[Interview] Jo Yoon-seo "10 Years of Waiting, Patting Myself for Enduring Well"

Movie 'The Mathematician in the Strange Land' Boram Role
"Feeling the Influence an Actor Holds"
"Want to Appear in Good Works"

Yoonseo Jo / Photo by Showbox

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "When the movie 'The Mathematician in the Strange Land' ended in the theater and my name appeared in the ending credits, I was overwhelmed. I felt that this is really the beginning."

Actress Jo Yoon-seo met with Asia Economy via video call on the 2nd and showed tears, saying, "This year marks my 10th year since debut, and I recall the past days when I worked hard to be chosen."

Jo Yoon-seo, a rising star who appeared in dramas 'Reply 1994' and 'Mine,' plays Boram, the only friend of high school student Han Ji-woo (played by Gam Dong-hwi), in the movie 'The Mathematician in the Strange Land' (directed by Park Dong-hoon), which opens on the 9th.

Boram is a character with a righteous and spirited personality, and her honest and confident expression of opinions adds vitality to the work. Jo Yoon-seo, who was selected through an audition, laughed, saying, "I did not expect to be cast. I went to the set with a light heart, but I had no idea I would be cast in such a big role."

To portray Boram, who likes playing the piano, she practiced piano for seven hours every day. She even confessed to telling a cute lie to get the opportunity at the audition.

"'The Mathematician in the Strange Land' is a kind movie that is rare these days. I like warm movies, so I really wanted to be part of it. I also liked the bright, righteous, and spirited character. So I even showed passion by lying that I could play the piano. (laughs)"

Photo by Showbox

Jo Yoon-seo has walked the path of an actress for 10 years, but there are not many works where she has been recognized by the public. She said she had a three-year hiatus due to personal reasons. She gave special meaning to 'The Mathematician in the Strange Land' as the work that broke her long hiatus and made her stand in front of the camera again.

"After a three-year break, this is the work that allowed me to act again and my first commercial film as a lead. So it feels like starting acting all over again. The past time was a continuous wait. There were times when I worked on projects, but mostly I kept auditioning and waiting repeatedly. Those times of waiting come to mind a lot these days. I want to say I endured well and pat myself on the back."

Jo Yoon-seo majored in musical theater in high school. She said she experienced the true taste of acting when she played the role of Chunhyang in the play 'Chunhyangjeon' in her second year. She recalled, "I only learned musicals and didn’t know much about (straight) acting, but I kept thinking deeply while learning from the director at that time. I felt catharsis on stage and discovered the joy of acting, deciding to become an actress."

She also said, "I felt exhilaration seeing the two-shot scene with senior actor Choi Min-sik on the set of 'The Mathematician in the Strange Land.' The first scene we shared was the Pi Song scene, which was impressive."

Photo by Showbox

Jo Yoon-seo cited friendliness as her charm. She appealed, "I think my image is like someone who would live next door or downstairs. I want to approach everyone in a friendly way."

"Actors are people who have great influence on the world through content and acting. Recently, I feel a greater sense of responsibility. I think a lot about how to use that influence. I want to convey a good influence. I want to comfort the public and work on projects that feel human. I also want to act in fantasy works with roles detached from reality. I want to leave behind what I can do now slowly without worrying about age."

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