Actress on being called 'fool' as newcomer, reuniting with Ha Jung-woo in 'Night Trip'

Actress Yoo Da-in / Courtesy of Prain TPC

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Yoo Da-in believes her life experiences and attention to social issues have improved her acting abilities, which she demonstrated in drama movie “I Don't Fire Myself.”

Performing with considerable passion, empathy and integrity, she has clearly acted in part on the basis of social conscience.

“I feel like I've become capable of playing a wider range of roles after gaining more life experience and taking an interest in social issues. I believe that my role as an actor is to give audiences an opportunity to start different dialogues,” she said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.

Yoo stars in the movie as Jeong-eun who suffers gender discrimination at work and is dispatched to work for a subcontractor for one year. Despite the management's attempt to fire her, Jeong-eun intends to hold on to her job in hopes of returning to the head office a year later.

“This film is inspired by real events and represents things that happened years ago, so I wanted to portray the character as realistically as possible. At its heart, the film is about never giving up. No matter where you are or what you do, don't ever give up on yourself,” she said.

When asked if she has faced similar workplace discrimination, Yoo said, “I don't think I've ever experienced injustice for being a woman. But I remember being called a 'fool' and 'stupid' on a filming set when I was a newcomer because I couldn't understand the director's instructions.”

The 37-year-old actress revealed that she suffered a painful back injury while filming “I Don't Fire Myself.”

“I was in pain for most of the film. I went to see my physical therapist more than ever. In the ending scene, I had to hang upside down on an electrical cord for quite a long time. As a result, I received lumbar herniated disc treatment. It was physically exhausting,” she said.

Despite the painstaking struggles, Yoo said she has learned to express a wider range of emotions. “I was able to show off my obstinate, callous behaviors through this film. That being said, I'd like to star in a thriller movie,” she said.

She will begin shooting mystery thriller “Night Trip” alongside Ha Jung-woo in February.

“I'll be reuniting with Ha after The Client (2011) and with Jung Man-sik for the first time since Over My Dead Body (2012). I'm personally looking forward to working alongside them,” she said.

Confessing that her latest film changed her criteria in selecting projects, Yoo said, “I've kind of changed as an actor, my approach, from before and after turning 30. In the past, I only thought about myself, my role, but now I want to be helpful to the people who choose me.”

She added, “If I could turn back time, I'd choose another profession. However, the best thing about being an actor is that I can express whatever I feel. I have fears and vulnerabilities, but there are people who constantly assure me that 'you can do it' and 'you're doing an amazing job.' Those words keep me going.”