Gong Hyo Jin 공효진

[melusine]

@ "Himalaya, Where the Wind Dwells" VIP premiere

6/3/09, 8:30pm, CGV Apgujung

Video: mms://vod.cine21.com/cine21.com/movie/making/2009/06/himalaya_vipsisa.wmv [Streaming] [Streaming]

credit: Newsen + Yahoo

With bf Ryu SeungBeom and his brother Director Ryu SeungWan.

[Guest lot_lot]

thank you for sharing all the picture, melusine. HyoJin looks lovely in the candid pictures in Copenhagen, she has great skin without makeup. So sweet that she can walk out with RSB on her side. I love her all her photoshoot pictures.

HyoJin came to Dosan Park in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on May 28th to commemorate the opening of the Marc Jacobs First Flagship Store - AllKpop

source: allKpop

I noticed that HyoJin wore the same dress, which Han Ji Hye wore, for the SotR photoshoot.

[melusine]

^thanks lot_lot

via Newsen / Chosun / Mk.co.kr / Sportsseoul / IB Times / Newsis

I noticed that HyoJin wore the same dress, which Han Ji Hye wore, for the SotR photoshoot.

So did I, heh. [ Han JiHye vs. GHJ@Yonhap photoshoot ]

The shadow plaid patchwork dress that HyoJin is wearing at this event is also the very same one she wore for SotR's Cine21 photoshoot.

Both dresses are from Marc Jacobs' Spring 2009 collection. [1, 2]

I'm aware that most celebs get paid (in cash or clothes, or maybe they're just there for the exposure) to show up at events like these, but HyoJin is really a BIG fan of Marc Jacobs. She almost never misses a fashion show and always wears his stuff.

So sweet that she can walk out with RSB on her side.

They're never overtly affectionate in public (unlike, say, Yoo JiTae and Kim HyoJin), but they do seem well-matched and pretty happy together.^^

[melusine]

Artists and entertainers: Where do they work?

June 6th, 2009 // by javabeans

Revealing the spaces that revitalize the minds of 11 artists

For Cine 21's 14th anniversary, we visited the spaces of 11 artists and creative professionals. We asked them the same question, "Where do you work?" and received unique responses from each person. You can discard the supposition that they are all spaces created primarily for the purpose of working. These artists receive sudden inspirations in unexpected places. Let's knock on the secret doors of these spaces that spur the minds of these artists as they work.

[...]

7. Actress Gong Hyo-jin's grassy lawn

"I wanted to show you the place where I can be introspective." It's a park without walls or ceiling. Gong Hyo-jin's choice wasn't expected from what we know of her thus far. If it was difficult to reveal her home, I'd guessed a nearby Cheongdamdong club or café might have suited her better. "I used to like clothes most in the world, but these days I've come to like nature. It's not something you can buy with money, but something you can see anytime."”

It's a specific place that gives Gong Hyo-jin a sense of comfort, where flowers and grass grow and the sound of birds is audible. She reads, walks, and jogs through Dosan Park, Hankang Park, and Seoul Forest. "As an actor, it's not easy to do anything in a public area. I like places like this, but they are things I can't enjoy in abundance." When she has some time off from not filming, she seeks out the park, day or night. "It's not that this place is filled with something, but a place to empty out. I can walk without thinking anything. It's a place where I can zone out."”

Instead of the refined and strong Gong Hyo-jin we've seen till now, she wants to find a new image that shows the change she's found through this space. "I'd like to reflect this more comfortable, free self, rather than the trendy Gong Hyo-jin, in my future roles. But that definitely doesn't mean I'm not going to go to clubs anymore. [Laughs]"

Read the rest of the (fascinating) feature @ Dramabeans.^^

Original article: Cine21 [작업, 어디서 하세요?]

[Guest mz.LA]

haven't been here in awhile.

the last that i saw of GHJ was prolly in the movie crush & blush (must watch! lol).

she still looks gorgeous (: love her pics at the himalayas premiere (thanks melusine!)

[melusine]

New York Asian Film Festival 2009: June 19 - July 5 at the IFC Center and Japan Society

http://www.subwaycinema.com/

Trailer:

NYAFF Guest List

http://www.subwaycinema.com/index.php?opti...icle&id=171

http://subwaycinemanews.com/archives/408

Kong Hyo-Jin - one of Korea's most popular up-and-coming actresses, and one of the stars of last year's NYAFF film M, Kong Hyo-Jin was already well known before her star turn in CRUSH AND BLUSH rocketed her to the forefront as one of Korea's best and most surprising actresses. She's here to present CRUSH AND BLUSH and DACHIMAWA LEE, in which she plays the female lead.

