I never cares about people's opinions and like of my life and everything.
I even doesn't want to listen my mom's opinion, but.
(Jung laughs) That's different though.
(Sandra laughs) (Jung laughs) Yeah There's the internet.
And there's your mom (Jung laughs) When you were filming, did you basically film in order?
or how much was, because it's almost like everything is almost in one place.
Mostly I think in order order, because of the set situation, some scenes from the end episode came front.
Yeah.
That was the time where I had so much pressure.
(Jung laughs) yeah.
But especially the games.
Yes.
It was in order So we can have the sense of where we have to go.
And while we are shooting, the director, thought this line should come from this character, not to this character.
Then he moved around and then we all agree with that.
Like he always thinking of each character, so we have to believe what he said.
So maybe we were like too much making joke about that.
(Jung laughs) I understand that.
So yeah (Jung Laughs) Yeah, sure.
So we do, we didn't feel that intense.
We were more like joyful.
Yes.
To be intense, I think.
Yes.
] And as an actor.
That's wonderful, joyful to be intense.
Right.
Great.
That's great.
It was just as an actor to have those kind of scene it's I think exciting.
Yeah.
That's very exciting.
(speaking in foreign language) Maybe it it's weird to say it, but while I'm shooting my death scene, I was so happy.
I was most comfortable since I ever had it's because I've been living with my character over like few months.
And then there is a time that I have to let her go and I kind of feel like I can happily let her go because I can understand maybe not fully,
but I'm the one who can understands her most in this world.
So I know her like a stress and I know how her life was so struggle and hard.
So I was like, it wasn't that bad or sad that it was like happiness death.
It's weird to say it, but I felt that, so.
I feel I can relate because it's basically when you get to really express the truth of a character.
Even when you're saying goodbye.
It's very satisfying.
(speaking in foreign language) Killing Eve.
You've been like filming over four years, right?
Yeah.
How was your experience?
I would say for me, Killing Eve was probably one of the hardest jobs I've ever had because I felt like so much of the entire show is so about the internal
life, at least of Eve.
What does it matter if, the cells keep dividing and it's endless.
Eve, all we can do in life is try to find some joy in the little things.
When you have a character that you get to play for like a long time.
And I think this is a really great thing about television is that you are creating her or you're creating them in real time.
So I really felt pleased that I saw an image of myself as Eve from the very first season.
And I saw an image of Eve in the fourth season and I felt they looked like two different people.
So a lot of human nature and human elements that really go into saying that this person has changed.
This character has changed.
So I felt ultimately emotionally for Eve to start out, as in, I have a regular life, (Sandra laughs) I have a regular life, I'm kind of basically happy, but at the
very end, she's lost everything, but is also in survival and has gained more of herself as a whole woman.
Cause I just think this is true.
Not that it always has to be this way, but it is when things are difficult.
That is a real opportunity to grow.
So you see Eve go through difficult challenge.
You have difficulties just like your character goes through (Jung laughs) difficult challenges.
Right.
And so even as your character Sae-byeok?
yes.
Sae-byeok, it starts very closed, right?
The way that she opens up a little bit is authentic.
We see how she has, because she's trusted this character because she knows you have this responsibility, but that's just not easy to do.
And I found it very challenging on Killing Eve, but that joyful, satisfying, because I felt like what I laid down was real, at least, hopefully for me.
(Jung laughs) I kind of 100% agree with that.
And then it's just like, so inspired me because I really wanted to while I'm like studying, acting, still trying to figure it out.
The complexity of human being.
It's not just like, there is only one answer sometime we are like simple.
Like, we just want to have soldier.
So we are going for soldier.
But like sometimes we cannot say this person needs this, you know?
But like what I kind of admire about your acting was every kind of scene your face has that complexity.
You just don't build just one thing.
But like human always, when you face with this difficulty like difficult situation, you kind of feel so many things like in your head, in your mind, you don't know, what's like
exactly happening to you, what you feel right now.
But when the time pass by, you realize maybe that was that feeling.
Yeah.
It's almost like you don't know what you're feeling.
But like as an actor we have to kind of, You do.
It's our job to, (Jung laughs) Yeah so hard it's our job to be able to choose in this moment, I'm going to choose to show that she doesn't know what she's
feeling, this way.
Because ultimately you have to build something.
Right.
