Is there a star in South Korea more beloved than IU at this point? She has achieved great success as a singer and has also solidified her position as 'Actress IU' with her acting activities, which have recorded global hits. 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' is a work that proves how talented she is as an actress and how much she is expected to continue to be a promising actress.
On the morning of the 2nd, an interview with the leading actress IU of Netflix's 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' took place at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Grand Ballroom in Jung-gu, Seoul.
The Netflix original series 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' unfolds the adventurous life of Yeosun (played by IU), a 'rebellious teenager' born in Jeju in the 1960s, and Gwan-sik (played by Park Bo-gum), a 'foolish ironman.' It was created in collaboration between writer Lim Sang-chun, who gained love from viewers with her warm stories in works like 'When the Camellia Blooms' and 'Fight for My Way', and director Kim Won-seok, who delivered empathy, comfort, and encouragement through projects such as 'My Mister,' 'Signal,' and 'Misaeng.' The production cost was about 600 billion won, featuring performances by IU, Park Bo-gum, Moon So-ri, Park Hae-jin, Yeom Hye-ran, Oh Jung-se, Kim Sun-ho, Lee Joon-young, and Kang Mal-geum.
Compared to Netflix's previous approach of releasing all episodes simultaneously, the scheduling this time was strikingly different. Beginning with the first act (episodes 1-4) that captures spring on the 7th of last month, a total of 16 episodes were showcased over four weeks, releasing four episodes each week. In the third week after its release, it ascended to the top position in the global TOP 10 series (non-English) category and recorded 6,000,000 viewership (the view time divided by the total running time of the work) after the release of the fourth act, rising to the third position in the global TOP 10 series (non-English), achieving a successful conclusion.
IU played dual roles, portraying the young Yeosun through her teenage years to becoming a wife and parent with Gwan-sik in her 20s, and then to middle-aged Yeosun with her daughter Keum-myung. Notably, the chemistry between IU and Park Bo-gum in the first act received explosive responses, and Keum-myung's performance was brilliant.
This year, in addition to 'When Life Gives You Tangerines', IU is also filming MBC's '21st Century Grand Prince's Wife' (tentative title) alongside the rising star Byeon Woo-seok, showcasing her busy schedule.
Regarding 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' receiving love from all over the world, IU noted, "I am really happy, and I received a lot of supportive texts from people around me. It's nice to see reactions from those I hadn't been in touch with for a long time. It made me realize that a sense of empathy had formed across multiple generations. I felt fulfilled and happy." She added, "This is my first time being in a Netflix original series, and I didn’t really understand the standards for success. As time passed, every time I saw the staff members' faces, they seemed happy, offering congratulatory words or looking satisfied, which led me to feel that 'it's going well.'"
Writer Lim Sang-chun proposed participation before the script was completed, and IU said 'okay' without hesitation, driven by her passionate fandom.
He stated, "Personally, I didn't have a close relationship, so I didn't know well, but one day I received a call. Not long after, I went to the writer's studio for a meeting and received an explanation of the treatment before getting the script. I was so excited (laughing). I told him, 'It's great that you're discussing this, but can I quickly go home and read the script?'" He recalled being so curious about the script that he couldn't focus on the conversation. Even when he heard just the story, it was a heart-pounding subject and narrative. After going home, he quickly read it and conveyed, 'I want to do this! Please let me do this.' Everything progressed smoothly with the writer.
IU, who mentioned her heart raced again hearing 'dual roles,' said, "It was a thrilling mission. It would be a lie to say I had no worries, but I firmly believed in the script. Additionally, when I learned that director Kim Won-seok would be directing, I felt reassured that 'it wouldn’t be a lonely task just for me.' It wouldn’t be true to say it wasn't tough, but it was truly a rewarding work," expressing deep trust in the production team.
'When Life Gives You Tangerines' also received a unique response from her family. "This is the first time my family has shown such a strong reaction to any of my works. I have a large family, including my older sister, brother-in-law, grandmother, and parents." She shared, "My father is quite particular about his tastes; if he doesn’t find it acceptable, he wouldn’t watch until the end, no matter how many family members are in it. It’s fascinating to see even him fully engrossed in it. My mother initially watched wondering if I made any mistakes, but now she’s on her fourth viewing. It seems she resonates with the story as if it's about her. At first, she only noticed the fact that 'Ji-eun is acting,' but during the second viewing, she started crying."
Regarding the comment that 'Keum-myung's actions towards her younger brother resemble how IU treats her younger brother,' IU laughed and said, "I think some of that projection is there. I wanted to make it more enjoyable, and Yoo-seok has an older sister too. We drew on our individual experiences." She added, "My younger brother hasn’t finished watching yet, but he seems to have only seen clips, claiming 'that’s method acting.' He sent me a review saying, 'Your acting has improved a lot.'"
