[Interview③] Yoo Ah-in on "I Live Alone": "I Wondered How Honest I Should Be, It Felt Refreshing"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actor Yoo Ah-in voluntarily appeared on the variety show I Live Alone and opened up about his changed values.

On the afternoon of the 17th, during an interview held at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, he shared various stories about the film #Alive (director Jo Il-hyung).

#Alive is a survival thriller depicting the story of people isolated alone in an apartment, cut off from data, Wi-Fi, texts, and calls, as people with unexplained symptoms begin attacking and society falls into chaos. It was adapted based on the original screenplay by Hollywood writer Matt Naylor, and directed by Jo Il-hyung, an AFI (American Film Institute) graduate who has been active in the United States.

Yoo Ah-in plays the survivor Jun-woo, who narrowly survives while evading mysterious entities. He realistically and vividly portrays the familiar and human side of an ordinary young man who could be nearby, as well as the desperate and bleak situation of a person pushed to the extreme crisis. Yoo Ah-in, who has shown impressive acting and a distinctive presence in numerous works such as Veteran, The Throne, and Default, takes on the genre film challenge for the first time through #Alive.

#Alive gives a peculiar feeling as it coincides with the current situation of social distancing during the pandemic following COVID-19 (novel coronavirus infection). Yoo Ah-in said, “I started playing mobile phone games that I hadn’t played before. I’m not the type to look up works I’ve appeared in, but I binge-watched the drama Secret Love Affair and revisited my past works. Time passed very quickly.” He continued, “I also ordered delivery food. Recently, I’ve been communicating a lot via phone. I contacted my mother more often. I bought an Apple Watch and tried to become a social person,” but added, “I still haven’t turned on mobile message notifications.”

Although Yoo Ah-in was somewhat distant from variety shows, ahead of the release of #Alive, he voluntarily appeared on MBC’s variety program I Live Alone. He said, “There was a clear justification. It wasn’t about promoting the movie on a variety show, and I thought it could be fun to approach it similarly to the film. I was also a bit bored. Like many people spending time alone, I also felt a bit confined,” explaining his reason for appearing.

He then shared, “It was also an opportunity to reflect on many standards I held myself. I felt like breaking down principles. I wanted to be comfortable with myself and hoped the public would feel comfortable with me.”

He added, “I also wondered how honest I could be. I had time to reveal even those feelings. It was a time to openly share my worries and tasks?life pursuing something, goals I wanted to achieve, accomplishments. It was tough but meaningful,” reflecting on the experience.

Meanwhile, #Alive is set to be released on June 24.

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This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.