Lee Young-ae on first play in 32 years: ‘I lost weight, had nightmares’
Actor Lee Young-ae, now starring in the play "Hedda Gabler," says she is striving to show new sides of herself and hopes audiences will stay with her through to the end. Courtesy of LG Arts Center
Returns with Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler,” diving deep into complex role
Veteran actor Lee Young-ae has made her long-awaited return to the stage with the play “Hedda Gabler,” marking her first theater performance in 32 years.
After completing five performances of the Henrik Ibsen classic, Lee, 54, met with reporters at the LG Arts Center in Seoul, Tuesday, where the production runs until June 8 as part of the venue’s 25th anniversary celebration.
“I felt a strong jolt of reality at first,” Lee recalled. “My voice projection was so different from other theater actors. I thought, ‘I’m in trouble.’”
She added that she reached out to a friend who teaches acting and relied on help from fellow cast members to learn the necessary techniques. “It was physically demanding, so I lost about 4 kilograms. But it was a happy kind of weight loss,” she said.
“Hedda Gabler” tells the story of a woman who seeks freedom while trapped in a stifling marriage. Lee plays the titular role, a complex character portrayed in the past by legendary actresses including Ingrid Bergman and Cate Blanchett.
Hedda, who is married to an academic uninterested in anything beyond his research, sees her repressed inner life unravel after reuniting with a former lover.
Actor Lee Young-ae stars as the title character in the play "Hedda Gabler," which opened on May 7. Courtesy of LG Arts Center
New perspective
Despite initial fears, Lee was relieved by the warm audience response. “I had more worries than expectations,” she said. “I even dreamed I forgot my lines and the audience left in the middle of the show. I was sobbing in the dream.”
Over time, though, she said she found joy in the performance, adjusting rhythm, tone, and eye contact to deepen her portrayal.
Lee’s last stage appearance was in 1993, in the opening production of the Seoul Arts Center’s small theater. She credited her return to the influence of her former professor, Kim Mi-ae.
“She invited me to see a play last year, and while we were at LG Arts Center, I ended up agreeing to this project almost on impulse. I guess it’s true that ignorance can make you bold,” she said, noting that the timing aligned with the end of her recent drama shoot for the upcoming series “Good Day for Eunsoo” (tentative title).
Playing Hedda wasn’t easy. “She’s like a math problem without a solution,” Lee said. “One plus one can be zero or four with her. I tried not to portray her as a villain but as someone understandable.”
Having made her acting debut in 1993 after gaining fame as a commercial model, Lee said that theater has given her a new perspective.
“I’ve been training hard for this role, and it made me regret not putting in more effort for past projects,” she said. “Now I feel more confident and hopeful about my future work. Stage acting is difficult but incredibly rewarding.”
Lee added that she hopes to perform again, perhaps in a smaller venue. “The stage vanishes after the show ends — that’s what makes it more precious. I’d love to try acting in a small theater where I can really connect with the audience.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.