So Ji-Sub - a massive star of Korean TV dramas, with many awards under his belt, So Ji-Sub has been in a few movies before, but nothing to rival the massive acclaim he received for his cooler-than-thou performance as a gangster in ROUGH CUT, one of Korea's biggest sleeper hits of 2008. He's here with ROUGH CUT, the movie that has suddenly made him a big screen star.

NYAFF Schedule

http://www.subwaycinema.com/index.php?opti...icle&id=160

http://subwaycinemanews.com/archives/412

Wed 6/24

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1:25 CHILDREN OF THE DARK (138)

4:00 IF YOU ARE THE ONE (125)

6:30 ROUGH CUT (114) preceded by Rising Star Asia award presentation with actress Kong Hyo-Jin and actor So Ji-Sub

9:15 CRUSH AND BLUSH (102) with actress Kong Hyo-Jin in attendance

Thu 6/25

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11:00 PLASTIC CITY (92)

1:00 OLD FISH (108)

3:10 MAGAZINE GAP ROAD (89)

5:00 CRUSH AND BLUSH (102) with actress Kong Hyo-Jin in attendance

7:15 BREATHLESS (131)

10:00 HOUSE (88) with video message from director Nobuhiko Obayashi and introduction by super-fans Yoshihiro Nishimura and Noboru Iguchi

Fri 6/26

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11:00 RAINBOW TROOPS (120)

1:15 SNAKES AND EARRINGS (124)

3:40 MSFF Korean Short Films Program #1 (95)

5:30 DACHIMAWA LEE (99) with actress Kong Hyo-Jin in attendance

7:30 VAMPIRE GIRL vs. FRANKENSTEIN GIRL (85) with director Yoshihiro Nishimura and action director Tak Sakaguchi in attendance

9:45 YOROI SAMURAI ZOMBIE (90) with director Tak Sakaguchi in attendance

11:55 (theater 1) Pink Film Double Feature #2 (132): BLIND LOVE and GROPER TRAIN: WEDDING CAPRICCIO with BLIND LOVE director Daisuke Goto in attendance

12:15 (theater 2) HARD REVENGE MILLY (120) with Yoshihiro Nishimura in attendance

Complete list of films: http://www.subwaycinema.com/index.php?opti...icle&id=159

(which includes Antique, Breathless, Crush and Blush, Dachimawa Lee, Dream, Go Go 70s, Rough Cut, Mise En Scene Short Film Festival <MSFF> Short Programs #1 and #2)

News / News / News / News / News / News / News / News / News / News / News / News / News / News

News / News / News / News / News / News / News / News / News / News / PopSeoul / Y-Star|DL

[rubie]

OMO! I just heard about the RISING STAR ASIA award for Hyojin-ssi, how fabulous is that!

CONGRATULATIONS!

You Go Girl!

[Guest lot_lot]

Congratulations, Gong HyoJin sshi, for your achievements!

here are some new pictures of HyoJin modeling PLAC jeans. She looks great.

article

source: cyworld // credit: www.newsen.com

article

source: cyworld // credit: www.newsen.com

article

source: cyworld // credit: www.newsen.com

hey melusine, do you know what the articles say? I'm curious because it talks about HyoJin and Shin MinAh's vacation in Brighton, UK. Thanks!

[melusine]

haven't been here in awhile.

the last that i saw of GHJ was prolly in the movie crush & blush (must watch! lol).

she still looks gorgeous (: love her pics at the himalayas premiere (thanks melusine!)

Welcome back, mz.LA! It's great that she gained some weight, she's looking particularly glowing these days. And I agree, C&B is a must watch.^^

HyoJin looks lovely in the candid pictures in Copenhagen, she has great skin without makeup.

Yeah, it looks like she had fun there. FYI, she won't be going to the Karlovy Vary Int'l Film Festival in July...but MinAh is.

hey melusine, do you know what the articles say?

Nope. My meager Google Translate skills only understood the Brighton/PLAC Jeans part too.

All I know is that HyoJin did the Nylon photoshoot on May 18~21 (and I've been waiting for pics since); had no idea it was in the UK or with MinAh (which is even better!^^ I'm glad the 2 friends got to travel together). Thanks for sharing, lot_lot.

Their photoshoot is featured in Nylon's July issue (with Boa on the cover). I'm sure it'll surface online soon.

[Guest chubbygirl1]

just come by to say HI,

love love Gong Hyo Jin in Thank You, that's when i start to like her. hehe

it's good she gets acknowledgment as an actress.

By the way, she's one fierce fashionistaAA...

[Guest lot_lot]

Yeah, it looks like she had fun there. FYI, she won't be going to the Karlovy Vary Int'l Film Festival in July...but MinAh is.

Nope. My meager Google Translate skills only understood the Brighton/PLAC Jeans part too.

All I know is that HyoJin did the Nylon photoshoot on May 18~21 (and I've been waiting for pics since); had no idea it was in the UK or with MinAh (which is even better!^^ I'm glad the 2 friends got to travel together). Thanks for sharing, lot_lot.

Their photoshoot is featured in Nylon's July issue (with Boa on the cover). I'm sure it'll surface online soon.

http://i41.tinypic.com/1110djc.jpg

here are some pictures posted from the Nylon photoshoot with GyoJin and MinAh. I guess they both did go to Brighton in UK.

melusine, thank you for posting news, on the Sisters thread, regarding the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Does that mean that Boo Ji-young and Mina Shin will be in attendance? What about GyoJin, she is not attending?

source: dcgallinside // credit: Nylon

[melusine]

Nylon article

from sidusHQ:

More scans:

credit: http://blog.naver.com/jm4ever79/130051661169

No hotlinking pls!

[melusine]

Videos via Subway Cinema's YouTube channel

Rising Star Asia Awards:

+

+

Crush and Blush intro:

+

credit as labelled

Rising Stars honored at NYAFF

Kong Hyo-Jin, So Ji-Sub given inaugural awards

By Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter

June 24, 2009, 10:14 PM ET

NEW YORK -- Two of Korea's red-hot up-and-coming film stars, Kong Hyo-Jin and So Ji-Sub, received the inaugural Rising Star Asia Awards as part of the eighth New York Asian Film Festival Wednesday night.

The actress and the actor were in town for the honors at Manhattan's IFC Center.

Kong is featured at the festival this year with "Crush and Blush" and "Dachimawa Lee," while So was in town in support of his movie "Rough Cut" and received his award from Gerry Byrne, senior vp for the Entertainment Group at Nielsen Business Media, of which THR is part.

Long lines of avid fans patiently waited for screenings of the two films later Wednesday evening.

Earlier in the day, Kong and So told THR through translators that they are each currently looking at their next potential projects.

So said "it could be in Korea, it could be Japan, China." He added: "And if the opportunity presents itself in the future, of course, America." So said he particularly enjoys Ed Norton's work.

Kong said she is currently considering several screenplays and expressed an interest in working with Michel Gondry somewhere down the line. She also said she would like to make movies in other countries, pointing out that Korean productions often get made on a shoestring budget. "Crush and Blush," for example, had a budget of less than $1 million.

Both stars expressed the hope that Asian actors would increasingly get opportunities in foreign and international productions to show their true acting talents and not only be pigeonholed into certain movie stereotypes, such as the kung-fu master or geisha. Kong, for example, said with a laugh that she has heard that "as an Asian actress, you have to do martial arts, even though in reality they don't really do that back in Korea." And So said if he got a role in a U.S. movie, he would prefer to play a dramatic or melodramatic role.

The Asian up-and-comers had a busy schedule in New York. "This is my third time here, but all I have seen really is the Empire State Building and Central Park," quipped So.

The Hollywood Reporter is a sponsor of the NYAFF.

Related article: [Screen Daily] New York Asian fest kicks off with world premiere of Written By

Korean Premieres at NY Asian Film Fest

By Nigel D’Sa (KOFIC)

Jun 26 2009

This year’s New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) invites seven Korean features and 10 Korean shorts to its 8th edition, running June 19 – July 5 in Manhattan. Of the seven features, four are North American premieres: RYOO Seung-wan’s Dachimawa Lee, KIM Ki-duk’s Dream, JANG Hoon’s Rough Cut, and MIN Gyoo-dong’s Antique.

The remaining three features are New York premieres and include Rotterdam Tiger winner Breathless by YANG Ik-joon, Go-Go 70s by CHOI Ho and Crush and Blush by LEE Kyoung-mi. From the latter film, award-winning actress KONG Hyo-Jin will be a guest at NYAFF. She and actor SO Ji-Sub (Rough Cut) will be presented with the Inaugural Rising Star Asia Awards, which will take place on the 24 of June.

In the short film category, director Lee Su-Jin is invited for the screening of his short film Enemy’s Apple. The program highlights the best Korean short films from the previous year’s edition of the Mise-en-Scene's Short Film Festival in Seoul. NYAFF will screen 53 feature films from Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Korean Stars Honoured at NYAFF

By David Oxenbridge (KOFIC)

Jul 02 2009

The New York Asian Film Festival which has already screened a host of Korean films has honoured two of Korea’s up and coming actors KONG Hyo-jin and SO Ji-sub. Both actors received the Rising Star Asia Award. Both actors appeared accompanying their films showing at the 8th annual festival.

KONG who won the award because of LEE Kyoung-mi’s Crush and Blush (2008) earlier won The 11th Director's Cut Awards for Best actress in Korea. SO who has been acting for a number of years now appeared in TV drama I am Sorry, I Love You back in 2006 and numerous other TV series since then. He received his award at the NYAFF for Rough Cut, the film written and produced in part by KIM Gi-duk. KONG on the other hand appeared in the thriller M (2007) and as far back as 1999 in the school girl, supernatural thriller Memento Mori.

The NYAFF opened June 19 and will wrap up this Sunday July the 15th.

So Ji-seop, Kong Hyo-jin Receive 'Rising Star' Award

KBS Global

[2009-06-29]

Actor So Ji-seop and actress Kong Hyo-jin received the Rising Star Asia Award at the New York Asian Film Festival on June 24. The awarding ceremony was co-organized by the New York Asian Film Festival and the U.S. film industry magazine Hollywood Reporter at the IFC Center. The event also marked the 30th anniversary of the New York Korean Culture Center. In the photos, So and Kong are shown at a news conference after the award ceremony.

Kong, who became the first recipient of the award, received the Best Leading Actress award in Korea for her role in the movie "Crush And Blush," while So received the New Actor award at the Blue Dragon Festival for his role in the movie "Rough Cut."”

The award ceremony was attended by ethnic Koreans living in the U.S., film industry representatives and journalists from renowned U.S. and Asian media outlets such as Hollywood Reporter. A ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the Korean Culture Center and the Korean Film Night were also held on the sidelines of the event.

Kong said she was honored to become the first to receive an award at a film festival that was dedicated to Asian films and pledged to do her best as an actress. So also extended his gratitude for the award and attributed his feat to the production team and movie fans.

The New York Asian Film Festival, which marks its eighth anniversary this year, will be held through July 5 at the IFC Center and Japan Society. Korean movies to be screened at the festival include "Rough Cut," "Crush And Blush," "Antique" and "Gogo 70." Famous movies from China, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong will also be shown.

The Korean Culture Center will hold a festival of Korean short films on June 26 and 27 to showcase 10 short films that had received awards at the Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival, which is highly regarded in Korea.

[melusine]

So Ji Sub and Gong Hyo Jin at the New York Asian Film Festival

By daysgoby, Seoulbeats

28 June 2009

The New York Asian Film Festival is a yearly event held by Subway Cinema, which programs, coordinates, and exhibits some of the top Asian movies every year by showcasing them in NYC every year. This year, the line up of pan-Asian films include Rough Cut (S. Korea), Crush and Blush (SK), Antique (SK), Ip Man (Hong Kong), Eye in the Sky (HK), Pride (Japan), Be Sure to Share (J), along with many, many others.

The New York Asian Film Festival premieres to North America some of the best Asian cinema yearly and it's a great opportunity to catch movies you would otherwise never find playing in any American theater. On top of showcasing films this year, the NYAFF teamed up with The Hollywood Reporter to give out their first ever "Rising Star of Asia" award to two actors they felt were constantly bringing something new to the table of Asian cinema. The premier awards were given out to So Ji Sub for his role in 2008's Rough Cut, and Gong Hyo Jin for her latest Crush and Blush.”

Seoulbeats was on-site as the two mega-talented stars received their awards, as well as attended a press conference to speak about their future movie plans. Gong Hyo Jin revealed that she would love to work with directors like Michel Gondry and Ang Lee, whereas So Ji Sub mentioned that in the future, if he ever got to work in Hollywood, he would like to stay away from action movies and maybe do more dramas and comedies.

Stay tuned for more coverage from the award presentation and press conference, right here on Seoulbeats!

Video: http://seoulbeats.com/2009/06/so-ji-sub-an...in-award-in-ny/

[melusine]

NYAFF09: Crushing and Blushing with Kong Hyo-Jin

By James Leung, Random Access Information

28 June 2009

NEW YORK, June 25 –

This is the first in a series of blog posts covering the New York Asian Film Festival. The film, Crush and Blush (미쓰 홍당무), was screened at the IFC Center (323 Sixth Avenue).

Crush and Blush is a Korean romantic comedy about a bizarre love pentagon between teachers at a Korean middle school / high school. Kong Hyo-Jin (공효진) plays Yang Mi-sook, a homely school teacher with an obsessive crush on Lee Jong-hyeok (이종혁). The movie is a hilarious comedy of errors with a heart warming story.

Kong Hyo-Jin, the lead actress, introduced the film and provided a short commentary. She spoke briefly about the qualities that attracted her to the role of Mi-sook. She talked about her desire to play the underdog and her efforts to make her character a more sympathetic and lovable figure.

Video:

credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pabo76/3662803280/ <Larger size>

[Guest JoongBoXiahJang]

COngrats to Hyo Jin, I always find her acting very trustworthy and grows on you. I love her in Thank You. One of the best series I ever seen. So touching! looking forward to her future works!@

[melusine]

NYAFF 09: Kong Hyo-Jin Interview

By Charles Webb, Twitch

June 27 2009

One of the feature guests at this year’s edition of the New York Asian Film Festival was Korean actress Kong Hyo-Jin, present to support the one-two punch of her festival-screening films Crush and Blush and Dachimawa Lee. Charles Webb had the chance to sit and talk with her.

[Twitch would like to thank Grady Hendrix of the NYAFF and interpreter Mina Park and of course Ms. Kong for facilitating this interview]

Charles Webb: How are you enjoying New York so far?

Hyo-jin Kong: Good.

CW: Have you actually seen any other films at the festival?

HJK: No. Not yet.

CW: So, how did you come across the role of Mi-Sook?

HJK: First I read the script and the character’s very unique and I really was tormented about whether to do the role because there’s a lot of construction going on for an actress. Her face reddens and it’s not the most attractive of roles. I really wondered for the longest time and met with the director and was tormented. But this poor girl of a character keep creeping and grabbing on to me. She kept saying “Do something with me!”

It really felt like - just like the character in the movie - you don’t want to get close to her but there’s something about her that draws you in. I felt like she was kind of a poor soul and I felt this need to become creative with this role and something about it gave me a creative impulse.

As you know there is a lot of makeup involved in the unattractive instead of in the attractive way and that gave me a little pause. I felt like it was a very charming role that might not come back to me in my lifetime and I thought, “Okay, I’m doing it.”

CW: There seemed to be a lot of character quirks – the way she moved her body, the way she interacted with everyone else. There seemed to be something beyond the makeup, even in the way she spoke and moved. What kind of preparation went into this role?

HJK: In the beginning I felt “What can I do to make this character more appealing, less unattractive?” You know, she’s very unpopular and she actually didn’t have, I felt, a sense of existence. It became about how could I draw her out. But then I realized she did have a sense of existence, it’s just that people ignored her and didn’t want to be around her. The reason for her unattractiveness and unpopularity was very very clear.

So I thought that it was actually more effective that way and that the character was already drawn that way. What helped were the actual circumstances of the shooting. We did a lot of night shoots and the set was… you get tired from the actual circumstances of the shoot. And to have that makeup done and that red face that in itself… there was an instance with the director where she thought I was angry even if I was just sitting there because I had that getup on. People just assumed with the slightest little twitch of my mouth something was wrong. I really feel that redness of the face plays an enormous part in real situations and not just in the movie itself.

So, during that time I did do a lot of frowning and got a lot of wrinkles in my forehead and did a lot of twitching of the mouth. And it became a part of my life, because when I would meet with my friends at that time that would say that I’d developed a very strange expression. They would say that I twitched at the mouth and people started to perceive me very negatively in the sense that I was very negative towards the world. Ultimately, that played on itself and like I said before the whole situation along with the makeup kind of fed upon itself so during this film I became like a very different person.

CW: It sounds like it was kind of a challenging shoot.

