Posted by MoonSoshi9 on June 21st, 2012 Views: 1388
Yuri is featured in the July issue of “Harper’s Bazaar” magazine,
and she took part in a photo shoot as well as an interview where she
talked about becoming an actress.
Right before the camera flash was about to go off, I told Kwon Yuri
that I wanted to shoot “her as an actress”. However, a girl who moved as
one amongst nine members on stage, who carried the “acting-idol” label,
worried about whether she’d be strong enough to stand alone. Throughout
the
shoot, she repeated, “I’m not [a] Girls’ Generation [member]. I’m
an actress,” like a spell, making me choke up. This lady with peculiar
eyes went to and from, being provocative yet dull, to reaching
dangerously alluring extremes. But once the camera would stop, she would
giggle and return to being a girl. “Photo shoots are one of my favorite
schedules. There are times where freckles are visible, or moments where
I make awkward, not-so-pretty facial expressions, and that’s fun.”
Watching her laugh at her own “embarrassing cut” where her eyes were
half open made me think of her as a person who is not afraid of being
broken down or failing.
It would not have been an easy decision of going from Girls’
Generation’s “Yuri” to actress “Kwon Yuri” to play a main role from the
get-go in the drama, “Fashion King”. Numerous idols have taken their
chance at acting, leading to the creation of idol-centered dramas. This
meant that Yuri would have to stand on the two-sided criterion. Being a
familiar face in an unfamiliar position, the general public’s criticism
is a lot sharper and harsher. She’s also at the center of the idol wave
and a member of Girls’ Generation, who has been going around the world,
so what more would you expect. “I think it would have been easier if I
didn’t know anything. Either way, I’m a singer, so I’m used to the
stage, how the staff treats me, and cameras. The drama set wasn’t
entirely unfamiliar, but it wasn’t necessarily a familiar place either.
It was also burdensome because of the expectations people had with
Girls’ Generation’s name. It was hard dropping all of that, but that’s
actually the right thing to do.” These were probably very difficult
first steps for her as she started with ignorance, without any courage
or strong experiences. It was probably easier to get the chance to
appear in the drama compared to rookie actors, but the barrier that
needs to be passed as a real “actress” is a lot higher. “I’ve wanted to
act before debuting as a singer. That’s a reason why I chose theater as
my major. Because it’s something that I’ve wanted to do for so long, it
was like I was missing it more than actually getting to it. I was upset
when I couldn’t express things as well as I thought. Due to the nature
of the work and because there wasn’t enough time, before I would be able
to think about my character, I would have to deal with primary things,
like memorizing my lines quickly, and shoot right away. I wasn’t used to
that type of environment and things didn’t go how I planned, so I was
sad.” Every word, pronounced clearly with her expressions showed just
how much she wanted and thought about this work, and the weight of that
time could all be felt.
By being active early on with the other Girls’ Generation members,
she was always able to experience the enjoyment and helpfulness working
with her colleagues. Her communication with the other actors of “Fashion
King” played a huge part in her being able to cry and laugh as Choi
Anna, even in this unfamiliar atmosphere. Rather than putting forth the
instinctive act of trying to stand out amongst the other actors, she
looked for advice from seniors who were both around the same age and
younger than herself and would ask questions without any hesitation if
she did not know or was not sure of something. “It would have been a lot
easier if they were seniors who are a lot older than me, but it was
more difficult because we were around the same age. Still, once I
approached them first, they helped a lot more enthusiastically. I was
curious about whether it was right for me to honestly realize the
feelings that I feel, or if I was to act skillfully. When I asked, (Yoo)
Ah-in oppa said he feels pleasure in expressing his inner feelings and
that it is relieving, you know, like the characters that Ah-in oppa
acted all came off as being honest and independent.”
Like Kwon Yuri said, she might not have been able to perfect her
script from beginning to end. However, she is a girl that knows what
she’s doing right now, what she wants, and, even when wandering, she
knows how to take in any confusion and drop it again. “Ha Jungwoo oppa
is my school senior. He told me, rather than hoping for advice or
thinking of gaining something right away, to just think of it all as the
steps of learning. He said that finishing this one drama alone is a
great experience and study for me, so to just enjoy that breath. I could
really understand what he meant once [the drama] was over.”
