"I’m not sure if I showed my own version of Nan-woo well."
The MBC Friday-Saturday drama 'Motel California' (written by Lee Seo-yoon, directed by Kim Hyung-min and Lee Jae-jin), which ended on the 15th, depicted the remodeling romance of first love as Ji Kang-hee (played by Lee Se-young), who was born and raised in a rural motel, reunites with her first love Cheon Yeon-soo (played by Na In-woo) after escaping her hometown 12 years ago.
On the 14th, I met Choi Hee-jin (29), who played the role of Yoon Nan-woo, a veterinary student and junior to Cheon Yeon-soo, for an interview at her agency in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Choi Hee-jin said, "Now that the project is over, I’m finally realizing it," and added, "It hasn’t been long since filming ended. The character is bright and innocent, so it might take me a little time to get out of it." She continued, "All my previous works were pre-produced projects that were completed before airing. However, this time, we were filming while the show was airing. We finished filming by the end of the Lunar New Year holiday on the 31st of last month, and it was my first experience like this, so I learned a lot. It was fascinating to be on set while monitoring the broadcast."
In the drama, Yoon Nan-woo was a lovable character without any flaws. This was a significant transformation for Choi Hee-jin, who left a strong impression as the con artist Lee Hwa-ja, who approached Kang Nam-soon (played by Lee Yoo-mi) by imitating her in the previous drama 'Strong Woman Do Bong-soon.'
Choi Hee-jin said, "In my previous work, I played a villain or a strong character. The director wanted Yoon Nan-woo to be lovable. It might have been hard for the director to give this opportunity to an actress who had only played antagonistic roles, so I was grateful to be entrusted with this character." She added, "I decided to participate after reading only the first four episodes of the script. I liked Yoon Nan-woo's innocence. Since I had only played characters far from the kind and pure Yoon Nan-woo, I wondered, 'Can I create this kind of character?' and I tried to delve into the character obsessively," humbly stating, "I’m not sure if I expressed lovability well."
Choi Hee-jin also mentioned, "The writer said, 'Show us your own version of Nan-woo. I hope you haven't read the original work.' So, I didn’t bring Yoon Nan-woo from the original," and added, "I bothered the writer a lot to grasp the flow. I used to think that actors are passive jobs that act according to the director's direction or the writer's thoughts, but through this work, I learned that filling in the character is the actor's responsibility, and that this work is a key point."
What is the synchronization rate between Choi Hee-jin and Yoon Nan-woo? Choi Hee-jin said, "It’s about 20-30%. Nan-woo is emotional and innocent. She also proposes a contract relationship. I think Nan-woo is a bit more proactive than I am. She is lovable and quirky. I am introverted and shy."
As a similarity, she pointed out that she speaks her mind when necessary. Choi Hee-jin said, "If I have something to say, I definitely say it. At the same time, I think it’s important to maintain boundaries. I liked that Nan-woo also doesn’t cross the line. At first, I was worried that Nan-woo's story wouldn’t be well expressed in the work and that there would be many unanswered questions. I thought I might feel like a hindrance between the Cheon Yeon-soo and Ji Kang-hee couple. However, as the story progressed, it unraveled well and became more interesting."
Yoon Nan-woo proposes a contract relationship to Cheon Yeon-soo at the beginning of the drama. However, when Ji Kang-hee appears and she realizes that Cheon Yeon-soo has a crush on Ji Kang-hee, she suggests breaking the contract relationship and letting people know, even encouraging Cheon Yeon-soo to confess her feelings to Ji Kang-hee. However, there were also many subtle points that suggested Yoon Nan-woo had feelings for Cheon Yeon-soo.
"I had a lot of concerns when acting that part. I think for Nan-woo, Cheon Yeon-soo was a respected senior and someone she had feelings for, in between. He treated her kindly, so she must have developed feelings of admiration. But when Ji Kang-hee comes along, she lets go. I thought she might have let go just as her feelings were starting. I enjoyed expressing the process of fluctuating feelings for Cheon Yeon-soo. Some ad-libs I suggested were reflected in the broadcast, and I felt proud that we created the character together."
