chun Woo-hee / Courtesy of Netflix
From homebody to adventurer
Chun is also famously known for being a "homebody." After immersing herself in a project, she would recharge at home, retreating from outside activities, before starting the next job.
While she appears energetic on screen, she admits that she is not as energetic in real life, focusing solely on acting. When feeling emotionally drained, she prefers to write in her journal and quietly reflect rather than socialize.
Recently, however, Chun began to look beyond her home. The physical and emotional burdens from overlapping drama shoots in 2022 changed her.
"Actors need to express humanity well, but I questioned if I was living my life well. It seemed I wasn't. I took time to focus on myself and wanted to live my daily life well."
Last month, she obtained a scuba diving certification in the Philippines and decided to resume playing the cello, which she had quit for eight months due to a project. She also set a goal to travel every month until her next project. "I'm thinking of going to Mongolia to see the Milky Way. I want to have adventures. Both in acting and traveling, I want to keep exploring uncharted territories."
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.