Actress Bae Doona shared stories about the film "Virus."

On the 30th, an interview with Bae Doona regarding the film "Virus" took place at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul.

The film "Virus" (directed by Kang Yi-kwan, distributed by Baipoem Studio Co., Ltd., produced by The Lamp Co., Ltd.) is based on the original novel "Youth Extreme," telling the story of 'Taek-seon,' who becomes infected with a 100% fatal virus that makes people fall in love for no reason, alongside single researcher 'Soo-pil' (played by Son Suk-ku), an old classmate 'Yeon-woo' (played by Jang Ki-ha), and the only expert capable of creating a cure, 'Lee-kyun' (played by Kim Yoon-seok).

Bae Doona, who passionately portrayed 'Ok Taek-seon' in the film, remarked about her participation, "It was so much fun. At that time, I had a yearning for a bright role, and it was fulfilled with this. I had the time, and wanted to do something bright, so I made a 'family plan.' Sometimes, I want to shake off something heavy. It was around the time when I was filming 'Kingdom' or 'Dohee-ya,' and it made my heart heavy. So I had a great time. It was fun," she said.

Regarding her choice of the project, she confessed, "Honestly, working with senior Kim Yoon-seok was a huge charm for me. I had never collaborated with him in my 20 years of acting, so there was a sense of urgency that this was my chance." She further mentioned about her first experience with Kim Yoon-seok, "It was wonderful. The first time I imagined working with him was during the film 'Dark Figure of Crime.' He had many interactions with Jo Ji-hoon in that film, and while I know Ji-hoon, I felt very comfortable with him. Actors know it, but the atmosphere created by the co-actor allows better performances. At that time, I became curious about Yoon-seok's acting and wanted to interact with him further." She added, "Also, the idea that falling in love is like being infected with a virus resonated with me. Isn’t love like a fever? I found it cute. I loved the bright, kind, hopeful, and fairy-tale-like feel of modern people, which attracted me greatly."

"Virus" was completed before the COVID-19 pandemic, but its release was somewhat delayed due to the pandemic. Regarding this, Bae Doona shared, "This was a film we shot before the pandemic, and my imagination wondered why it resembles our movie? It can be transmitted through breathing. Of course, the severity is somewhat different. At first, it was absurd, but later became sad. There were so many victims, and it was so serious that the whole world had such difficult years that it came to a halt."

However, in response to the question, "After a long delay, was it refreshing to see the release?" he replied, "Rather than being refreshing, I forgot it. It felt like watching a work I had never seen before. I was really nervous because honestly, I don't remember well. Regarding shooting episodes, I would feel while watching the film, 'Was there a scene like this?' What I felt was, 'I am so youthful and young.' 'I seem young, great,'" he laughed. He added, "It felt very awkward seeing the actors after such a long time. It felt like we met in a past life."

He also spoke about the character. Bae Doona said, "I don't know about other actors, but I am heavily influenced by makeup and costumes. Depending on what clothes and makeup I put on, my immersion changes significantly. Wearing a glamorous dress makes me feel incredibly happy and comfortable while acting. The pink protective suit was hot and tough, but it had that effect. I reflected, 'I’ve acted in that style a lot in my early 20s. I have that side too.' Doesn’t everyone? While socializing, one can’t always show their true self to comfortable people. There’s a bit of a childish side. I don't think a person has only one side. So, certain parts of Taek-seon did not manifest a side completely absent from me."

She shared her chemistry with co-stars. Regarding her connection with Son Suk-ku, she said, "Since ‘Sense8,’ this is about our fourth project together. We have matched our breaths so well, and it was very fun filming. The scenes start with him from the blind date and that night. Senior Kim Hee-won shared a fun story during the press conference that those scenes feel like ‘confession attacks.’ Similarly for Taek-seon and Soo-pil, from the victim’s perspective, it even felt like a 'confession attack.' It seemed like a very fitting description. We filmed it enjoyably," she said.

She also reflected on her experience with Kim Yoon-seok, saying, "It was comfortable. There were various moments, but creating scenes is essential for making the film; the senior was the trunk of the tree, while I felt like the branches. So I could trust and play. I don't distinctly remember where we shot impressively, but generally, we went in somewhat more amusing directions than the opening lines. Instead of ad-libs, it went in slightly more entertaining directions with the same meaning. Also, since much was edited, a memorable scene of mine got cut. There is a scene between Lee-kyun and me talking on a bench in the latter half. It's a little inserted now, but it originally was a long scene. It was a part where we shared our childhood dreams and had a heartfelt conversation."

Bae Doona's convictions also came to light. When asked about the pressure surrounding the changing promotional trends, she replied, "I think it’s not a problem if I come out for promotions once every 6 months to a year. However, I feel we should be careful about posting daily on social media, doing vlogs once a week, and openly sharing everything about my home. I might play a character living in a rooftop room, in a wealthy home, or even someone in prison; I'm concerned that people might think, 'No, Bae Doona wouldn't live in a place like that.' At some point, as I age, I tend to restrain myself from posting the photos I want for the audience. I’d like to share, and I want to tell and show, but then everyone sees it. My data keeps piling up, and that's a bit concerning. I think I need to be careful about my private life to increase my acting lifespan," she mentioned.

Furthermore, she reflected, "Recently, I find it enjoyable watching romances. I feel that it’s influenced a lot by society or news. In times when I feel sad or not great, I want to watch romances, or stories about someone’s life, and in that regard, ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ was great. Rather than a grand message, I find it healing to show people’s lives," she noted. "So, while in the past, I was interested in works that had social messages or were sci-fi/fantasy, now I want to see more stories about human emotions. Thus, there are works that I feel drawn to spontaneously, and it seems I’m influenced by current trends."

Regarding her choice of future projects, she elaborated, "I’ve become more cautious recently. When I was doing multiple works, it sometimes happened that I ended up working more. Like with ‘Stranger.’ However, I haven't done that many projects. These days, I’m trying to select more carefully. Since there aren’t many films, I’m being more careful. I’m currently still selecting carefully."

Lastly, Bae Doona said, "The general public feedback for 'Virus' has been very positive. I wondered how it would be perceived. While we found it enjoyable, the genre leans a bit towards black comedy. I thought, 'Would this be okay?' But I feel like in films like 'Family Plan,' the audiences enjoy absurd codes. Plus, since it’s spring now, if anyone wishes to catch a fresh film, I’d love for you to come and see it."

Meanwhile, the film "Virus" will be available in theaters on May 7.

[Photo] Provided by Baipoem Studio Co., Ltd.

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