INTERVIEW IU credits 'My Mister' as turning point in her decade-long acting career
Singer-actress IU / Courtesy of EDAM Entertainment
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Since bursting onto the K-pop scene in 2008, IU has built an incredibly successful career as both a singer and an actress. IU credited the 2018 tvN series “My Mister” as a turning point in her decade-long acting career, adding that it enabled her to play more complex roles.
“To me, every character is unforgettable. But I would say Ji-an's character role in 'My Mister' allowed me to take on a diverse slate of projects. In 2013, I starred in KBS series 'Bel Ami.' The show wasn't successful, but the role I played in that drama was a major source of inspiration for my character in 'Dream,'” she said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Thursday.
The sports comedy film “Dream” tells the story of a football coach named Hong-dae (Park Seo-joon) training a team of homeless people to compete in the Homeless World Cup. In the film, IU plays the role of a TV director named So-min who wants to make a documentary on Korea's first homeless football team.
The singer-actress said she liked the film's message and has been a fan of director Lee Byeong-heon, whose works include the 2019 comedy “Extreme Job” and JTBC series “Be Melodramatic.”
“I first learned about the Homeless World Cup through the script and was surprised to find out that it is based on a true story. Seeing the photos of real-life people at the end of the script was very moving,” she said.
IU talked about the similarities between her and her character's personalities.
“I think we have a lot in common. So-min is described as a passionless character, but I disagree. So-min has a short temper, but is fully dedicated to her work and has leadership. Since I started my career early in my teens, I have gone through ups and downs over the years,” she said.
IU in a scene from the film "Dream" / Courtesy of Plus M Entertainment
IU said the major challenge was to let go of her ego and improve the on-screen chemistry with her co-stars.
“I realized that in comedy films, the dynamic of distinctly different people coming together is the key. The strong chemistry was crucial to how well it plays with an audience,” she said.
“Director Lee wanted me to speak faster than I normally do and do hand gestures while talking. His film set was all about efficiency. Sometimes, we would finish our daily shooting before lunchtime.”
The singer-actress explained how portraying lighthearted roles affects her mood. “I'm currently filming the TV series 'You Have Done Well,' where I also play a fun character. I tend to be in a good mood and think positively when I play cheerful characters.” she said.
Lately, IU has been thinking about a story that follows bad people falling in halfhearted love.
“Instead of depicting a common love story, I want to tell an unusual, weird romance where the characters betray each other but they don't feel any guilt because they were never really in love,” she said.
“Dream” will hit local theaters, April 26.