“As I entered my 30s, I began to look at acting more fiercely. This work has been a turning point in my life.”
“I prepared really hard for ‘Sign Language,’ but when the acting controversy arose, I could only cry and couldn't sleep. I felt my own shortcomings, which made it even more disappointing.”
Actress Chae Soo-bin (31) approached her acting with seriousness. For Chae Soo-bin, who turned 30 last year, the MBC Friday-Saturday drama ‘The Call You Made’ became a gift-like project. It allowed her to reflect on herself and further imprint herself as an actress to the public.
The drama, which ended on the 4th, recorded a viewership rating of 8.6% (based on Nielsen Korea nationwide) for its final episode, receiving much love. The drama maintained a steady upward trend in the early stages and attracted viewers as it approached the end. ‘It was a moment when Chae Soo-bin's presence stood out even more.
After the finale, Chae Soo-bin shared her thoughts with Maeil Business Star Today, saying, “The parts where I tried to act with sincerity were effective. In fact, when I received the script, I wasn't clear about what emotions to convey, so I asked many questions to my fellow actors and the director, and created each scene with a lot of thought.”
In the drama, Chae Soo-bin plays ‘Hong Hee-joo,’ the second daughter of the owner of the country's top media company, the daughter-in-law of a potential presidential candidate, and the wife of the presidential spokesperson who enjoys absolute trust and support from the public, but is on the verge of bursting with her selective mutism, lethargy, and anger issues. Her profession is a sign language interpreter. Notably, Hong Hee-joo suffers from selective mutism, an anxiety disorder where a person who can speak well is unable to speak in certain places, conditions, or situations.
Chae Soo-bin said, “As a news sign language interpreter, I had a lot of concerns about how to present myself. I met with actual sign language interpreters to seek advice and learned from them,” adding, “The most difficult part was portraying the situations where Hee-joo couldn't speak in daily life, which was harder than I expected.”
It wasn't easy to portray a character with the handicap of selective mutism, but it also led to study and growth. Chae Soo-bin reflected, “It was an unfamiliar experience. Typically, I would act while looking at the expressions and eye contact of my co-actors, but not delivering lines felt like my hands and feet were tied. In that process, I realized various expressions and acting tones that I didn't know about.”
Since she plays a character who specializes in sign language, Chae Soo-bin engaged in continuous sign language study while filming. She said, “I practiced a lot to make the lines come out smoothly as if sign language were my primary language,” and added, “The filming team didn't have much experience with sign language acting, so there were many trial and error moments. Sometimes, we would prepare everything the day before, only to find out we had to use ‘International Sign Language’ on set, which made it very difficult as everything we practiced would go out the window. However, after successfully completing it, I felt a sense of pride and growth.”
Chae Soo-bin seemed to be deeply captivated by the charm of sign language. She expressed, “I thought that sign language could be an opportunity to approach the public more closely, which made me feel proud. I believe expressing language through hands and facial expressions is a beautiful way of communication. There are more things that can be expressed in sign language than I expected, which made it even more interesting.”
Despite her eagerness to learn, there were criticisms that the repeated sign language expression of ‘mountain’ in the first episode resembled a finger gesture that could be interpreted as offensive, leading to concerns that sign language was being trivialized. Additionally, some viewers expressed doubts about Chae Soo-bin's acting skills.
In relation to this, Chae Soo-bin said, “Seeing the ongoing controversy about my acting skills made me very upset, and I cried continuously when I got home. I felt disappointed because I also saw some shortcomings in myself. I couldn't sleep for several days and went to the filming set,” adding, “The support and advice from my colleagues and the staff were a great help. I think I also hypnotized myself into believing, ‘I can do well.’”
Chae Soo-bin especially felt grateful to her co-actor Yoo Yeon-seok. She said, “While working on this project, I felt some difficulties, and I think I experienced a bit of a slump. Every time that happened, Yoo Yeon-seok and my colleagues supported me more and did well. In particular, Yoo Yeon-seok and I practiced by recording our lines and sharing them without looking at each other. We wanted to check our reactions by listening to my own voice instead of the staff's voice. I was able to learn a lot by discussing and brainstorming a lot with him beforehand,” referring to Yoo Yeon-seok as ‘Yoo Dae-jang,’ a nickname that reflects how he led the actors, including Chae Soo-bin, with overwhelming support.
For Chae Soo-bin, who has just entered her 30s, this project was quite a significant growing pain. Throughout the interview, she confessed her difficulties, but the results were close to those of a veteran actress. She stated, “If I get cast in a character with a handicap like this again, I would do it without hesitation. Although there were tough processes, I would choose it again,” adding, “I feel that my acting has solidified rather than just gaining confidence. I tend to be quite timid, but I want to face challenges.”
Chae Soo-bin's values regarding acting have also changed as she entered her 30s. She said, “In my 20s, I acted just for the joy of it, but now I think about how my acting can impact this work beyond myself. I have become more cautious and responsible. I ponder how I can become a good actor and create good works together. Throughout my acting, I often doubt, ‘Can I really do well?’” revealing her matured perspective.
She has not yet decided on her next project. Chae Soo-bin stated, “First, I want to take a break and aim to become a stronger version of myself for acting,” expressing her ambition, “I want to be someone who can steadily work on projects for a long time as an actor without wavering.”
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
