 |
Kim Hye-jun (Walt Disney Co. Korea) |
Actor Kim Hye-jun shared the combination of excitement and regret she felt after starring in Disney+’s fantasy-thriller series “Connect.”
“I am certain that I have put my utmost effort into every project that I take part in. But I always recognize what could be improved after monitoring the finished work. It was the same for ‘Connect’ as well,” Kim said in an interview with reporters at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, Monday.
Kim emphasized there is still room for development, referring to her action sequences and performance with computer graphics technologies.
“I am not trying to make an excuse, but I decided to join the series after reading the scripts for the first four episodes. And I was a little surprised to discover that some intense action scenes were waiting for me in the fifth episode,” Kim joked.
Kim thanked the action directors and staff for giving her enough time to train.
“My character Irang is a new being with an extraordinary healing power. I am tougher, stronger and more powerful than ordinary people. While most of the hard-hitting actions performed by female leads focus on techniques and weapons used to defeat strong men, Irang needed to overwhelm her enemies with pure strength. This was a challenging experience,” the actor told The Korea Herald.
 |
Kim Hye-jun plays Irang in "Connect." (Disney+ Hotstar) |
The 27-year-old actor mentioned that the computer-generated image scenes were also interesting in many ways.
“After I was attacked, my wounds regenerated. I had to use my imagination for these scenes. I felt a little strange. In the beginning, there were some awkward moments between me and the staff members after the director’s cut sign,” Kim said with a big smile.
The six-part fantasy thriller “Connect,” adapted from the Naver webtoon of the same title by author Shin Dae-sung, revolves around Han Dong-soo (played by Jung Hae-in), who is kidnapped by organ hunters and loses one of his eyes.
Trying to retrieve his eye, transplanted to a serial killer, Dong-soo meets Irang, who appears to be be the same type of being.
With more untold stories about Irang, Kim shared high hopes for a possible second season.
“Unlike Dong-soo, Irang has ambitions. She believes that she can rule the world with her special power. Irang can be a superhero. But she can still be most evil villain in the entire series. I wish I could continue to explore the stories of Irang in the near future,” Kim told The Korea Herald.
When asked about her experience with veteran Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike, who debuted on Disney+ with a Korean-language drama, Kim said the language was not a problem.
“There was a translator when the actors and the director held meetings to talk about our series. But I felt rather comfortable without the interpreter at the filming site,” Kim said.
She felt that the director and her thoughts were delivered more accurately when they spoke to each other with various body gestures.
“Interestingly, I was able to sense a strange feeling when the director wanted something more from my acting. I think he felt the same way as well,” Kim said.
“Not a lot of Korean actors will have the opportunity to work with such a talented foreign director. I certainly had many things to learn and felt honored to have worked with the filmmaker Takashi Miike,” the actor added.
“Connect,” which premiered Dec. 7, is available on the global streaming service Disney+.