So how do you wanna tell the character's story before the end and how, what do you want that ending and that death to be, and to me, right.
And you know, myself as Eve, it's like when you have a character that I was able to develop for four seasons, I thought a lot, absolutely.
About what I want that end to mean.
(Both breathing heavily) I think our acting complete when it's in, we are doing interview.
(Jung laughs) Oh, interesting.
So like when we are shooting, we trying to have plan, but we couldn't know 100% of this character or this situation, I think, but after the TV show came out, we
watch it and we got the reaction of people and then reorganize it.
Maybe that was that.
And that was that.
And also there is my experience while filming, or like having this reaction and also after like saying in the interview, I think it's complete.
You're right.
I like when, you start getting questions about what is this, what is that?
I think that's honestly, sometimes the first time I start thinking of what happened, what did I wanna say?
There's again.
Yes.
There's so many things that it's not, the planning is not the right word that, but you're thinking about in the creation of it, but you don't know ultimately what it's going
to be.
Right.
You are the same person.
You are exactly the same.
I'm not here to argue.
Maybe I've changed.
Have you thought of that?
Maybe I don't need any..
What are you doing?
Praying for you?
Oh.
For Killing Eve.
I think you build up like the relationship of the other actor's character.
Like with the Killing Eve, also The Chair with Villanelle and the Bill.
It's so complicated.
So like, how do you kind of communicate with the other co-actor?
Like.
It's so interesting.
You're choosing Jay Duplass who played bill in The Chair and Jody Comer who played Villanelle in Killing Eve, completely different!
Oh really?
Yeah.
Completely different.
Right.
So you're talking about, let's say with Villanelle, with Jody.
and I didn't really talk a lot.
now we didn't really talk a lot because there was so much magic that was going on that we both knew we're not gonna touch it.
We're just not gonna talk about it.
It's gonna be very ambiguous.
And I think that's some of what it really works between the two characters.
You don't know what's happening between them.
They don't really know what's happening between them.
Right.
That's also the same feeling in like the kind of romance that Ji-Yoon is having with Bill in The Chair.
But they have a very long standing relationship.
There's a lot of friendship that's going on there.
But the difference is that I have four years with Jody.
I had three months, let's say it seemed like, you know, with Jay Duplass who plays Bill, it's very interesting per show, you get a different actor, you get a certain type
of openness.
There was a lot of physicality that actually Jay Duplass and I found.
So in The Chair, my character, Ji-Yoon and Bill were both professors and we're long term friends, but there is a romance happening.
We found that whenever we were in a scene, we would somehow immediately get physically close or we would fight over something.
Or we would try to do something.
And always those, those, physical moments, always basically mimicked having sex.
So we were like always like fighting, but it looked like we were having sex or we're trying to get something, but it looks like we're having sex.
So it was actually hilarious how that just naturally developed because you have storytelling physically, but it was because I would say Jay Duplass I love him.
He's great.
Great actor.
And he's very open.
Give me those keys (Bill mumbles) Oh my, stop it!
Give me the keys.
Give me the keys You're not Get off.
Yes.
Yes Oh my God.
Sorry.
Oh, no.
We're just..
We were both willing and open.
Also, it was very fast.
Killing Eve was not necessarily fast in the kind of like we gotta madly create something, but The Chair was, it was very, very fast.
So we were just like, okay, wide open.
Okay.
Let's get naked.
Okay, let's do this.
And we would touch each other a lot.
because why we had to find a quick way of becoming friends, but having the history of being friends for a long time.
So we would actually touch each other.
So then when we would be in a scene, there is a bond.
Just, Wait, wait, wait.
If we get together, no one's gonna take me seriously.
It'll be like, you know, he only supports her ideas so he can get in her pants.
I genuinely support your ideas.
As a Korean American to have this link with a native Korean (speaking in foreign language) (Jung Laughs) You know what I mean is really important.
Kind of monumental for me.
And I think this is a real change for us as Korean Americans.
And I've always been, always interested in the native Korean perspective.
Like how do you see us as Korean Americans?
For me, I've been thinking about a lot about that.
When I came to a U.S for campaigning for Squid Game, I met a lot of Asian American people and says to me that, oh, thank you for representing us.
We are so proud of you.
So I was at the beginning, it was just happy.
