[Herald Interview] Jeon lauds color director brings to tale of broken promise

It was the fear of repeating her performance in “The Shameless (2015)” that led veteran star Jeon Do-yeon to think twice before teaming up again with director Oh Seung-uk for her latest noir “Revolver.”

The actress had promised him to do the film, so she pressed on, constantly reminding herself of creative ways to play the new character who, Jeon says, is ironically identified by the notion of promise.

“So I pushed hard against projecting emotions, being as understated as I could be, to the point where it got me worried about an overly dry production,” Jeon said in an interview with a group of reporters Monday.

The noir follows Ha Soo-young (Jeon), a relentless ex-cop just out of prison, determined to see a broken promise righted and be compensated for the fall she took for corrupt colleagues.

“It’s the acting and directing that enriched what could have been pretty simple and straightforward storytelling,” the actress said. “I was largely expressionless throughout filmmaking or so I thought. But the final cut we all reviewed looked more colored with nuances to the story.”

Jeon attributed such a colorful portrayal of Ha to her interactions with the characters around her. One of whom is Lee Jung-jae, the star of the Netflix phenomenon “Squid Game.” Directing was masterful, Jeon added. She said she felt a “moment of catharsis” when director Oh said he had found a “new face” of hers that had stayed hidden.

Jeon, a known perfectionist, noted she always puts faith in directors when it comes to filmmaking. “Because I’m not as versed in the production know-how as the directors are, I don’t put myself in the driver’s seat.”

Jeon said she is serious about being ready to work with younger directors. Taking the initiative to reach out to them is a recurring thought, she added.

Jeon spoke of finding inner peace as she grapples with seeking the “right path” forward, sometimes an illusion and especially so if one believes in “one best way.”

“Often, I see a road where there had appeared to be none. Sure, it takes time to see that but let’s call it a detour, a break that’s refreshing,” Jeon said.