Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
INTERVIEW Chun Woo-hee portrays news anchor pushed to limit in thriller
Actor Chun Woo-hee / Courtesy of Acemaker Movieworks
By Kwak Yeon-soo
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actor Chun Woo-hee was catapulted to fame after starring as a teenage rape victim in the 2013 poignant drama film, “Han Gong-ju.” After sweeping seven best actress awards for her performance, she started getting more offers that opened new doors for her to critically and commercially successful films such as “The Wailing” by director Na Hong-jin.
Now she is ready for another transformation with the female-led psychological thriller, “Anchor.”
In the upcoming film, Chun plays the role of a prime-time news anchor, Se-ra, whose life turns upside down after receiving a phone call from a mysterious woman named Mi-so, who claims she is about to be killed by a stalker and asks Se-ra to report her story.
With the desire to break a big story and outpace her rivals, Se-ra digs deeper into the case and finds out that mysterious psychiatrist In-ho (Shin Ha-kyun) may be involved in Mi-so's death. Meanwhile, Se-ra's relationship with her controlling mother, So-jung (Lee Hye-young), falls apart as she tries to break free from their toxic, close-knit relationship.
Chun confessed that “Anchor” was a draining film because it was emotionally heavy and the production team was on a super-tight filming schedule.
“It follows the intense emotional journey of Se-ra. As she unravels the mystery, she is reminded of her own trauma. Rather than feeling sympathy for Se-ra, I thought it was far more important to be direct and expressive with her emotions. I tried to appear bold and boisterous so that the audience may find her desperate inner struggle more compelling in the latter part of the movie,” the 35-year-old actor said during an interview with The Korea Times via Zoom, Wednesday.
The actor went into a little more detail with how she prepared for the character. “The best advice that I received was that I need to iron my face to appear emotionless. I spent four hours per day doing vocal warm-ups and diction exercises. Practice makes perfect,” she said.
Actor Chun Woo-hee in a scene from the film, "Anchor" / Courtesy of Acemaker Movieworks
The actress explained that the film is about a woman who struggles with depersonalization disorder but strives to gain social acceptance from her peers and seek approval from her mother.
“It was challenging to truly embody Se-ra's obsessive character and express her unstable inner state, such as of anxiety and trauma. However, I believe that the essence of her problem lies in her desire to be loved,” Chun said.
Asked about her personal desire, she said, “I always have a desire for freedom. I would love to travel and explore the world.”
Chun also lauded Shin and Lee for their superb acting. “I love being with other actors on set. It was amazing how Shin immerses himself into the role as soon as the camera rolls,” she commented. “It was really inspiring to watch Lee's acting from up close.”
By the end of the interview, the actor encouraged the audience to come to theaters to watch her two films, both premiering in April.
“Two of my films are hitting theaters this month ('Anchor' and 'I Want to Know Your Parents'), but the characters are totally different. All the films are very far from each other. So that makes it exciting for an actor because you're not limiting yourself to one world or one kind of character,” she said.
“If it had been in pre-COVID-19, I wouldn't have liked the idea of two films premiering around the same time, but finally, people are going to theaters, which is a good thing. I'm hoping all releases are going to be welcomed.”
“Anchor” will hit local theaters April 20.