"Having fun with comedy was intentional, but now I feel I need to show a more mature side."
This is a glamorous return filled with the charm of actress Im Yoon-a (36), who can make even the devil envious. She takes on the extreme dual role of an angel by day and a devil by night in 'The Devil's Deal'.
The film depicts the pink struggles of Seon-ji (Im Yoon-a), who wakes up as a devil every dawn due to a generational curse, and a young unemployed man, Gil-gu (Ahn Bo-hyun), who gets caught up in watching over her. It is a human romantic comedy with a devilish twist. She collaborated once again with director Lee Sang-geun from her previous work 'Exit' and reunited with Ahn Bo-hyun after 10 years.
The comedic acting she showcased in 'Exit' and 'Confidential Assignment' reaches its peak this time. In the latter half, it transitions into emotional acting as the 'devil'.
Im Yoon-a expressed her portrayal of the two characters, saying, "The day Seon-ji and night Seon-ji had to be distinctly different. Day Seon-ji had to be neat, while night Seon-ji had to be glamorous and bold. Within that large framework, I focused on the details such as the tone of the dialogue, costumes, speech, and expressions," adding, "Since there is important drama placed in the latter half, I had to keep that in mind and calculate accordingly."
"The main character is day Seon-ji, so I set that as a clear reference point. She is more introverted compared to devil Seon-ji and is quite pretty. So I wanted to showcase that aspect well. The devil Seon-ji that appears at night has a louder volume and a faster tempo. It's cartoonish in nature. So I expressed everything with bold and exaggerated energy. I was particularly concerned about my laughter, but once I completely aligned with the director, I was able to go without hesitation."
Was there any difficulty in performing boldly in front of numerous filming staff? Yoon-a said, "I thought I would feel shy about doing exaggerated acting, but once the camera started rolling, I did it without hesitation. Later, I even thought, 'Is it okay to go this far?'" and laughed.
"Personally, I believe that no matter what character I play, a part of me is always contained within it. The key is how much and how to draw it out. Basically, I approached it with the mindset of not wanting to have regrets when looking back later, and when difficulties arose, I actively reached out to the director for help. I think I benefited greatly from that."
At the same time, she mentioned, "Not only in acting but in any work, I tend to push myself hard and try to be self-objective to avoid leaving regrets. Recently, having done a lot of comedy works, I started to worry about whether the audience would feel the limits of my colors. I also think I need opportunities to show a more mature side."
"In my 20s, I could achieve a lot through my experiences and challenges, but after entering my 30s, it has become important to make responsible choices and fill them myself. To do that, I need to know myself better and spend time looking deeply within. I feel like I am in the process of finding my true self."
She shows a sweet yet fierce chemistry with Gil-gu, played by Ahn Bo-hyun.
Im Yoon-a expressed her satisfaction, saying, "I am very happy to show chemistry that blends well with both the devil and Seon-ji," adding, "Bo-hyun oppa has a warm and human side like 'Gil-gu' in real life, so I think I benefited a lot from that. He created a friendly and comfortable filming atmosphere, and it was nice to see him constantly thinking and researching about acting expressions."
She also added, "There are quite a few piggyback scenes, and since Bo-hyun oppa has great physicality, he was very reliable due to the difference in stamina."
Finally, she did not forget to express her gratitude towards her former partner Jo Jung-seok, with whom she achieved a box office hit with 'Exit'. Yoon-a said, "I think it's a really amazing and meaningful connection," and then expressed her hope, "I wish the good energy from 'Zombie Daughter' would also affect our movie."
"I hope that the audience who enjoyed 'Zombie Daughter' will also come to see 'The Devil's Deal' with pleasure. My past partner Jung-seok oppa and I have returned with our new works at the same time, and I am grateful that he has already brought good energy to the theaters. I want to walk that path together. (laughs)"
'The Devil's Deal' will be released on the 13th. Rated for ages 12 and up. Running time is 112 minutes. The break-even point is approximately 1.7 million.
