[Herald Interview] Kim Hee-ae says she can take on 'relaxed' acting

Veteran actor Kim Hee-ae expressed her desire to pursue more "relaxed and comfortable roles," despite her widespread acclaim for portraying charismatic women in popular works such as "The World of the Married" (2020) and "Queenmaker" (2023).

"The Whirlwind" is a 12-episode series that follows the story of Park Dong-ho (played by Sul Kyung-gu), a prime minister who kills the president, believing him to be corrupt.

As Park seeks to ascend to power after the president's death, Finance Minister Jung Soo-jin (played by Kim Hee-ae) tries to thwart his plans and become president herself.

Since its release, "The Whirlwind" has sparked debate among audiences on whether the series was depicting characters inspired by real Korean politicians or not -- with the series portraying a president dying by suicide by jumping off a cliff, as well as a number of politicians who rose to power after starting their careers in the National University Student Representative Council.

Regarding such issues, Kim clarified "The Whirlwind" does not make reference to any real person or events.

Instead, Kim said the political elements in "The Whirlwind" serve as ingredients to produce a well-made content.

"(Politics) is just the subject matter, just the raw materials serving as ingredients to create food, which is determined by how an actor performs, how the direction is done, and how the editing is handled," said Kim, during an interview held with reporters on Wednesday.

Kim has built a reputation for playing charismatic and intelligent characters in a number of hit dramas. In the Netflix original "Queenmaker," Kim portrayed a political adviser determined to elevate a lawyer to the position of Seoul mayor, while in the JTBC mega-hit romance series "The World of the Married," she played a successful doctor aiming to expose her unfaithful husband.

But Kim expressed a desire to take on a role that breaks away from her previous characters.

"It's not that I purposely choose works with political themes or strong-willed characters. I can also play relaxed and passive characters, who are completely different from the roles I've portrayed so far," said Kim.

"It seems directors have forgotten that I can do relaxed, routine acting well. I want to show them I can do (that) well," Kim laughed.

Unlike Kim, who has appeared in multiple series, Sul is in his first major role in a series with "The Whirlwind," despite his 38-year career as an actor known for popular Korean films such as "Silmido" (2003), "Tidal Wave" (2009), and "The Merciless" (2017).

Sul said that he had a psychological barrier toward filming a series before working on "The Whirlwind."

"I had said that I would appear in a series if the script was good, but I think there was always a certain 'barrier' (in my mind). (With 'The Whirlwind'), that barrier has been broken," said Sul, during an interview held on the same day.

Sul said Kim played a large role in helping him take on a new challenge.

"Even after realizing that the script was written by a famous screenwriter, I was still torn over whether to do it, but Kim pushed me hard, and I decided to participate," he said.

"The Whirlwind" is written by Park Kyung-su, who won the best screenplay awards at the Baeksang Arts Awards for his hit crime series "The Chaser" (2012) and "Punch" (2014).

After "The Whirlwind," Sul said he feels incapable of playing a role like Park Dong-ho ever again.

"After dedicating 30 or 40 years to one profession, one would expect to become a master. However, when acting, it often feels like instead of gaining new (skills), I feel like I am losing one of my weapons. Each new project prompts me to think, 'What new approach must I bring this time?'" said Sul.

"After portraying Park Dong-ho, I feel I may never tackle similar roles again in the future. For me, acting feels like losing a tool and a challenge that can't be solved," said Sul.