But like I also kind of think about, am I available to get to know like Asian American community that well, because I came from Korea, I lived in Korea almost of
my whole life and I'm allowed to represent them.
And like I have kind of extra responsibility of kind of, I should be, well, you know.
(Jung laughs) I thought a lot about that too, for you.
And I just wanna, I wanna take that off of you because it is a large responsibility that I, it feels familiar to me that you have to pay attention to, and
also it cannot crush you, you know?
So while those questions are, I think very important because like this, so the other day I was driving on Sunset Boulevard.
So on Sunset boulevard, it's like, you're driving down like American capitalism.
Like, and you see like what, Hollywood or north America capitalism is showing what is what we should follow, what we should buy.
And you are on there, (Jung laughs) like on the side of a building.
So I'm driving and we're like, oh, there's my girl.
(Jung laughs) But then also I will say there was probably two more billboards where there is another Asian model and another model, I think maybe she's mixed race.
And I remember feeling like, I don't know how many times I have driven on Sunset Boulevard, like a billion.
And I don't think I would've seen that four years ago, You know, Four years ago?
Yeah I don't think I would've seen that four years ago.
No, I don't.
I mean, I'm only talking four years ago because I've had this question, I think my entire career, which is how much do you think things have changed for Asian Americans, blah,
blah, blah, blah.
And I will only say that it was for me, maybe 2019 that I feel for us as Asian Americans, things have changed.
So I understand that question that you have, and I'll also say not to put any kind of pressure on you, but you are in the image making a very important part
for, I think, Asian Americans in the way that I do think the change in the opening and the growth is coming and in diversity, not only racially, but in every other
kind of way.
So while I wanna thank you for that, cause I do, I also want to relieve you of any kind of, it's impossible to relieve you with the pressure, but I feel
like you, you know, know how to be yourself.
I'm trying, I'm trying, but it's just, all I can do is just keep trying not to overthink about this responsibility, but also cares about this responsibility.
Like trying to make the balance.
Cause it was just my first project.
I was like, okay, I'm going to be an actor.
And then I did audition and then I got it.
I was so happy.
And then while I'm filming, I was so happy.
And when the Squid Game came out, it's just like going like, Ooh.
Yeah, Suddenly here.
An international superstar.
Yeah And then like people recognize me.
And even like you was, for me, I was like a little child in Korea and Gray's Anatomy was like a huge thing in Korea because of you and then you kind
of icon of us.
And then when I met you at SAG Awards you know me.
Yes And that was like, wow.
And then like, there is like a bunch of people that already know me.
Yeah.
That building was like weird, but also, and also like, oh wow.
It's maybe like good to have this like accessible, like to, in this community.
And then it's very nice to feel this accessible, like feeling, but also at the same time, I'm getting scared.
Like people are watching me things that I'm saying or like going where I'm going is like people starting to.
Pay attention to.
Yeah.
And I never cares about that many people's opinions and like of my life and everything.
I even doesn't want to listen my mom's opinion, but.
(Jung laughs) That's different though.
(Sandra laughs) (Jung laughs) Yeah There's the internet.
And there's your mom (Jung laughs) Go ahead.
And, but now I think, I'm trying to get used to it and then trying to not go to extreme this side or to extreme that side.
(speaking in foreign language) The position that you are in right now as amazing and fantastic and all the things that I think people imagine it to be.
It's very hard what you're doing.
It's very difficult what you're doing and it's very isolating, Right.
Because not many people at all understand your experience.
So how have you felt so far that you are keeping healthy, keeping balanced?
I think I ask a lot of questions to people who better more experienced, like director Hoang of Squid Game and executive producer or Jung-Jae, Hae-Soo like the people around me and
even they don't have like a proper answer on my question.
It's just good to share about like thoughts and like thoughts in me right now.
So it's helpful to just keep sharing, not to be too much isolated with closest people, I think.
But how about you?
I just wanted to ask, I always ask to Jung-Jae and Hae-Soo and director Hong, how you deal with like this crazy journey.
I feel like yours is like this Yeah And mines like (Jung laughs) And that's just different.
I think that it's..
you know, I can talk about, let's say the thing that I think that is the closest in, relationship is when Grey's Anatomy came.
And I think that my life changed very much and it's tricky to kind of imagine because this is almost 20 years ago.
So the context is very different, but the stress is the same or the confusion is the same.
And I think that's why my question to you is how are you taking care of yourself?