Of course, at the beginning, she just wanted to analyze her
character. “I tried to dig up her habits and personality in detail. Once
I started making up Choi Anna, rather than becoming that person, I kept
making things up, speaking in a fake tone, making fake hand gestures
and looks, and it made me think of other things. Before expressing sad
feelings, I would keep telling myself that I’m sad and hypnotized
myself.” After worrying with colleagues and by herself, she ended up
starting to find similarities between Choi Anna and herself. While the
character of Choi Anna in the drama put her miserable past behind her
with a desire to succeed, she was also like other women of this
generation who want to do things that they’re assigned and don’t give
in, even after being abandoned by love. Not only was she imitating the
surface “city girl” image, but she started anew by understanding and
sympathyzing with the character’s history. “Girls’ Generation’s Yuri has
always had a bright, optimistic image, but the person Kwon Yuri
actually likes spending time alone and is an ordinary person who has
worries and works hard. During my long trainee period, I felt this
wasn’t the right path for me and that the day would repeat tomorrow. But
if the next day works out, I would think of it as my responsibility and
start running towards [my dream] again. Choi Anna is like that, too.
Even after being abandoned by love, she gets up the next day, and it’s
the same way when failing at work.”
Unlike how singers who “transform” into singers usually continue on
with a similar image, her choice was bold and daring. If her trademark
was her healthy, frank laughter, it would have been easy for her to take
on a bright, cheerful character. So why did she choose a flashy, yet
depressed Choi Anna as her first role? “There are probably a lot of
reasons, but I wanted to separate Girls’ Generation’s Yuri from actress
Kwon Yuri. Rather than showing a character ‘like me’, I guess I wanted
to show a different image. I wanted to show a side of me, out of the
many others within me, for the first time. My first proposition was ‘I
hope they aren’t reminded of ‘Girls’ Generation’.” Either way, during
the entire time I watched “Fashion King”, I was not able to see Girls’
Generation’s Yuri anywhere in Choi Anna. From the way she walked putting
weight on her toes, her bold, coy expressions and way of speaking, the
way she would shake trying not to cry to guard what was left of her
pride, and even in scenes where she would swallow sedatives after losing
her love, it was difficult imagining the lively, cheerful “Yuri” that
is seen on stage. After listening to my words closely, she said she
accomplished her primary goal and added this in her unique way of
talking as if she is singing, “Still, next time, I hope I can play a
role that is a little brighter, smiles well, shows aegyo, and is loved.
No questions asked!”
Kwon Yuri is brave. No matter what question I throw at her, she
doesn’t distort it. She knows how to reply to sensitive topics brightly
and is aware of her good and bad characteristics and doesn’t try to hide
it. She showed off her lucid, fresh confidence as is on the set. She
would make pleasant jokes and would come to the photographer and
suddenly say, “I think we have similar taste!” Her life force is due to
her having a healthy body and mind. “A healthy person is prettiest. It’s
the reason why I exercise, spend time alone, and go on trips. Your body
and mind are all connected, so if your heart is strong, it will
naturally be shown on the outside. I think time alone apart from work is
something that’s needed. On days I have off, I just play. I do yoga,
swim, and have started to learn martial arts recently. Horseback riding,
boxing, kickboxing, and fencing, I do it all (laughs).” With all the
things she does, I think we might be able to see Kwon Yuri being active
in many more different genres.
Separating life and work accurately, and going to and from both
things flexibly, her healthy lifetsyle is shown through her face. Once
all that time is gathered, the distinct characteristics create the
person’s face, way of speaking, and gestures, and that person’s life and
philosophy become apparent. “When I look at an actor or singer I like,
they don’t just have pretty faces. The traces of life that come from a
person were what made them beautiful. From their general atmosphere to
their choice of words and every minor thing, just that ‘person’ [is
beautiful].” It seemed she was stacking each of those things and making
them ripen. “Before I say what kind of actress I want to become, I want
to become a person that is frank and pure with a healthy energy, a
person with an unpredictable charm who acts accordingly regardless of
what clothes I’m put in. If I become that type of person, naturally I
should be able to become that kind of actress, right?” Some might
compare idols to dolls, but Kwon Yuri is not the case. I imagined an
energetic, innocent 24-year old girl, but at this moment, she is a woman
who is serious about acting and is working hard to unravel this task at
hand. She won’t get nervous. She will leisurely complete her dream, and
we will be lucky to have gained another actress named Kwon Yuri.
Source: Harper’s Bazaar Magazine,
DC Yuri Gallery
Scans by: kwonyuri125.com
Translated by: ch0sshi@soshified
Edited by: MoonSoshi9@soshified
Don't Forget Leave a Coment
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar