Jeon Do-Yeon 전도연 [Drama “Crash Course in Romance” | Movie “Kill Boksoon” (NETFLIX)]

[Guest chywotes]

Are you sure, she's her sister. I thought she has a younger sister. The two ladies looks older than her.

[shirley]

JDY delivered a baby girl on 22 January 2009 in the afternoon at 1.05 pm ^ both mother and baby girl are healthy .

전도연, 김희선 이어 22일 첫 딸 출산

OSEN | 기사입력 2009.01.23 14:27 | 최종수정 2009.01.23 15:25

20대 여성, 대구지역 인기기사

[OSEN=김민정 기자] 21일 김희선의 득녀 소식에 이어 영화배우 전도연이 22일 첫 딸을 출산해 엄마가 됐다.

전도연은 22일 오후 1시 5분께 서울 강남에 위치한 한 산부인과에서 딸을 순산했다. 당초 2월 초 출산 예정이던 전도연은 예정보다 일찍 아기를 출산하게 됐으며 현재 산모와 아기는 모두 건강한 것으로 전해졌다.

전도연은 지난 21일 딸을 낳은 김희선과 같은 병원에서 딸을 출산했으며, 21일 만삭의 몸으로 정기 검진차 병원을 방문해 출산이 임박했음을 짐작케 했다.

지난 2007년 3월 사업가 강 씨와 결혼한 전도연은 결혼 1년 10개월 만에 첫 아이를 얻게 됐다.

[Guest Janie Simply]

Congratulations to JDY! What a great way to celebrate Lunar New Year

~~~

I think Kim Min Hee resembles JDY a bit esp when they smile :blush:

[Guest Janie Simply]

Opps.. double posting!

Oh well, let see what to post, o kay, might rewatch her adorable acting in Harmonium again

Just remembered she did another new movie... Has anyone watched My Dear Enemy yet? Any good review? Must get hold of it since it's JDY

From the above listed, I have seen

Harmonium In My Memory (1999)

I Wish I Had a Wife (2001)

No Blood No Tears (2002)

My Mother, the Mermaid (2004)

You Are My Sunshine (2005)

Secret Sunshine (2007)

Lovers in Prague

Still searching for The Contact to watch

[rubie]

March 31, 2009

My Dear Enemy

Hee-soo isn't the type of person to say what's on her mind, but you can tell that something is wrong. When, at a horseracing stadium, she tracks down her ex-boyfriend Byung-woon, her voice is laced with fury. "I want my money," she says, skipping even the barest of greetings. Byung-woon, for his part, looks like a man trapped. Despite his nervous smiles and warm assurances (that seem slightly dodgy, like something Bill Clinton would say), you can guess from the outset that he doesn't have the three and a half million won ($3,000) that he borrowed from her a year earlier. "Don't worry," he tells her, "for sure I can get it for you by the end of the day." Not believing him, but not willing to let him out of her site until she gets paid, she accompanies him for the day as he visits various old friends and acquaintances (all women) and tries to sweet talk his way into a loan.

Since his debut with This Charming Girl in 2004, Lee Yoon-ki has emerged as one of Korea's leading sources of small-budgeted, intimate dramas about ordinary people. A regular invitee to Berlin's Forum Section, Lee is particulaly skilled at inhabiting the worlds of female characters, and he has worked with a range of impressive up and coming actresses including Kim Ji-soo and Han Hyo-joo. My Dear Enemy marks a step into higher profile territory, however. Based like his previous work Ad Lib Night on a story by Japanese writer Taira Azuko, the film's stellar cast includes Ha Jung-woo -(fresh off his praised turn as a serial killer in the blockbuster hit The Chaser) - and leading actress Jeon Do-yeon, who the previous year had garnered Korea's first ever acting prize at Cannes for her role in Secret Sunshine. Jeon is known for her discriminating taste in selecting projects, so expectations for this film among cinephiles were high ever since it was announced.

