To be cool, there were not many in the industry that recognized Suzy as an “actress.” The title of “star” or “icon” was more appropriate for her than “actress”.
Suzy made her acting debut with the KBS drama “Dream High’” in 2011, which means it has been well over 10 years since she started acting. The following year, the movie “Architecture 101” became a huge hit and gave her the title “the Nation’s First Love,” but in later activities, many started t doubt her acting skill.
Some say that the standards of an actress may have been too harsh on her because she was a former idol. However, considering that she received a good opportunity faster than others because she is a popular idol, such harsh standards are inevitable.
Coupang Play ‘Anna‘ is a work that will be recorded as a turning point in Suzy’s acting activities as she is receiving favorable reviews from the public for her acting skills that exceeded expectations.
The series was filmed about one to two years after the movie “Baekdusan” (2019) and the drama “Startup” (2020). What has happened to Suzy?
◆ “I feel sorry for Yumi’s harsh life.”
Suzy, who received favorable reviews for her acting right from the first and second episodes, said, “I feel good and encouraged because I am not used to compliments.” Since she stepped into stardom as a singer, the criticism she has been receiving from her acting activities must have been painful. However, she still smiled brightly throughout the interview and showed self-confidence when talking about her work and character.
Suzy said she was attracted to Anna from the moment she read the script.
“I felt sorry for her and thought her life was so harsh. While reading the script, I felt a lot of subtle emotions, and I thought, “What did she do that stirs up such sympathy for her inside of me?” At the same time, I felt the urge to play this character. For some reason, I had vague confidence and I got greedy to show a new side of myself. Of course, I felt a lot of pressure and anxiety, but I decided to appear with the thought of “Let’s make a decision first. We can just make a result later.”
Suzy said, “I tried to agree with Yumi’s psychological state while analyzing the script,” adding, “Whenever the filming began, I would start talking and acting as Yumi,” describing how she naturally become one with her character.
◆ Improved vocalization and pronunciation…”Staying close to my original voice”
In this work, vocalization and pronunciation were noticeable improvements in Suzy. Although she has an attractive voice with a mid-to-low-pitched voice, it was also a problem that was pointed out every time she acted because of her vocalization. However, it is different in this work. As the basic problem is solved, her acting skills began to show.
“I thought about my tone, but I didn’t think it would be right to make it up too much. Originally, I thought I should make it close to my original voice. However, when I acted as the younger Yumi who was in high school, I tried to act a little lively according to her age, and when I was Anna, I tried to make my voice a little more unnatural. I even discussed my tone and vocalization with the director, but I didn’t try to pay too much attention to that.”
◆ Suzy’s expressions that have never been seen before…Freedom in front of the camera
Another thing that improved very much in terms of acting was her expression. Although she has played numerous characters on stage and in front of the camera, Suzy’s expressions in “Anna” were different from those we are familiar with. She showed various expressions of her inner self, for example, her confused and shocked expression from the betrayal of her first love, her regret when facing her father’s death, and her anxiety in front of Hyun-joo after her identity was discovered.
Why Suzy’s emotional acting has became so natural? A prominent change is that she has found her freedom from the camera. As singer, she has no choice but to be conscious of the camera on the broadcast stage. However, for an actress, the camera should be a non-existent object, and not an object to face. You have to express your character’s feelings only through your bond with your acting partner, facing the space where they are sitting. Unlike Suzy in the past, Suzy in “Anna” looked free from the camera.
When talking about this opinion, Suzy said, “Is that so? Well…Originally, I tend to enjoy the atmosphere of the filming site. But this time, it was a little different because I tried not to care about the atmosphere of the set. I thought I’d just focus on myself. Thanks to that, I think I was able to clearly immerse myself in Yumi.”
◆ “It’s been a long time since I set a goal”
When asked if there was anything she could relate to Anna’s character, Suzy said, “At first, I felt like she was a person who needed understanding, and I thought she was far from me. Come to think of it, Anna is a person who wants to show people what she has. Actually, I thought we were all like that. There’s only a difference in our limitations. In that respect, Anna and I do have a point where I could sympathize. That’s how I tried to understand Anna.”
The ending of Yumi and Anna’s story is now only two episodes away.
Source: Daum
