Elle: You finished your first drama as the lead, ‘Dating Agency; Cyrano’. I was honestly surprised at your acting that didn’t hint at you being an idol.
Sooyoung: I wasn’t expecting to hear people tell me that I did well at all. Because I ran into a lot of limitations while filming.

Elle: I think it’d be difficult for an idol to not act pretty.
Sooyoung: Last year, I took the role of a patient with a brain tumor in my first drama, ‘The Third Hospital’. I was a bit disappointed at first when I had to wear a patient’s gown and didn’t get to wear a lot of makeup. But after meeting actual patients who were fighting an illness, I felt pathetic thinking like that. I think throwing out wanting to look pretty made my acting a bit more natural. Still, I got surprised watching TV. Because I came out looking so ugly. (laughs)

Elle: I’m aware that you prepared for a long time to become an actress.
Sooyoung: What I’ve wanted to do from the start is act. When my future was opaque during my trainee days, I tried out for a lot of auditions in order to go down the road of an actress. While I got far away from that [road] through official activities as a singer through Girls’ Generation, I always treasured my dream of acting. While watching my other members find their own domains one by one, I waited for my chance. I received lots of scripts, and there were a few works where I was a strong candidate for the cast, but they all weren’t meant to be.

Elle: You must have sharpened your ‘sword’.
Sooyoung: When I was a trainee, I failed so many auditions that I’m trained in letting go of what isn’t ‘mine’. Of course, there was a time when I sharpened my sword. I don’t know what work I was expecting, but whatever falls in my plate, I was going to do it properly. But it’s fair that I wasn’t the target for casts. Whether it’s a producer or director, they must think a lot before assigning roles to actors. How much of a risk would it be casting me, who doesn’t have any experience. So I’m really grateful for those who trusted me and gave me a chance.

Elle: There are people who think it was a position you gained easily because you’re in ‘Girls’ Generation’.
Sooyoung: That’s true. I think that the negative views on idol actors is something I have to endure. If I started alone, they are opportunities that might not have even come to me. Both dramas didn’t necessarily have high ratings, but on the one hand, I feel more at ease because of that. Either way, it’s true that I am gaining more opportunities because I am [a member of] Girls’ Generation. But I don’t feel sad or get stressed out because of it, and instead try to work hard with a happy state of mind. The other members probably think the same thing.

Elle: You acted out a bright and cheerful young lady both times. Is there a kind of role you want to attempt?
Sooyoung: I want to act out a definite character. A girl you could find near you, ordinary, but is self-centered. Not a character who is openly evil, but someone who makes self-centered choices when it comes to work or certain situations. For instance, like the role Kim Minjung unnie played in the drama ‘New Heart’?


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