Actress Chun Woo-hee steps out of comfort zone in 'Vertigo'

A scene from the film “Vertigo,” which centers on a woman struggling to keep her life together through crises from her relationships with people around her. Courtesy of Triple Pictures

By Lee Gyu-lee

Actress Chun Woo-hee is a prolific actress, known for the unique characters she played in previous films such as a mysterious woman in the 2016 horror film "The Wailing" and a traumatized victim in the 2013 award-winning film "Han Gong-ju."

But in her new film "Vertigo," she breaks that pattern. Her character is more realistic. She plays Seo-young, a 30-something woman with a job who leads an average life for a woman of her age.

While playing her new role, Chun, 33, said she was relieved as she had a break after she had become burnt out. “I read the script during a time when I felt insecure and had doubts about myself and my talent as an actress,” she said during an interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday, at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. “But the story made me realize that actors can find meaning and reasons for their existence through acting on set."

“Vertigo” centers on Seo-young working in a high-rise building. She has an insecure relationship with her co-worker who is also her boyfriend (Yoo Teo). Her career is unstable, too, as she is a contract worker. Though she tries to get by in her unsteady reality, her hysterical mom, who calls her every day, constantly brings her down and pushes her to the edge. One day, she looks out the office window and encounters Kwon-woo (Jeong Jae-kwang) who is lowered down the outside of the the tall building on a cable to clean the windows. Hanging on a thread of his own crisis, Kwon-woo reaches out to her for comfort and sympathy.

Although the film lays out a romance from such an unusual encounter, it is rather a story about how a person gets by through daily struggles and finds someone they can depend on. The camera often zooms in on Seo-young for close-up shots to show her delicate emotions which she tries to repress in order to avoid a breakdown.

Actress Chun Woo-hee./ Courtesy of Namoo Actors

“I think the film is about how two people interact and build up on empathy as they understand each other's struggles,” she said. “When we were filming, I would joke 'Even if Kwon-woo was a woman, I would still kiss her at the end.' And that's what I personally believe my character would do since the film is not just about romance.”

“I believe that not only women in their 30s, but also anyone living in this society could feel empty and be under pressure from maintaining the relationships with people around them,” she said. “The character was relatable to me in that she had to withstand the responsibilities that come with relationships which sometimes feel like a burden."

Getting by her personal difficulties is something that she continuously strives to do. “I don't know if I get by because I'm trying to or it just happens as I go along with the circumstances,” she said.

She noted that she learned how to let go, instead of trying so hard to make things work, in order to overcome struggles in her career and her personal life. “I don't think one should feel obligated to do something to get past a hard time."

“Instead of pretending everything's fine, I feel that I need to go with the flow and let it out, expressing whatever I feel in the moment. When you're exhausted or frustrated, you can whine about it and if you feel hurt, you can let others know and ask for support.”

Chun said that she developed this mindset through her recent work, especially from her role in the romantic comedy series "Be Melodramatic,” which ended last month. The series was her third TV drama in her 15-year acting career.

The actress noted that working on a TV series was different than on the big screen in the sense that the former gave her space to play around with her character. “A lot of improvisation was done and I came to realize a side of my actual personality through the character,” said Chun who played a screenwriter in her 30s, striving to deal with her job and a romantic relationship.

“I used to not allow myself to make mistakes and would care a lot about how I would be viewed by others,” she said, noting that her recent works allowed her to be more comfortable and natural in accepting how others view her.

The film “Vertigo” premiered at the Busan International Film Festival earlier this month, and will hit local theaters on Oct. 17.