IU's realistic childbirth scene has also attracted attention. She explained, "The script indicated things like skin tone settings and 'broken capillaries.' The makeup team worked very hard to create that. I genuinely enjoy wearing makeup (laughing). When I asked my mom and sister about their childbirth experiences, they said the broken capillaries were quite realistic." She continued, "While filming the childbirth scene, I even looked up videos on YouTube, and there were so many different experiences. Some didn't appear to struggle at all, while others seemed to be in great pain. I tried to find common ground there. The director, who also hadn’t experienced childbirth himself, told me to express the imagined pain I felt when I read the script. So, I aimed to portray the most intense pain I could imagine. It seemed more fitting to express it as 'I feel like I’m going to faint' rather than having a loud voice. The director liked that approach more, so I tried to express it as best as I could, even when I was exhausted."
IU and 'When Life Gives You Tangerines'’s Keum-myung also have similarities. The character setting of being the head and pillar of the family naturally reminds one of IU. She reflected, "I have felt a significant burden because my family’s well-being depended on my success. There were moments when I resonated with Keum-myung in scenes where that pressure erupted. Since I played Yeosun, I thought, 'It’s not that I expect you to support me. I just did what my daughter wanted.'"
Now, having achieved a success that everyone envies and climbed to the position of a top star, IU does not forget her gratitude from the past, and she also makes sure to look after those around her.
She still works with her staff from her debut days and puts effort into managing gift lists for her colleagues and juniors. She gifted premium Korean beef to Park Hae-jin and pine mushrooms to Moon So-ri from 'When Life Gives You Tangerines', and she even visited the memorial of Wheesung, who helped her at the time of her debut, to pay her respects. It’s no easy task.
IU mentioned, "I keep track of meat eaters, vegans, those who drink, and those on health supplements. The number of people I send gifts to keeps increasing every year (laughing). I am meeting more and more grateful connections by recording this. The person managing only the gift list is not someone specific; it would be nice if there were someone like that (laughing). It’s not that difficult either. Since I have already organized it once, I add to the memo and table. Sometimes I think, 'Last year for lunar New Year, I sent honey, so let’s send something else instead,' and I consult with my mom. I check if I'm missing anyone, and my mom reminds me when I forget to express gratitude to someone. She’ll say, 'You thanked that person, right?'"
It turns out that she had been friends with the late Wheesung since her trainee days. IU performed as a guest at Wheesung's concert during her rookie days and has a connection as she also remade Wheesung's 'Rain Drop.'
IU noted, "Wheesung was very complimentary of me since my trainee days. He was in the position of having deep connections with producers and songwriters we both knew." She continued, "He often visited the practice room where I practiced, and each time he came, he listened to the songs of trainees, offered advice, and shared kind words. I still remember being grateful for those experiences."
She added, "In fact, I didn't often contact him or have many conversations, but I have a lot of thankful memories from my rookie days. To be able to perform as a guest at such a senior’s concert implies a significant opportunity. I have a lot of gratitude towards him for that."
Being in a position as a beloved top star sometimes means getting caught up in controversies and rumors contrary to her intentions.
Regarding this, she said, "It would be a lie to say that I've never experienced that, but some people see me better than I actually am compared to my true disposition. I never thought I would receive such great love doing this for so long. Especially when I perform and create works, the feedback is so overwhelming that I feel like I am receiving tremendous love, so I think the love I get far exceeds any rumors."
Earlier, IU garnered attention for prepaying 200 breads, 200 drinks, and 200 bowls of soup for fans attending a rally calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol in December last year. However, some far-right factions posted malicious comments referring to her as 'Liberal IU' (leftist + IU).
IU commented, "It’s not entirely incorrect to say that I’m upset about it, but I haven’t seen any videos or anything. I’ve never thought 'Why is this only happening to me?' I feel like I have to deal with such matters. In a way, it means I am receiving a lot of attention. I sometimes wonder when I became someone who receives such a lot of interest, whether positive or negative." She conveyed a composed attitude, adding, "I generally view it that way. However, if expressions cross a serious line or if there are movements that create significant misunderstandings from a company standpoint, I believe sanctions are always necessary. I don’t usually think, 'Is this just happening to me?'"
IU, known for recording 'mega hits' with each work, is famous for her keen script reading, and her next project will feature her alongside Byeon Woo-seok.
In response to the remark about 'sudden departure rumors,' she said, "I was very surprised to hear about the departure rumors. Just yesterday, I met with the director to discuss the project, and suddenly the rumors came up, making me think, 'Huh? What’s going on?' Having been in the entertainment industry, I thought, 'Is it really true that where there's smoke, there's fire?' The wording in the articles was so convincing that I wondered, 'Was I removed? Did this happen?'" She added, "I think the departure rumors were a misunderstanding, and I believe (Byeon) Woo-seok is not leaving either. We met on set and talked about working well together. We should continue to do well together (laughing). Just yesterday, I met with the director and know Woo-seok is doing well too. While there’s excitement, it’s not without pressure. Yeosun and Keum-myung are very different from each other, so I am feeling a bit nervous, but today I am still Yeosun, and starting tomorrow, I will transition into (the character) Hee-joo in '21st Century Grand Prince's Wife.'"
[Photo] Provided by Netflix
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