Apart from the long take that opens the film, Lee is generally content to avoid stylistic flourishes and to put the actor's performances at the center of the film - though the irregular rhythms of his editing help to augment a sense of tension between the two leads. This tension - fueled by angry resentment on Hee-soo's part and guilt on Byung-woon's - functions more or less as the film's story, in that it slowly transforms over the course of the day. Hee-soo's mind is being pulled in multiple directions at once, given the desperation of her current circumstances, the painful and positive memories of their old relationship, and the reluctant intimacy that develops between them throughout the day, as she learns things about Byung-woon that she never know. Needless to say, Jeon Do-yeon does not have to articulate any of this in words; you can see it all on her face.

But in some ways this film betrays a bias toward Byung-woon, giving actor Ha Jung-woo an exceptional opportunity to display all his charm. In his short but very busy career to date Ha has displayed phenomenal range, but watching him in this film is a particular pleasure. - you can't help but be seduced. Great acting, assured directing... even with its rather simple (if you were unkind, you would say "thin") plot this two-hour long film is riveting. (Darcy Paquet)

Credits to Darcy Paquet at koreanfilm.org

[Guest tchq90]

I've just finished watching My Mother the Mermaid but I am still puzzled about the relationship between her mom and her dad so could someone please explain to me why it got so bad that her mom even refused to see him when he was gravely sick? I am very much surprised after watching their courtship (when she went back in time). Why did things become sour as they got older????

[Guest kdramafanusa]

JDY delivered a baby girl on 22 January 2009 in the afternoon at 1.05 pm ^ both mother and baby girl are healthy .

I think this is her first public appearance after having her baby.

Attended the VIP premiere of actor Song Kang-Ho's movie "Thirst" (lastest work of director Park Chan-Wook) on April 24th.

http://spn.edaily.co.kr/entertain/newsRead...433366589659400

more pics here, don't have a chance to look through them yet.

http://spn.edaily.co.kr/plus/starGalleryPo...asp?hot_cd=1167

http://spn.edaily.co.kr/plus/starGalleryPo...asp?hot_cd=1168

http://spnsearch.edaily.co.kr/search.asp?S...amp;div_search=

~~

forgot to post this one

http://spn.edaily.co.kr/entertain/newsRead...111926589652512

[melusine]

On Movieweek's Most Beautiful list <2009 complete list> for the 5th consecutive year (2005, 2006 (#4), 2007 (#1), 2008 (#3))

http://www.movieweek.co.kr/article/article.html?aid=19588

[melusine]

7/22/09, 9pm - "Take Off" (starring her "My Dear Enemy" costar Ha JungWoo) VIP premiere held last night at Megabox COEX, Samsung-dong.

Videos:

mms://vod.cine21.com/cine21.com/movie/making/2009/07/kukdae_vipsisa.wmv [MegaUpload] [MediaFire] [SendSpace]

Y-Star [Streaming|DL]

SBS Good Morning Show [MegaUpload] [MediaFire] [SendSpace] <c/o cutiepie's drama goodies>

credit as labelled + Yahoo

Related links:

[Yonhap News] (Movie Review) 'Take Off' brings out the human drama of sport

[Korea Times] Exhilarating 'Take-Off' in Korean Sports Drama

[melusine]

Harper's Bazaar, Sept 2009

[Guest kdramafanusa]

France to salute Jeon Do-yeon with cultural honor

Reporter : Ko Jea-wan | star@asiae.co.kr

기사입력 2009.10.08 14:21 최종수정 2009.10.08 14:21

Actress Jeon Do-yeon [Asia Economic Daily]

Cannes award-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon will receive an honor by the French government for her contribution to the country's culture, according to her agency on Thursday.

The 36-year-old actress will be presented with the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres medal on Saturday of the ongoing Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), announced N.O.A. Entertainment.

The award is one of the three levels of cultural order established in 1957 by the France's Minister of Culture and confirmed in 1963 as part of the National Order by President Charles de Gaulle.

Worldwide names including writer J.K. Rowling of the "Harry Potter" series, Hollywood movie stars George Clooney, Sharon Stone and Leonardo Dicaprio and South Korean actor Lee Byun-hyun are preceeding recipients.

Jeon has received over dozens of top recognitions on both the small and big screen since her debut in 1990. She won her first international acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007, receiving the award for Best Actress in director Lee Chang-dong's film "Secret Sunshine".

Reporter : Ko Jea-wan star@asiae.co.kr

Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[melusine]

http://twitchfilm.net/news/2009/10/jeon-do...w-housemaid.php

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2.../135_54619.html

Woot!

[Guest kdramafanusa]

[sCREEN DAILY]

Jeon to star in remake of The Housemaid

2 November, 2009 | By Jean Noh

Cannes award-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon is set to star in Im Sang-soo’s remake of the Korean classic thriller The Housemaid.

Seoul-based Mirovision, Inc. is producing and handling international sales.

Directed by Korean master Kim Ki-young, the 1960 original tells of how a factory music teacher’s family is thrown into nightmare chaos when they take in a strange girl as a housemaid – she seduces him, is coerced into having an abortion, and then metes out revenge.

The original version was digitally re-mastered and screened at Cannes in 2008 with the support of Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation and the Korean Film Archive.

Jeon Do-yeon won the Cannes Best Actress award in 2007 for her performance in Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine. Her other work includes starring in Lee Yoon-ki’s My Dear Enemy, Jung Ji-woo’s Happy End, Park Jin-pyo’s You Are My Sunshine and Lee Young-jae’s The Harmonium In My Memory.

Im Sang-soo previously directed the Cannes entry The President’s Last Bang and Venice entry A Good Lawyer’s Wife, in addition to other critically-acclaimed films such as The Old Garden.

The Housemaid remake is due to start production at the end of the year, with a goal to see a local release in the first half of 2010, the 50th anniversary of The Housemaid original.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[The Hollywood Reporter]

Jeon to star in 'Housemaid' remake

'Secret Sunshine' actress will play title character

November 02, 2009

By Patrick Frater

Jeon Do-yeon

HONG KONG -- Palme d'Or winning actress Jeon Do-yeon will head the cast of "The Housemaid," a high profile remake of one of the best-known Korean films of all time.

Im Sang-soo ("The President's Last Bang," "A Good Lawyer's Wife") directs the chiller starting in December, with delivery scheduled for May 2010. Production and international sales are by Korean independent Mirovision.

Made by Kim Ki-young in 1960, the original film took advantage of a brief relaxation in government control of the industry and was an experiment in expressionism that involved murder, suicide, adultery and extreme paranoia.

In the new $4 million version by Im, Jeon plays a sexually predatory femme fatale who moves in with a composer and his wife and begins a ruinous affair.

Jeon, who has collected major awards for many of her film outings, was named best actress in Cannes two years ago for her harrowing role as a widow in Lee Chang-dong's "Secret Sunshine."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jeon Do-yeon to make comeback in thriller remake

Reporter : Lynn Kim | lynn2878@asiae.co.kr

기사입력 2009.11.02 16:56 최종수정 2009.11.02 16:56

Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon [Miro Vision]

Top Korean movie star Jeon Do-yeon is set to make her comeback for the first time in over a year through a thriller pic, according to a press release on Monday.

"The Maid", a remake of a 1960s classic film of the same title, is about a middle-class family breaking apart when the husband has an affair with the maid.

The remake will be helmed by Korean filmmaker Im Sang-soo, who has written and directed many hit movies including "The General's Son", "A Good Lawyer's Wife" and his directorial debut "Girls' Night Out".

Jeon is arguably the most successful actress in Korea in terms of box office performance and critical reception. The 36-year-old actress, who debuted in 1990 in the popular TV series "Our Paradise", has appeared in many hit dramas and films including SBS's "Lovers in Prague" (2005), film "Untold Scandal" (2003) with Bae Yong-joon and "Secret Sunshine" for which she won the Best Actress award in Cannes in 2007.

She has been on a one-year hiatus since getting married in March 2007 and giving birth to a daughter.

The film "Maid" is scheduled for release early next year.

Reporter : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[melusine]

'Share Happiness' campaign

via Elle, Elle

[Guest kdramafanusa]

The leading man of her new film is actor Lee Jung-Jae.

http://star.mt.co.kr/view/stview.php?no=2009122411485590782

EDIT: Not finalized yet...Sigh..Will have to wait for confirmation.

http://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=200912241151571003

Actress Seo Woo is also in this film, below is Mr X's recent writeup.

http://twitchfilm.net/news/2009/12/seo-woo...maid-remake.php

Film News

Seo Woo Joins Jeon Do-Yeon in 하녀 (The Housemaid) Remake

by X, December 15, 2009 2:19 PM

Now that's casting.

We've talked at length about the remake of Kim Ki-Young's 60s classic 하녀 (The Housemaid) over the last few months, first going from a sort of cinematic persona non grata helmed by promising director Gina Kim, then pairing the unlikely duo of Im Sang-Soo and TV drama pioneer Kim Soo-Hyun, who eventually engaged in a little bit of online jabbing over the film's script. But once Jeon Do-Yeon was cast, the film started to turn into an intriguing prospect, particularly knowing how talented a storyteller Im can be. Well, now you can add what is likely the most inspired bit of casting Chungmuro has shown us all year long: Seo Woo of 미쓰 홍당무 (Crush & Blush) and 파주 (Paju) has been cast opposite Jeon and whom will end up playing the husband.

The intriguing bit is that Im went against expectations by casting the older Jeon as the housemaid, and the young up-and-coming actress as the wife (it was the opposite in the original), but if you consider the modern setting, it kind of makes sense: Seo Woo as the naive, prissy bourgeois young wife, and Jeon as the working class nanny (another bit Im changed) who ends up having an affair with the hubby. The producers aim to cast an actor in his late 20s-early 30s as the husband, which could open quite the few possibilities - Ha Jung-Woo is busy, but if I had to choose anyone, I'd go with Lee Cheon-Hee of 한성별곡-正 (Conspiracy in the Court) and 아름답다 (Beautiful). I haven't read the script, but if it's anywhere near a younger version of Kim Jin-Gyu from the original, he would be perfect.

Film starts shooting in January, for a likely Cannes premiere (just my speculation).

[KHAN]

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Lee Jung-Jae (City Of Rising Sun) & Jeon Do-Yeon (Harmonium In My Memory) won Best Actor & Best Actress at the 20th Blue Dragon Film Awards in December 1999.

source: Blue Dragon official homepage

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee Jung-jae still in talks for film "The Housemaid"

Reporter : Ko Kyoung-seok | kave@asiae.co.kr

기사입력 2009.12.25 10:05 최종수정 2009.12.25 10:05

Korean actor Lee Jung-jae [Yedang Entertainment]

Korean actor Lee Jung-jae is reconsidering his decision to appear in Jeon Do-yeon film "The Housemaid", agency Yedang Entertainment said a phone call with Asia Economic Daily on Thursday.

Yedang explained that although Lee had initially considered doing the film, he is currently "negotiating the details at the request of the producers" and that "a final decision will be made soon."

The film's producer Miro Vision also confirmed today that "nothing has been set" regarding Lee's participation in the movie.

"Housemaid", a remake of a 1960s classic film of the same title, is about a middle-class family breaking apart when the husband has an affair with the maid. Cannes-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon has been cast as the housemaid while Seo Woo, from the critically acclaimed film "Paju", will play the wife whose husband is cheating on her.

The thriller film will be helmed by Korean filmmaker Im Sang-soo, who has written and directed many hit movies including "The General's Son", "A Good Lawyer's Wife" and his directorial debut "Girls' Night Out".

"Housemaid", set for release early next year, will start shooting next month as soon as a male lead signs on.

Reporter : Ko Kyoung-seok kave@asiae.co.kr

Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee Jung-jae to star in "The Housemaid" with Jeon Do-yeon

Reporter : Ko Jae-wan | star@asiae.co.kr

기사입력 2009.12.28 17:46 최종수정 2009.12.28 17:46

Korean actor Lee Jung-jae [Yedang Entertainment]

Korean actor Lee Jung-jae has decided to play the main male role opposite actress Jeon Do-yeon in "The Housemaid", according to a press release on Monday.

Lee had been contemplating till last week on whether to take on the role in "Housemaid", a remake of a 1960s classic Korean film of the same title which is about a middle-class family breaking apart when the husband has an affair with the maid.

Cannes-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon has been cast as the housemaid while Seo Woo -- from the critically acclaimed film "Paju" -- will play the wife Hyera. Lee will portray the husband Hoon, who is cheating on his wife.

The thriller film will be helmed by Korean filmmaker Im Sang-soo, who has written and directed many hit movies including "The General's Son", "A Good Lawyer's Wife" and his directorial debut "Girls' Night Out".

The film is set to start shooting next month as soon as all the actors have been cast by the end of the year.

Reporter : Ko Jae-wan star@asiae.co.kr

Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Source: JoongAng Daily

Year of the thriller for Korean movies

Film insiders excited over new works by three star directors

January 13, 2010

The Housemaid

Above, a scene from "The Housemaid" (1960), the classic Korean thriller directed by Kim Ki-young. Right, Im Sang-soo will direct the remake of the film, while Jeon Do-youn, left, will star. [JoongAng Photo]

Hits came from all quarters in Korean cinema last year, with big blockbusters "Take Off" and "Haeundae," auteur films "Thirst" and "Mother" and indie sleepers "Old Partner" and "Breathless" all filling seats.

Disaster flick Haeundae was the first locally made film to top 10 million tickets sold in three years. Industry-wide box office returns hit a record high of 1.08 trillion won ($964 million), about half from Korean-made films.

The state-funded Korean Film Council forecast in a recent report that the local movie market will continue its incremental growth over the next five years, and 2010 is expected to be another bonanza for the local film studios. But the most hotly anticipated movies inside the industry aren't quite as diverse as 2009's top sellers - on the contrary, they're all in a single genre: thriller.

Korea's thriller renaissance, kicked off by "The Chaser" in 2008 and continued by "Secret" at the end of last year, continues with "No Mercy," the first big, locally made release of 2010.

The Murderer (working title)

Above, Ha Jung-woo stands during the shooting of " The Murderer" (working title). Provided by Showbox / The new thriller will be directed by Na Hong-jin, right, who is rejoined by Ha and actor Kim Yun-seok, left, his stars in "The Chaser." [JoongAng Photo]

According to a recent survey by the JoongAng Ilbo of 20 film experts including producers, investors and critics, the three most highly anticipated films scheduled to be released this year were all thrillers. "The Housemaid," a remake of a local classic, came in first, followed by "The Murderer" (working title), which will reunite "The Chaser" director Na Hong-jin with his two leads from that film. In third was "Moss" (working title) by veteran director Kang Woo-suk.

"The Housemaid," a remake of the 1960 film by the late director Kim Ki-young, was chosen as the No. 1 most anticipated Korean movie in 2010 by a majority of the respondents. The movie tells the story of a man who has an affair with the maid, eventually leading to the destruction of his life.

Though it may sound riddled with old cliches, the film is still considered a classic for the legendary director's aesthetic prowess. Critics say it's no one thing that makes the movie special: There are its comments on the downfall of the middle class, its tinge of eroticism and its taut plotting.

Last year, the Korean Film Archive restored a black-and-white original print of "The Housemaid" that had been damaged with the aid of the World Cinema Foundation, a nonprofit organization led by world-renowned director Martin Scorsese that works to preserve neglected films from around the world.

Moss (working title)

Above, the online hit graphic novel series "Moss" was taken as the inspiration for director Kang Woo-suk's latest film, an adaptation of the same name. Provided by Daum.net / Actor Park Hae-il, left, plays the lead role in "Moss" by director Kang, right. [JoongAng Photo]

When the remake was announced in late 2008 it set the local movie industry on fire - especially later, when the project fell into the hands of Im Sang-soo, the bold and unique director of "The President's Last Bang" (2005) and "A Good Lawyer's Wife" (2003), whom film critic Kim Bong-seok describes as "the most provocative director in Korea."

Adding to expectations for the project is its star, Jeon Do-youn, the beloved Korean actress who exploded onto the world stage with a Best Actress win at Cannes in 2007. Jeon will play the titular character.

"I look forward to seeing Jeon's version of The Housemaid, as I know she can pull off the role of a femme fatale so perfectly," said Lee Jin-hoon, director of the Korean cinema team at Lotte Entertainment.

Actor Lee Jung-jae, who co-starred in "Typhoon" with Jang Dong-gun, and the young and promising actress Seo Woo, who caught the eye of the industry with her performance in "Paju" last year, have been cast as the husband and wife.

"I can't wait to see the results - the meeting between the director of the moment and one of the best films in Korean cinema," said Jeon Chan-il, regular programmer of the Pusan International Film Festival.

But the seemingly blessed remake was recently marred by a very public conflict between the writer and the director.

Screenwriter Kim Soo-hyun, who has built up a reputation as a hit-maker with numerous popular TV dramas and several award-winning movies, was invited by the producer to write a script for the highly anticipated new Housemaid. The project ground to a halt after the director who had been attached to it initially quit, and Kim suggested Im take the reins.

All seemed to be going well until Kim finished the script and handed it over to Im. The director made changes, reportedly to suit his provocative style, and Kim expressed her dissatisfaction. The matter seemed settled when Im apologized, but later problems would crop up again when Im took his version of the script to the producers. Kim claimed the director had agreed to cooperate on the script in the future, but took his version to the studio apparently without consulting her.

The enraged Kim withdrew from the project and later posted a note on her Web site that read, "I've been stabbed in the back by someone I trusted [and] have no mind to go on with my work."

Despite the turmoil, the producers have decided to adopt Im's changed version of the script. Shooting is scheduled to begin this month with the hope of bringing the film to theaters this year after only minor delays, according to Mirovision, the production company.

Second on the list of most anticipated Korean movies was The Murderer, mainly for its trio of Chaser veterans. The 2008 hit directed by Na Hong-jin and starring Ha Jung-woo and Kim Yun-seok attracted about 5 million viewers, about on par with its genre predecessor "Memories of Murder."

The Murderer tells the story of a man from Yanbian, China who is smuggled into Seoul as a contract killer to pay off his debt, but ends up threatened by another hit man.

Ha, who found his breakout role in The Chaser and confirmed his rise to stardom with the 2009 hit drama Take Off, takes the lead role opposite Kim, who has now become one of Korea's most prolific actors, appearing in such well-received films as "Running Turtle" (2009) and "The War of Flower" (2006).

Unusual for Korea, The Murderer has also drawn some Hollywood money, with its estimated production cost of 11 billion won partially paid by Fox Korea, the local branch of the Twentieth Century Fox film studio, which finalized its contribution late last year. Shooting started last month, and the finished product is scheduled to be released this summer, according to its distributor, Showbox.

"The movie will be the one in which director Na will show his real ability, a glimpse of which we got through The Chaser," predicted Kim Young-jin, a film professor at Myongji University.

A famous director is also behind the third selection on the list, Moss, helmed by the filmmaker known internationally for "Silmido" (2003) and "Public Enemy" (2002). Kang made his directorial debut in 1988, making him an "old man" of modern Korean cinema.

Moss brings together Kang's cachet with the hugely popular online graphic novel series on which it's based, drawn by Yoon Tae-ho. The cinematic adaptation, featuring well-known names including Park Hae-il, Jung Jae-young and Yoo Hae-jin, follows a young man who comes to a rural village after hearing about his father's death and later becomes embroiled in its hidden secrets.

The movie is currently in production and will hit local theaters around the first half of the year, according to the production company Cinema Service.

By Ki Sun-min, Park Sun-young [spark0320@joongang.co.kr]

[melusine]

Yonhap News

Hankook Ilbo

News Khan

IS Plus / IS Plus

Sports Khan

Sports Chosun part 1+part 2

Mk.co.kr

Newsis

No Cut News

Kuki News

Hankook Ilbo

[melusine]

[iNTERVIEW] Actress Jeon Do-youn

Asia Economic Daily Part 1 Part 2 (Korean) 2010.04.20 | 10Asia Part 1 Part 2 (English) 2010.04.21

Jeon Do-youn was called the "Queen of Cannes" after she won the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in the film "Secret Sunshine".

Although winning a trophy at Cannes cannot be the absolute criterion for anything, it is worth remembering that so far only two Asian actresses -- Jeon and Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung -- have been named best actress at a world-renowned film event like Cannes.

Even among European and North American actresses, who usually monopolize the competition at film fests, only four have bagged the best lead actress trophy at Cannes -- Vanessa Redgrave, Barbara Hershey, Helen Mirren and Isabelle Huppert.

This is the reason that one cannot help but make a fuss that Jeon has scored another nomination as best actress for her role in director Im Sang-soo's film "The Housemaid".

◆ Jeon says "I feel more calm about the second Cannes invitation because it is an honor."

It was just moments after news broke out that "Housemaid" will be competing at the Cannes Film Festival, but Jeon Do-youn looked very composed when she met with Asia Economic Daily on Monday afternoon. Jeon made a rather surprising remark, saying "I feel more calm and at ease because I know well what a huge honor it is to be invited to the Cannes Film Festival."

She reflected back upon her best actress win at Cannes in 2007.

"When I first heard that [film "Secret Sunshine"] had made it into the Competition category at Cannes, I didn't really know much about the festival or how significant it was. But after I won, I realized just how big an award it is. Now I understand what an honor it is just to make the nominations, regardless of whether you win or not, so I felt more calm than excited when I heard about the invitation."

"Housemaid" is an erotic, suspense movie which tells a provocative story of Eun-yi (played by Jeon), a housemaid working for a rich, upper-class family who starts having an affair with the husband (played by Lee Jung-jae). Actresses Seo Woo and Yoon Yeo-jeong also star in the film. As the housemaid and title character, Jeon leads the film -- and perfectly qualified to score another win at Cannes.

When told fans were expecting a second best actress title, Jeon laughed and remarked, "If you say something like that, I won't be able to keep acting." She then curtly added, "A film festival is not the Olympics," and only laughed when asked whether she had prepared an acceptance speech.

◆ "I chose 'Housemaid' because of director Im Sang-soo"

Jeon had been linked to Cannes through three of her films; her 2000 film "Happy End" by director Jung Ji-woo was invited to the Critics' Week section, and she snagged the best actress trophy in 2007 for her role in Lee Chang-dong's "Secret Sunshine" which made the competition category. "Housemaid" will mark her third appearance at Cannes.

"The most important reason that I chose to do 'Housemaid' was that Im Sang-soo was going to direct the picture," she said. "I saw the original film but I just watched it thinking it was just a completely different movie, not reference. You could say that Im Sang-soo's "Housemaid" is a separate film from the original."

As the film has not been revealed to the public yet, many fans are anticipating what new and different side Jeon will be able to show through "Housemaid." It is hard to explain in detail, but Jeon exuded an indescribable confidence and firmly stated, "I never want to do acting where I can play it safe," further fueling curiosity about her turn in "Housemaid".

"At first, I had a hard time understanding the absolute innocence of Eun-yi. When you are acting, you have to think about why your character is behaving a certain way and understand the validity of her actions. But it was hard to do that with Eun-yi because she was faithful to her desires and instincts and seemed like a different person one minute to the next. So it was difficult to express that, but I played the character thinking that I could be Eun-yi."

About her skin-bearing scenes in the movie, she explained that "it won't be shocking in a visual sense. But the bed scenes are the beginning of tension in the film and they are important because that is when the story develops."

Jeon further pumped up the anticipation, saying "This version of 'Housemaid' is clearly different from the original work and you can discover the spontaneity and unique personality of director Im Sang-soo through various scenes in the movie."

"Housemaid" opens in Korea on May 13, a day after Cannes Film Festival kicks off. The phrase "coming soon in theaters" has never been more appropriate for Jeon than the present.

Jeon Do-youn will be walking the red carpet at Cannes for the first time in three years since winning best actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 for her role in film "Secret Sunshine".

During the three year gap between films "Secret Sunshine" and "The Housemaid," Jeon Do-youn went through big changes in her life -- getting married and giving birth. Ironically, Jeon had been single when she played a mother who had lost her son in "Sunshine" while she turned a mother when playing a maid who has an affair with a married man in "Housemaid".

Jeon met with Asia Economic Daily on April 19, prior to the film's opening, and talked about her husband, saying that "he believes me and wants me to stay as the actress I am. When I am going through difficulties, he tells me 'you are not the type of person to be swayed by such things, so have faith in your choice and just keep going' and I respect him for that."

"It may not be the case every time but he is someone who believes in me whenever I am making a huge choice. If my parents were the ones who did that for me before I got married, my husband is the one who fulfills that role now," she explained.

"Housemaid" drew much attention not only because it was a remake of the 1960 film of the same name by the late Korean director Kim Ki-young but also because it would feature Jeon Do-youn in several provocative, skin-exposing scenes. It is easy to assume that it was not an easy role to choose to take on for a married actress.

"There is no such thing as bad publicity, so I am not too worried or overwhelmed about it," said the actress. "I don't think that the film has any visually shocking scenes but so much hype has been made about the scenes. I do worry that the fans' expectations might be too high."

During the interview, Jeon emphasized that she doesn't want to be seen in any other image than that of 'the actress Jeon Do-youn. But she also confessed that, after getting married, it was hard to separate 'the human Jeon Do-youn' from 'the actress Jeon Do-youn'.

"I don't think anything has changed after I got married, but my values as a human have become stronger. I think my love for work has gotten bigger. Whether I wanted it or not, I have become a mother and wife but that cannot be my true self. I think the true nature of Jeon Do-youn comes out when she is working, so I'm more appreciative of my work now. I had tried to separate the human being Jeon Do-youn from the actress but that has actually helped me in accepting myself as the actress."

For a married actress, it is certainly no easy feat to balance her family and her acting career. Jeon, who says that she would have shown a different kind of acting had she been a mother when she shot "Secret Sunshine", was surprised at herself for how much having a family and a child affected her acting for "Housemaid."

"I realized for the first time in my life what it feels like to act when you have a child. Really, it wasn't easy to be completely separated from my family. I had to be a lot more cold-hearted. When I was filming in Yangsuri and had scenes to shoot the next day, I didn't go home because I wanted to focus on just one thing. 'Housemaid' was a very difficult movie to work on and I felt like it would be hard on me if I didn't concentrate."

It was her husband who understood her pain when she had to stay on set for as much as a week. "Whenever I felt vulnerable, my husband told me not to worry and didn't even tell me when my child got sick. He said, 'everything is just fine even when you are away for a bit and the child is fine too." She says her husband gave her strength.

Jeon revealed however, that she will not be attending Cannes with her husband. The reason being, as she says, "I am not trying to be mysterious but I just want to show myself as the actress Jeon Do-youn. I don't want to plant any other image than that."

"Housemaid" opens in Korea on May 13, a day after the Cannes Film Festival kicks off. Surely, many Koreans -- including her husband -- will be proud to see Jeon Do-youn on the red carpet.

Reporter : Ko Kyoung-seok kave@

Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@

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