Actress Choo So-jeong noted that she is getting to know herself better in order to become an actress.
Choo So-jeong had a wrap-up interview for the tvN drama "Divorce Insurance" (written by Lee Tae-yun, directed by Lee Wo-seok and Choi Bo-kyung) at the OSEN headquarters in Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul on Dec. 2.
"Divorce Insurance" is a pure guarantee-type office romantic comedy that takes place in an insurance company's innovative product development team, which presents a divorce insurance product to tackle the hottest disaster of the era: divorce. Premiering on March 31, "Divorce Insurance" received much love for its unique material and the ensemble of actors and concluded its 12-episode run on Dec. 6.
Choo So-jeong passionately portrayed the character Jo Ah-young, an adjuster who determines the amount of damage in insurance claims and pays out insurance benefits at Plus Insurance. Jo Ah-young is the only single and non-marriage advocate in the innovative product development team led by No Gi-jun (Lee Dong-wook) and presents a unique perspective. Choo So-jeong captured both her character's loveliness and spirited personality, while also depicting her character's gradually wavering heart upon receiving warm comfort from Park Woong-sik (Yoo Hyun-soo) through fleeting glances and changes in expression, completing a three-dimensional character.
First, Choo So-jeong talked about her character Jo Ah-young in "Divorce Insurance," saying, "When I read the script, I found the material of 'Divorce Insurance' itself to be very unique and interesting. I thought the character Jo Ah-young was very lively and attractive. Given that she is set as the youngest, a member of the MZ generation, I felt that it might be a character I couldn't portray if it weren't for my current age. I wasn't very young anymore, so I wanted to play a character that had both charm and confidence, and Jo Ah-young fits that, so I had a desire to take this role."
Choo So-jeong discussed the similarities and differences between herself and Jo Ah-young, stating, "A similarity is that I am sociable and enjoy company dinners. Nowadays, younger members often dislike such gatherings, but Jo Ah-young is not like that. I think her active style of suggesting going out for a second round is similar to me. As for differences, I find that I am not as clear in expressing my thoughts and feelings as Jo Ah-young is, and I often hesitate."
When it comes to portraying aspects of her character that differ from herself, Choo So-jeong said, "I think I began by really reading the script and always posed questions about what the character was saying and thinking. By pondering 'Why would she say this?' and 'Why does she think this way?' I could come up with a structure of the character I was imagining. Although I sometimes seek advice from the director, writer, and seniors, ultimately, it's my character, and I have to portray it and understand it, so I tend to have many conversations with the character myself. I think experience is important for acting. For instance, I've been a trainee from a young age, so compared to peers, I don't have as much social experience, so I try to gain as much indirect experience as possible. Therefore, I watch a lot of documentaries and enjoy reading books to expand my worldview when looking at a script as an actress."
Choo So-jeong mentioned, "I usually try to experience various things, but when I seriously thought about acting, the most I felt was that to become a good actress, I really need to know myself clearly. This is because, when auditioning or meeting, while the acting aspect is important, I believe the people opposite me want to see who I am. If I don't know myself, I think it becomes less appealing. So, I thought I needed to work on knowing myself, and I spent a lot of alone time. I also attended many gatherings; notably, there is a very old bookstore in my neighborhood that holds a reading group once a month on a first-come, first-served basis. After applying first for several months, the owner eventually contacted me. At the gatherings, I sat with strangers at a table, discussed the books, and shared personal stories. The synergy gained from exchanging one's beliefs and philosophies was incredibly significant. These experiences have definitely helped. While acting classes are important, I think the first step is to work on knowing myself and cultivating a perspective that allows me to deeply observe people, thus broadening my view. I believe I am still going through that process."
So how well does Choo So-jeong believe she has come to know herself? They said, "If I were to put it in percentages, I think I know about 60%. Having started as a trainee and then transitioning to singing, I haven't lived a life that embraces my preferences but rather one that could be seen as somewhat passive. I haven’t had the chance to reflect on myself or discover what I enjoy. Honestly, it might even be less than 60%, but starting from the little things, such as what I like, I feel I’ve become somewhat closer to myself."
<Continued in Interview③.>
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