[How About This Book] Confession of 'National Actress' Kim Hye-ja: 'Grateful for Life'

Kim Hye-ja's New Book 'Thankful for Life' Released
Acting Is a Subject That Brings the Joy of 'Immersion'
Insists on Roles She Wants... 'Roles with Hope'
Once Accepted, She Devotes Herself Completely

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] “For me, acting is not a job but life itself and everything. An actor should never stop thinking ‘this is enough’ or ‘I have succeeded to this extent.’ At that point, you must be able to start again. Because it is life itself. You have to put everything on the line. You must act with that mindset.”

This is the acting philosophy of actress Kim Hye-ja, well known as the ‘Nation’s Mother’ and ‘Nation’s Actress.’ Acting brings her the joy of ‘immersion.’ She was closer to an actor living acting as life rather than a talent as a profession. In her book Grateful for Life, she shares her life journey of acting with the belief that if you give it your all, God will take care of the rest.

“A famous actor’s words have as much influence as any politician or scholar (...) Become a good actor. If you become a good actor, you can have a meaningful impact on the world like Tolstoy or Shakespeare. To do that, study a lot. And read many books.” When she said she wanted to be an actor, everyone around her opposed it, but her father encouraged Kim Hye-ja. Following her father’s advice, literature became a precious nourishment for her acting. Reading Crime and Punishment led her to ponder what the crime was and what the punishment was, which became a criterion in choosing roles: ‘What kind of impact can I have on the world?’

The hope within the adversity of a role was also a major selection criterion. Even if the role was of a miserable appearance, she carefully considered whether there was ‘hope.’ That said, she did not only take familiar roles. She followed her principle that “taking roles different from one’s outward appearance or usual image opens up one’s acting and broadens one’s world.” At the same time, she chose roles “like eating the rice cake you want to eat when it appears.” There was no room for mediocrity in her acting. Naturally, there was no room for a rushed script. “Even if Tolstoy wrote it, I wouldn’t do a rushed script.”

However, once she accepted a role, she researched it almost to perfectionism. “Like a rooster crowing with all its might until it collapses from exhaustion,” she committed herself. She often fell into anxiety that her insufficient acting skills might ruin the work despite being called a ‘Nation’s Actress.’ Regarding this, director Bong Joon-ho, who worked with her on the film Mother, said, “It’s like Messi crying because he’s not satisfied with his soccer skills (...) like seeing Tolstoy crying because he’s not satisfied with his own writing.” In the book, Kim Hye-ja introduces director Bong Joon-ho as “the person who broke my acting stuck in inertia.”

The book is an autobiographical record of actress Kim Hye-ja’s acting life. It narrates a confession on the stage of life about the unfathomable emptiness and sorrow behind the titles ‘Nation’s Actress’ and ‘Nation’s Mother.’

Grateful for Life | Written by Kim Hye-ja | Suo Seojae | 376 pages | 17,000 KRW

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