SJH: “I hate pretending to be pretty and flirty - Interview with 10asia

March 5, 2012

10: I heard you filmed Running Man yesterday.
SJH: I went places such as Mokdong and Myungdong, jumped and played badminton. I ran so hard and got bruised on my leg. It was hard (laughs).

“I have no fears on people’s perceptions through what they see me on broadcasts.”

10: Running Man PDs say they had no expectations on how much you are doing well now. You improved so much in such a short time.
SJH: To say the truth, Running Man is a program which I don’t know what I am doing even though I am doing it (laughs). Even though we film it all day, I have no clue on how it is going to be edited for broadcasts. I think they are giving me good grades for me running and trying so hard. I knew the PDs since I did SBS with them and this relationship brought me here. Back then I was a bit immature for being young, but I think they are looking at my good side on Running Man. I been doing the program over a year but I still have no clues on how I should act to appear on the show. But I think I know a little bit on how to play around with the camera on me.

10: I think you don’t fear camera even though you are not used to real variety shows.
SJH: I still do fear the camera, but I trust the PDs. I trust them to edit out embrassing moments and turn them good. That’s why I can do the show relaxed.

10: Real Variety has both strong positives and negatives. There are people who look at your energetic “Mong Ji-Hyo” character as one of your charms, but tend to believe what they see on the show as real.
SJH: It is different from acting. But if I take notice of that, there is nothing I can do. Then there will be actors who will try do only kind and innocent characters on dramas. So I have no fears on that. I just have to show different images on other times to change their perceptions they have me on now. What I hate is being unnatural. At first, I was a girly and quiet character on Running Man, but it showed that I was ackward with it since it was not my true self (laughs). If they misunderstand me through the show, I will just leave them with what they believe.

10: I bet it was hard to do the show when you were doing it with .
SJH: After was over I thought of resting for a while. That’s why I have been eating well, sleeping well, and doing good. Some people say it was harder because it was historic drama, but it had no difference. Memorizing scripts and not sleeping are the same for all dramas. Actually, there were good things about filiming at frontiers too. The dorms were close and there were nothing to do when the filming was over. If it was my home, I would do internet and have some packs on me, but I can just sleep on that time.

10: There are actors who have hard time on frontier dorms, but looks like you did not.
SJH: It is okay for me if the dorm has warm rooms and hot waters (laughs). I can complain about the situation, but dramas are something to take notice of viewer receptions and continue. If it satisfies the audience and created well, I don’t care about hardships. To say the truth, actors have suffer for only six months.

10: There were audiences who expressed that they do not understand Eungo character on later parts of the drama. Weren’t you disappointed about the change Eungo, who was intelligent and smart character in the beginning, had to go through.
SJH: It is not just about Eungo, but all dramas have different ideas than what I have. It takes time for thoughts and situation to be consistent, but I have to act even though I am not given time. To say the truth, I had lesser disappoints on Eungo character than other dramas. She was not kind character in her story with GaeBek and King EuiJa, and the drama shows the reasons she had to do such things to BaekJae kingdom. Of course, there might be stuffs I could not show because I could not sleep or looked different because of miscommunications with the director. But in general, I am satisfied with the work because I did try my best.

“I cannot do pure and touching characters because it is just not me.”

10: In addition to Eungo, the queen in and Hyorin from were not good and innocent. They were not just about love relationships, but had seeds to ruin a country.
SJH: People tend to see me as innocent because how I look. But to do work, don’t I have to meet and have dinners with the directors? I knew director Yoo Ha on before I did with him. And the director of I knew him from . I think people who saw me for long time knows the desire inside me. Even i think I am not just innocent. There are times when acting hurts my pride and gives me hard times, but I have gotten stronger through those experiences.

10: You never did pure and touching characters in your career.
SJH: Not even once, because it is not just my style (laughs). I don’t act women characters who try to look pretty and flirty because I dislike them myself. I like women with beauty, coolness and seductiveness. But I don’t like beautiful women who only try to show their beautiful side.

10: But those characters can help you with popularity.
SJH: They are the characters loved by men (laughs). However, I always thought it is okay to have attention from the people, but do not chase popularity. Then, there will be limits drawn by popularity. I don’t like limits and fences, so I never thought of that. But I think I have gotten more feminine that before. There were times I sat down with my legs wide open (laughs), and thought “what is wrong with it?”

10: That’s why you got along with Yeona character in the movie .
SJH: I really liked the original work by Kang Pul. In real life, I lived with my grandfather for a long time, so I have something with the older people. When I heard it was made into a movie, I volunteered to star on it. I may not given a major character, but it seemed like it was a movie I could be satisfied and watch it with warm hearts. Also, I was not the one who leads, so I could learn a lot from the elders. I had good desire to work with Mr. Lee Soon-Jae.

10: What did you learn.
SJH: There are lot of styles in acting. When I have acting lessons, I try to learn from the styles of the teacher. They could teach me many varients in speaking and I could learn them everywhere. I learned the flows of the scenarios and how shots are made and the way the emotions continue from the shots to shots. I thought a lot about how to stand, give feeling, do gestures, and consider the detail and depth even I am just showing my back. It was fun because I am not just listening to the director, but to give reason why I am acting like this.

10: There were some time before and . You don’t have much works considering your career.
SJH: It is a question I hear a lot (laughs). Honestly, I did not get many offers because where were not many hits. I did every movies I could have. Especially, after I just waited. I had to have a time for me to rearrange myself, and company had no news, so it was a time for me to think a lot.

10: It was a period you should have gotten notice, You should have been disappointed.
SJH: Before, I thought age had no plays in acting. Just do something if there are good works or bad works. That’s why I was not in hurry after . It was not because I lacked desire, but my ease (laughs). That’s why I spent my own time not knowing that the times have passed. I just found out characters and age matters now. I met with a unnie working at movie company after hearing is made into a movie. But this is a movie for the actors who look like high schooler. But I don’t have the looks and freshness of a high schooler, so it is hard for me to play that role. Through this, I learned there are characters that depend on age. If I didn’t talk to her, I might have not known, but I feel it through my skin. So I want to try out more different things.

10: What do you want to do?
SJH: I am not a person who set a goal and run toward it. It is impossible that I set certain periods for myself to do only certain things for that time. Therefore, I always said to people and previous interviews that I want to do everything that is offered to me. I was being honest, but people thought i was just saying this for no reason. But really, I can do everything if it is something I can do and I like to do.

“Never lose the beginning thoughts.”

10: Now I understand why you have many women fans so much after talking to you and watching Running Man.
SJH: Yeah, women like me (laughs).

10: Do you listen to other people’s worries and stories?
SJH: I run away before they do it (laughs). I am okay to listening but I am too shy to endure the process to be close to someone. Women’s meetings to talk, drink tea, and eat pains me (laughs). It took me over a year for me to get close to Running Man members. It’s like even though I am playing pranks on other members, I get ackward after I hear “cut!”

10: You have a personality which makes you tough to work in celebrity circle.
SJH: At first, I thought I just have to work, but there are many requirements. I learned that I have to have some social relationships when I work. However, it is the same for other social life as well. Even I chose other path, I doubt I would be close to many people. I tried to change my personality, but I got stressed and tried to seek for a time alone. I try to be at home, turn off my phone. I don’t think it can change easily (laughs). That’s why I have obsessions with my family, only play with a friend who I knew for 18 years, and go to only dermatology, the office, and my house. Only these three places (laughs).

10: When you became a magazine model in the begining, did you want to do it?
SJH: Actually, I wanted to do other things. My father was architect and I wanted to do works on that side. I feel excited when the puzzle pieces are being fit into the plan. I had personality to be satisfied when the LEGO blocks are being built well. But I got the offer when I was working at a cafe, and it was fun unexpectably. It was unplanned and not as satisfiying, but it was fun.

10: What was fun?
SJH: I do not like stable things, but the lights, clothes, and stages are different every time. I think that suited me.

10: If you are doing something for a long time, the mind changes. You could change or the environment can change. You couldn’t do it all for fun.
SJH: I have naive personality (laughs). I only cared about the fun and when I turned back, I felt “Oh, this is not a simple job as I thought”, but I got too much spirit just to give up. And I found fun on learning something which I did not know before. I got many thoughts on how the other actors talk, act in this style, and take care of themselves. But I didn’t dislike it. I think I am continuing to work because of the other funs and satisfaction in this thinking process.

10: Don’t you have a something you want to keep in the future?
SJH: Do not change the thoughts I made when I began my career. I think I am still keeping the promise to not to chase popularity and goods in the eyes. There are many positives because I am a person on the TV. However, I think if I only care about that, I will become just a normal celebrity. Also, I will lose my enthusiasm when I think so much, so just do something I want to do.

cr: Translation by waZup @ the isubs forum