HJK: Yes it was. It was a bit of a difficult shoot. If you see my role, it’s a large role and I’m on the screen a lot. And it was low budget – I think the whole budget was about a million. There’s a lot to shoot in a short amount of time. And the director’s style is that she did do a lot of takes. For two months we would have a 24 hour shoot then rest a day, then another 24 hour shoot then rest a day… if you start off at 7 in the morning then by 2AM from the slightest nudge I’d be frowning. Also, the role itself was very physically tiring because she’s angry so much of the time and I had to play angry so much of the time. So emotionally, it was very draining. Being angry takes a lot of energy. So yes, in that way it was a very tiring shoot.

But I think the tight schedule actually worked for the role of Mi-Sook because when I watch the film now I look at those expressions that I’m doing and I wonder if I could actually do that and get those expressions again. Because I think they were really, really derived from the situation of it all. You know as an actress you’re usually smiling and attractive and pretty. But here I look at those faces and I’m wondering in retrospect [if I could do that]… that’s the sense that I get.

CW: You mentioned the physicality of the role. And a lot of it involved your co-star with Woo Seo (who plays Jong-hee Seo in the film). You note the physicality there and there’s a lot of time that the two characters spend together during the course of the film. Did anything grow out of that in the role? Did the relationship between the characters change because the two of you were spending a lot of time together, fighting and propping each other up?

HJK: She’s a newcomer, actually and we met for the first time on this film. I think there’s a 7 year difference in our ages. I know in the film she plays a junior high school student but really she’s in her 20’s. This is her first film and she brought in this very fresh energy and there’s this sense that she’s not afraid of anything. She doesn’t know enough to be afraid yet and she’s very confident in that sense.

At first our relationship was very… we were very shy around each other. But after a few nights shooting around the clock our roles were such that we had to get in synch with each other. I think it’s like the film: our relationship grew as the shoot progressed. She’s a very pretty person, but in the role she’s actually made more unattractive with the freckles and everything. After the film was over we’d be promoting the film and wouldn’t be the character she would be herself and in a way I felt sad because I felt like Jong-hee wasn’t there anymore and for me she’ll always be Jong-hee.

So we still call each other a lot and when it was announced that I was receiving an award, the three of us – the director, I, and Woo Seo – would call each other and start crying. I think she cried so much more when I received the award that there was a close-up of her being so happy for me. So we are very close still.

CW: Congratulations on the award.

HJK: Thank you.

CW: It seemed like an opportunity for you to mentor a young actor. Did you have anyone when you first started acting who helped you along?

HJK: [Laughs] Unfortunately, no. In my career, rather than working with older actors I usually worked with my peers - a lot of actors around my age and with similar experience. The roles that I’ve done aren’t so much serious but more stories that fit my age. So there weren’t a lot of adults in the projects to begin with. There was really no one around me to teach me or school me in that sense. Once you start acting you sort of get caught up in a style of acting and you get to rely on your technique. Like anything, acting’s also a profession so you tend to fall into something that’s more comfortable or familiar.

Since I didn’t have anyone scolding me or telling me how to do it I think I found for myself a fresh style of acting. Throughout the 10 years that’s sort of stayed with me, the style that I was able to develop. And in Korea, you’ll notice at the time that I came onto the scene actresses were very intent on looking pretty and doing the “pretty” acting. When I came on it became a cool trend to do the unattractive or strange roles. After I started acting I found more and more actresses – dare I say – following in my style of acting.

CW: That’s something I’ve noticed in a lot of your roles. Your characters seem to have strong personalities, forceful personalities. Is some of that coming from you? The script?

HJK: Well my first foray into acting wasn’t a strong character with a strong personality. Since that was my first role it became my image of myself as an actor. At the time no one wanted to touch roles like that. They wanted the more traditional, “pretty” role. So having started off like that it kind of became my image. So when roles came my way including TV dramas I’d get these strong characters who would get mad like a man or a sort of wild woman. I did try different types of roles but I don’t think it’s all acting. You take a part of you and you dramatize it. So I suppose there’s a part of me that lends to these characters. I think it’s also because I was much younger at the time. Right now, I’m older and I’ve calmed down and have more experience. But when you’re in your early 20’s you’re young and not afraid of the world and passionate. I think the media would enlarge that aspect of me, so I continued to do those types of roles.

CW: I think what’s admirable is that you still bring some vulnerability to these roles. Even broad characters like the one you played in Volcano High are larger than life and aggressive but they end up being someone who just wants to be cared about.

