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| ▲ This photo, provided by Studio Bill, shows Korean actress Shim Eun-kyung. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- Shim Eun-kyung is regarded as one of the most unique actors in the film industry today.
Having built a strong resume as a child actor in dramas such as "Jewel in the Palace (2003)," "Hwang Jin Yi (2006)," and "The Legend (2007)," she solidified her status as a successful box-office star with films like "Sunny (2011)," "Masquerade (2012)" and "Miss Granny (2014)."
In 2018, she made an unexpected move to Japan, taking on the role of a Japanese reporter in the film "The Journalist," for which she became the first non-Japanese actress to win the Best Actress award at the Japan Academy Awards. Since then, she has continued to work primarily in Japan, appearing in films such as "Blue Hour (2020)," "A Garden of Camellias (2021)," and "7 Secretaries (2022)."
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| ▲ This still photo of film "The Killers," provided by Studio Bill, shows Korean actress Shim Eun-kyung. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
For her first Korean film in six years, Shim once again took on a challenge. In the low-budget anthology film The Killers, she played six different roles.
"As an actor, I had a great desire to try new genres. The fact that I could experience all of this at once was thrilling. It was my first time doing something I truly wanted as an adult," Shim shared during an interview on the 21st at a café in Jongno, Seoul, as she reflected on filming The Killers.
The Killers is a collection of short films directed by six directors, including Lee Myung-se, Jang Hang-jun, Noh Deok, Kim Jong-kwan, Yoon Yoo-kyung, and Jo Sung-hwan, inspired by Ernest Hemingway's The Killers. Shim explained that she accepted Director Lee's offer immediately. "I said 'yes' right away because I respect him so much," she said. "I focused on making each of the six characters appear distinct in my performance."
Initially, Shim was only cast in Lee Myung-se's silent film, but as the other directors also expressed interest in her, she ended up appearing in all of the shorts, playing roles like a vampire, a woman kidnapped by killers, a teen star, and a psychic.
Of all the experiences, she recalled that working on Lee’s film completely changed her approach to acting. "Before, I wouldn't read the script out loud or practice too much because I wanted to capture a raw feeling. But I had doubts about whether this was really the right method. Then, I met this project. During the week-long rehearsals with Director Lee, I realized 'practice is the only way.' Even after 20 years of acting, it was a revelation," she said.
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| ▲ This still photo of film "The Killers," provided by Studio Bill, shows Korean actress Shim Eun-kyung (C). (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Shim shared that during her time as a child actor, she would read her scripts until they were worn out, including the one for Hwang Jin Yi, which she filmed at age 12 and still keeps to this day.
"People used to call me a genius, and I thought I really was something," she confessed. "I thought I was doing well and that I would always do well. But that belief always held me back. I was only dreaming of being the best. At one point, I even wondered if I was just bad at acting and fell into despair. Through this project, I realized that because I lack natural strengths, I have to keep practicing to express myself even a little, to take even one step forward."
When she first entered the Japanese market, Shim worked tirelessly to overcome the language barrier, memorizing the Japanese script and studying it by comparing it with its Korean translation. Although she was often confused by the differences in film production environments between Korea and Japan, she embraced the challenge. "I thought, let's just dive in and experience it myself," she said.
"Whether it's a Korean or Japanese project, I always end up learning and growing from each experience. I'm not a planner; I just go with the flow, haha. It's the same with choosing projects. If there's a good project in Korea, I'll definitely do it, and I have no intention of turning down offers from Japan or other countries either. I'll just keep acting without setting any limits."
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