'True Education': Kim Mu Yeol & team to teach hard lesson to those undermining the education system
Note: The text may contain spoilers. Read at your own discretion.
On November 11, actress Lee You Mi sat for an interview, where she talked about what led her to join As You Stood By and the efforts she made to portray her character Hui Su.
As You Stood By tells the story of Eun Su (Jeon So Nee) and Hui Su (Lee You Mi), who decide to kill Jin Pyo, Hui Su's abusive husband, to escape a hellish life.
It is reported that the actress received the casting offer from director Lee Jung Rim through a letter containing a poem: "I was very cautious about portraying Hui Su. There are real victims out there, and I strongly felt unsure if I could dare to portray her. The director wrote a poem — one that also appears in the series — by hand in a letter to me, and I think that made me feel I might be able to portray Hui Su. The poem was about receiving flowers after an assault and then experiencing death. It carried emotions that were hard to define. That letter persuaded and reassured me." "As the story progresses, Hui Su goes through many choices and conflicts. I wanted to feel for myself that that was the perfect choice for Hui Su, and also wanted the audience to feel it too."
Lee said there were many aspects she approached with extra caution because her character represents victims. "I looked into many real-life cases, and the director also gave me a book that was like a collection of short stories. The director mentioned that she had taken courses related to domestic violence and often shared what she learned with us. We had a lot of conversations before filming began. I didn't want this drama to bring back painful memories for real survivors, nor did I want to cause them any more hurt. I hoped it could serve as a source of encouragement and courage instead. That thought that I don't want to inflict pain was what made me the most cautious."
There were times when portraying Hui Su made her change the way she thinks. "Hui Su and I are completely different people, so there are a lot of differences between us. When I looked at Hui Su from my own perspective, I used to think, 'Why didn't she just run away sooner?' But when I imagined Hui Su — what kind of life she had lived, what kind of person she was — I started to feel sorry for having thought that way. I felt apologetic for feeling frustrated. I think that’s when I began to understand her better."
She also revealed that she lost weight to portray Hui Su more authentically. "I wanted to show Hui Su's state outwardly as well. In the drama, when you see her eating scenes, she's never relaxed or comfortable. She's under pressure during those meals, and it feels like she eats only because that person (No Jin Pyo) is eating. I thought it would be right to look small and fragile, for her pain to be visible even through her body. So I decided to lose weight. During filming, I weighed around 36 to 37 kg (79-81 lb). Normally, I maintain about 41 to 42 kg (90-92 lb), but I wanted to look that way, so I tried losing weight. I slept a lot so I wouldn't feel hungry, and since I couldn't eat properly during shooting, the weight came off naturally. In a way, I thought maybe I was born for this project."
Lee further talked about what she focused on when portraying Hui Su's new life. "When I imagined the conclusion of Hui Su's story, I felt that just as I became stronger, Hui Soo also grew stronger. I wanted to express that feeling of growth — the sense of 'I'm okay now.' That was the biggest thing for me."
"For Hui Su's hairstyle change, I discussed it with the director, and she said it would be good to make a noticeable transformation. We wanted a visual transformation completely different from her previous image, to make her look freer. It's the most visible aspect of her, after all. I thought the reason Hui Su hadn't cut her hair before was that it was the style Jin Pyo liked, so I wanted to cut it. She couldn't bring herself to cut it because of guilt. When she finally cuts it, it's like expressing that she acknowledges her wrongdoing but also that she’s choosing to live on firmly and freely. That's the mindset I had when styling her."
When asked what she would say to the perpetrators, she said, "I really, really, really hope they pay for their crimes. I hope they live, having to somehow pay for what they did, be it through the law or anything else. I just don't want their lives to be easy. I want them to feel troubled and hurt every day." "I curse them."
To viewers who haven't watched As You Stood By yet, she appealed, "I think it might be hard to approach the drama just from the storyline. Even so, I hope many people will watch it, so please take it lightly and give it a try. Please don't avoid it because you are abhorred by the plot. If you muster the courage to watch it once, I'd be grateful."
As You Stood By is available for viewing on Netflix.
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