HJK: You must have seen a lot of my films?’

CW: I have, yeah.

HJK: [Laughs]

CW: So at this point what’s next for you?

HJK: I haven’t finalized any plans for my next project yet. It’s been a while since “Crush and Blush” opened but since then there was a film I did called “Sisters on the Road” that’s only been open in the theaters for less than two months. I don’t feel there’s this rush to jump into the next project. It’s taking a little bit more time after these two films to decide on my next project. I think to overcome the image or the un-image of Yang Mi-sook I think I’ll do something more feminine or pretty. But I really haven’t found the role that type of role or met the script that I want to jump on. I think after doing a film that I’m very satisfied with and happy about it takes that much more time to find the next role to do in that sense.

CW: Like one-upping yourself.

HJK: Yes.

CW: Thank you so much for your time today.

Related link: [Twitch] Crush and Blush Review

[melusine]

An Interview With: Kong Hyo-Jin, Korean Actress

By Michelle Geslani for Asians in America magazine | July 1 2009

Kong Hyo-Jin is a force to be reckoned with. Although having been in the film industry for more than 10 years now, the Korean actress is never at a loss for reinventing those characters she portrays. Last week at the New York Asian Film Festival, audiences embraced both screenings of the movie Crush and Blush, in which Hyo-Jin played the leading role.

As a crazed, awkward, and often ostracized teacher named Me-Sook, Hyo-Jin accomplished the difficult task of not only mastering the character’s maniacal tendencies, but also enabling her to be felt sorry for and pitied (especially when she blushed beet-red) because of her vulnerability. Hyo-Jin made the story of a woman’s obsessive mission to woo her crush feel just as poignant as it was insane.

Her work in the film has been widely recognized and praised. She was the first female recipient of the Rising Star Asia Awards presented by Subway Cinema and The Hollywood Reporter. I had the privilege of speaking with her about her performance in Crush and Blush.

AIA: What initially drew you to this film?

Kong Hyo-Jin: The character she played has a very strong and sometimes frightening personality, but at the same time she’s a very likeable dimension so I had to figure out a way to make audiences like her and even root for her. So that was sort of my task in this film, that’s what weighed on my mind a lot. But I knew I wanted to help the character achieve this. After a lot of thought, I decided I wanted to take on the challenge.

AIA: It seemed as though you could have easily fallen into either of the extremes in your role- being too likeable or being too harsh- what sort of past roles had you played or seen that might have prepared you for this one?

Kong Hyo-Jin: I don’t think there was ever this kind of character portrayed in Korea, so in terms of role models there wasn’t any character that I could pull from, so in that respect it was hard. But looking back it was good since this was the first time you’re seeing this person. I had no comparison, “oh, she’s better, she’s better.” So in a way there was a lot of freedom involved. I got to do the character the way I wanted to, and people could accept that “Yes, this is what Me-Sook would be like.” And even though it was hard, it was such a freeing experience creating such a character.

AIA: While there might not have been any similar roles or movies to reference in Korea, I’m wondering if you have had any traumatic, outcast-stories or experiences like that of Me-Sok, maybe in middle school or high school, that enabled you to sympathize with the character?

Kong Hyo-Jin: I think there were those friends who were kind of outcasts in school, but fortunately I wasn’t one of them so I didn’t know much about them. I think that lack of attention and lack of existence, that’s a serious thing to understand. But there was a music teacher in junior high that wasn’t as strange or intimidating as Me-Sok in the film. But she had no sense of existence- people and students would ignore her and would be eating in class, come in late, and she just would never say anything to them. And her outer appearance was a lot like the character in the film, drudged clothes, outdated and curly frizzy hair. And so in terms of this film, I did remember her. But really, for the film we actually created someone completely new and different than anyone we knew.

AIA: What was the hardest scene or the hardest aspect of portraying this role?

Kong Hyo-Jin: Looking back I think they were all hard scenes [laugh]. You know, I had to constantly be angry and we had a lot of night shoots and cold-weather shoots. At one point, I wondered, “Am I going to survive this sleep deprivation?” But I think the hardest scene was the one where we were taking the group class photo. And it was actually the first day of shoot and up to that point, I had maybe a scene with one or two people. But it was really the first time with that red bright makeup, so to stand in front of all those students with that made-up face was really embarrassing for me. And I mean the whole scene was about being an outcast, so it was very emotional and very hard for me.