The lovable Yoon Nan-woo was a stark contrast to Lee Hwa-ja from 'Strong Woman Do Bong-soon.' Choi Hee-jin said, "The best comment I received was, 'Is that Lee Hwa-ja?' It was thrilling to hear that I looked completely different, and I felt that I had succeeded. Although I haven't done many works yet, it felt really good when even the director said, 'Was that you in this work?'
In many romantic comedy works, supporting female characters often create tension for the main couple. However, Yoon Nan-woo turned Ji Kang-hee into her ally, 'sister,' diverging from typical rom-com characters. Choi Hee-jin said, "Given the situation, it was inevitable to create tension between the Ji Kang-hee and Cheon Yeon-soo couple. However, if she didn’t seem hateful, it aligned with the director's intention," adding, "I was more eager for chemistry with Ji Kang-hee than with Cheon Yeon-soo."
She continued, "Lee Se-young also said, 'Let’s aim for the Best Couple Award.' I approached it with that mindset. The character Nan-woo is actually a rare character. Among many individualistic characters, Nan-woo is open to everyone and innocent. It seems that viewers appreciated that aspect well."
Choi Hee-jin received a lot of help from Lee Se-young on set. Choi Hee-jin expressed her admiration, saying, "She has been active for a long time. I could feel her experience and flexibility." She added, "She would occasionally hold my hand and send me trust through her gaze. She would also suddenly come over and kiss me on the cheek, saying, 'You’re cute.' She gave me a lot of affection and sometimes talked to me like a friend. I was grateful for that. In the future, when I become a senior, I want to be a senior who approaches my juniors first, and she made me think a lot about that."
Choi Hee-jin also mentioned her co-star Na In-woo, saying, "He is really tall. I’m 160cm, so there was a big height difference. I had to match my gaze, and he was very considerate in trying to adjust his eye level. Those little considerations left a lasting impression on me," adding, "He told me, 'You were Nan-woo itself,' which touched my heart."
As the story progresses, Yoon Nan-woo's love line shifts from Cheon Yeon-soo to Ryu Han-woo (played by Jung Yong-joo). Choi Hee-jin saw this as a growth for Yoon Nan-woo.
"When I see the love line with Han-woo, I feel that Nan-woo is a character that grows. Nan-woo is a friend with a clear sense of purpose who becomes a whistleblower despite the risk of being expelled from school, but she doesn’t seem like a 'quick to fall in love' type, so I thought a lot about it. Although the love line with Han-woo isn’t expressed much in terms of screen time, I thought a lot about the backstory. Her feelings for Yeon-soo started with love for animals and admiration. However, with Han-woo, her feelings transition through the animals, cows and donkeys. That aspect felt very much like Nan-woo."
All the animals appearing in the drama were real, not CGI. Choi Hee-jin said, "The donkey was a real miniature donkey, and the dog, cat, and cow were all real animals. They were trained animals, so the filming went smoothly. Sometimes, I felt like they acted better than I did. I enjoyed interacting with the animals," she joked. "I don’t have pets, but I really like animals. The director asked me before filming, 'Do you like animals?' and when I said I liked them regardless of size, he seemed pleased. At that time, I didn’t know I would meet so many animals. I tried hard to get close to them."
How will this work remain in Choi Hee-jin's memory? She expressed, "I have a lot of affection for it. I have affection for all the works I’ve done, and it’s hard to prioritize them, but this work was significant because it allowed me to try different acting, so I’m very grateful."
However, she also said, "If I look at my performance as Yoon Nan-woo, I think it’s about 40 points. Some people might think I was 100% Yoon Nan-woo, while others might think I wasn’t sufficient for the role. I want to learn what my shortcomings are and fill them in as I act," showing her humble side, "In this work, I think I was around 40 points. I can see the areas I need to fill in."
What genre does Choi Hee-jin want to challenge in the future? She said, "I like thrillers and suspense. I want to play characters that follow psychological stories and have twists."
She continued, "Recently, I watched the movie 'Substance,' and I thought, 'An actor can build such a variety of emotions and push them to the limit.' The lead actors Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley portray such different characters and express their emotions to the fullest. I think it would be fun to express that. I also want to work on a project with a long breath where I can gradually build the narrative."
Finally, Choi Hee-jin said, "I’m still contemplating my next project. I think I’ll be able to greet you with a good work soon. I hope that happens," adding, "I want to be an actress who can play various roles without being limited to good or evil. There are many roles I want to take on."
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