Is that I think when people are in extremely amazing privileged, heavy responsibility positions like this, your personal health, you know what I mean is I think I realized came first because
I feel like, honestly, I got sick.
I think my whole body got, was very, very sick.
Even though you, you keep on working.
Right.
Right But it's just like, oh, I can't sleep.
Right.
Oh, you know, my back hurts or I don't know what's wrong with my skin.
You know, these are the things that, kind of come in and you, that you realize that you learn that, you know, to answer your question, it's like, I feel like I,
learned that I had to take care of my health first, First.
And, but that's not only your body.
Right.
That is your soul.
That is definitely your mind.
Right.
You know, so even those things, I doubt, question.
Because you can't ultimately depend on anyone else.
You have to, no matter somehow find it within yourself.
You ask people's opinions, Right.
Yes, of course.
But then ultimately you're, you know, we are alone with each other with ourselves.
Right, right, right, right, right I think for that finally, like last, not last, two weeks ago, I went back to Korea and then I took just one week break and I
didn't kind of answer, answered all that email about like schedule and like, people's like contact, because I just kind of think that cause before that going back to Korea, I was
in London and then I was sick, like little, So sick.
Yeah.
So sick my body, cause like I think my mental was kind of didn't realize that how much I, yeah.
Run down.
Yeah.
But like when your body got sick and that moment that you realize, oh, maybe this was too much.
So I realized that, oh, maybe let's be healthy first and then do the job, but it's not gonna be easy.
And then I still gonna make mistakes.
And but yeah, just trying, I think I'm struggling, but trying yeah.
The ability to be present is a big part of our job.
Right.
So I have a question for you regarding modeling, because I mean, knowing you for the short time that I have, you are such a, (Jung laughs) like this, right.
This is how I know you.
And then like your modeling persona is like someone else.
So it's like when I met you, I'm like, that is not what I expected.
Can you tell me a little bit, because obviously you're very practiced.
You're very experienced as a model.
What is that creation of that persona?
I think there is some different part of process doing modeling and acting.
I think.
While I was kind of practicing to be a model, I was more about focusing, keep practicing and practicing, Meaning walking, meaning how you look, how many, like what is that?
Walking, I practiced a lot.
In Korea I think there's a lot of kinds of academies and there is model academy.
So I went to model academy and learned how to walk and I read fashion magazines a lot.
And then I like Googled the models that I love and then follow their posts.
And they never smile.
Yeah.
(Jung laughs) They never smiles.
I was like, you're a smiley person.
Yeah.
And a model person never smiled.
But, but go on.
I see.
So you have influences Right That you are following and you started developing your own style based on their style or?
Yeah.
And then I think I, I was more about, I focused on more like muscles movements and the posing, like angling, like those kind of things.
And like, while I was getting into like watching movie, when I'm doing modeling, I kind of falling, love with feeling, you know?
And then at the same time, I went to a lot of like museum to like see the art and then I kind of realized the sense of how to feel of
watching something at the time.
I think.
And then I started thinking about as an artist, how you gonna like how you feel?
And I think while I'm preparing and learning acting, I try to combine two things like my muscle movements about angling and everything.
Like, but also more focused about how human builds like Yes, This, like at this situation, how Sandra feels about this plant and how I feel about this plant, how people Feel
about the plant.
Yeah And yeah, I think so now I'm kind of trying to still keep thinking about having this curiosity about human beings.
Like what's human thoughts and everything.
And, but still.
While I'm shooting Squid Game, I never thought about acting like in front of the camera, there could be angle and there is things that you have to care about.
But I couldn't think about skill.
That's too much.
(Jung laughs) Too much for your first job.
Yeah, yeah Too much, just know your lines and just show up.
Right I just only kind of, at the beginning it was worse.
I was like, only thought about how to be present, like as my character in this situation.
But I don't, I couldn't think about there is a camera this side or this side or those kind of things, but slowly I can learn because like the actors on the
set and the director of Squid Game, they were so nice people.
They just show me.
Examples Right yeah, examples.
Yeah.
And then Squid Game was unique because of like our situation of characters.
We are on the same situation yeah.
Yeah, sure.
Different character has different reactions.
So it was like total acting academy to like watching someone's.
I see.
Yeah.
Thank you so much.
It was so great to spend time with you.
Aww