AIA: What did you take away from this film, in which a) you don’t necessarily relate to the character so much, and b ) which is probably the first of its kind in Korea?

Kong Hyo-Jin: When this opened last year, it was around my 10-year mark of my career. And in terms of age and experience, I thought I had “gotten there,” and I thought it would be nice to get some awards and get some recognition from critics…and although there was a part of me that wanted to avoid such an unattractive “loser” of a character, I thought that with such a great script if I did do it well it could translate into getting an award. Because sometimes, if you look at a role, you know you can sort of tell whether or not it’s award-worthy, but this one, I was thinking, maybe if I work hard enough, it could get an award which would be a nice way to commemorate my 10 year career. And so I did work hard and I was awarded so that turned out well! And In a way it was sort of my last hurrah! in my late 20’s, and was a way for me to commemorate that as well. It’s like the last time I could sort of do whatever I wanted and de-construct myself, and be brave and just do a character like this and go the distance. It became a very treasured role, and in terms of my acting I feel like I’ve even overcome my limits in acting.

AIA: What was it like working with the first-time female director Lee Kyeong-Mi?

Kong Hyo-Jin: In terms of our working relationship, we were very in sync. Our styles are very similar, our points of comedy are very similar, and I think the reason I was so satisfied with this movie is that her favorite take would always be my favorite take. And so since this film essentially is a series of the best takes I got, of course that’s why I’m 100% satisfied with it. And our kind of working relationship doesn’t happen very often- a director has their thoughts and I have my own interpretation but in this case, we were very, very in tune. Because I found her to be sort of like Me-sok, I think just looking at her and being around her, I drew a lot of inspiration for the role. And because I had an incredible trust in her, I think I just went for it, I didn’t have to worry because the trust was there. I would be and go all the way- whether it was being the most attractive or most unattractive, I would scream and do anything, and just be very comfortable because of that trust. And also because she is a female director, I felt like she paid more attention to detail and we talked comfortably about a lot about things. She also had a wide variety of styles, and I think that might have upped the whole strangeness or oddness factor of the film.

Thanks to Kong Hyo-Jin for her time, her translator for being at the interview, and everyone at Subway Cinema for setting it up.

[melusine]

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#44 mishane - Jun 26, 2009 at 10:39 am

Ooh!!

I have pictures and video from seeing So Ji Sub and Gong Hyo Jin!

It was a fun experience. So Ji Sub was literally 6 feet away from me, without any barrier. I could have just walked up and touched him. He only stayed for about 5 minutes. Didn't know a word of English.

I enjoyed Gong Hyo Jin's appearance much more.

#47 mishane - Jun 26, 2009 at 10:51 am

Gong Hyo Jin appearance:

Can I say, that if I wasn't a fan of her before, I am now?!

She's adorable! She had a translator too but I think she's one of those that can understand the language but can't speak it (like me and Spanish. I understand Spanish but can't speak it). The reason I say is because the coordinator asked her a long question in English and GHJ didn't wait for the translator and answered it immediately (in Korean).

Also, she was really proud of her movie. She was also much more confident than So Ji Sub. She spoke a lot more than him. Didn't seem nervous. Seemed very charismatic (she made some jokes). She has a foot tattoo! I know because I was sitting 2 feet in front of her.

She's not as skinny as I thought she was. I mean, she's skinny but she's not Lee Da Hae thin. I think I'm about the same size as her.

Fashionista trivia: Her red dress is Dolce & Gabbana, while her beige dress at the Rising Star Award ceremony is Fendi and her dress with floral appliques at the "Crush and Blush" screening (see post #655 above) is again Fendi. All 3 are from the Spring/Summer 2009 collections.

[melusine]

Does that mean that Boo Ji-young and Mina Shin will be in attendance? What about GyoJin, she is not attending?

Yes they are, and nope she's not. There were a couple of news articles a few weeks ago which mentioned that HyoJin had received an official invitation to the Karlovy Vary Film Festival where not only "Sisters on the Road" is screening, but "Crush and Blush" as well (this is her 3rd international filmfest in a row for C&. She said she was very honored etc. etc., but unfortunately was unable to attend (according to her sked@SidusHQ she's "resting and reviewing scripts", not sure if that means she's still vacationing in New York).

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Btw, I've already posted MinAh and BJY's KVIFF pics in the SotR thread, so check them out.