Actress Yeom Hye-ran (48) showcased her presence once again as the sensual Ara in 'Can't Help It'.
The film 'Can't Help It', which was released on the 24th, tells the story of a company employee, Mansoo (played by Lee Byung-hun), who feels satisfied with life but suddenly gets fired. To protect his wife and two children and to keep the house he worked hard to buy, he prepares for his own war towards re-employment.
It was invited to the competition section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and was the opening film of the 30th Busan International Film Festival. Directed by Park Chan-wook, the film features actors Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Park Hee-soon, drawing attention.
Yeom Hye-ran played the role of Ara, the wife of the unemployed Gu Beom-mo, whom Mansoo attempts to kill, and an aspiring actress.
When asked about her process of joining 'Can't Help It', Yeom Hye-ran said, “When I first thought of Ara, there were images of actors that came to mind. I thought I wasn't the type of actress who could exude a sensual feeling while sitting. When I was offered by Director Park Chan-wook at the director's association awards ceremony while winning for 'Mask Girl', I wondered if he hadn't seen that work because the gap between it and Ara was so large. But the director said he had seen it and thought it would be more interesting for me to play the role than an expected actress. He told me that the responsibility for bridging the character gap lies with all the staff and the director, which made me feel confident to take on the challenge.”
She continued, “It was both thrilling and scary to be able to work with Director Park Chan-wook. Above all, I was worried if the public would accept me as Ara. There is an image that the public has of me from roles like Kyung-ja in 'Mask Girl' or Gwang-rye in 'Betrayed', so I wondered if they could accept my version of Ara.”
Yeom Hye-ran mentioned that although she initially thought Ara was very different from herself, she eventually found common ground.
She stated, “I believe acting is a process that starts from me and reaches that character. Sometimes there are paths that are close to me, and sometimes there are distant ones. There are times when I can't reach it, and times when I can.”
She added, “What made this project precious was that I initially thought there were not many similarities between me and Ara. Of course, the fact that I kept failing auditions is similar. I often get cast based on my previous works because I’m not good at auditions. Other than that, I thought there were no other points of connection. But surprisingly, there were many. The desire to keep acting and the realistic aspect of wanting to try something else if this doesn’t work, even though I’ve been doing this for a long time, were similar.”
In particular, Yeom Hye-ran said she learned once again while working with Director Park Chan-wook.
She said, “I really love Director Park's 'Decision to Leave', but other than that, I think I need to watch it with a strong heart. I usually can't watch brutal things even though I know it's fake blood. However, while preparing for this project, I revisited the books, photo collections, and films written by the director. I realized that I had approached his works too much from a realism perspective when I should have seen the symbols and meanings as metaphors. Watching the process of making the work, I feel like I can enjoy the director's works more than before.”
She continued, “Director Ryu Seung-hee, whom I met in 'Mask Girl', often told me to come to the set. When I said I was worried about being a nuisance, he said that if I come often and talk, good acting can come out, and if I ask for permission in advance, it won't be a problem. Encouraged by that, I went to the set often. I got to see the version I read alone, the storyboard, and the on-site version. The experiences of being able to witness the entire process of the script becoming a final product were very precious. Being part of that process was valuable, and I had only seen the final product before, but experiencing the process made me feel that the director is even more amazing.”
Additionally, she mentioned, “Many of the staff who worked with me during 'Oldboy' were also involved in this project. It was amazing to watch their collaboration. I had a preconceived notion that the director would be a one-man show, controlling everything, but he was very open and listened well,” expressing her respect.
Regarding Lee Sung-min, with whom she played a couple, Yeom Hye-ran said, “He was an object of admiration for me since I saw his performance when I was young. It felt special to play a couple with someone like him. I was disappointed that we only had one scene together in 'Youth Judgment', but this time we became a married couple,” she joked.
She continued, “We didn’t say a word about acting to each other, but our chemistry was natural and matched well. It was great that even without much conversation, our breathing matched automatically. Whenever I was nervous, I would go to Senior Sung-min and say I was anxious, and he would say he couldn’t sleep. Seeing someone who has acted for a long time and is good at it also feel nervous gave me comfort.”
Yeom Hye-ran also mentioned, “I once went to the set to watch Senior Lee Byung-hun's phone acting, and actors know how difficult phone scenes are. When two people act together, there is action and reaction, but with a phone, it’s all done alone, which makes it even harder. But seeing him express so richly alone made me feel he is an amazing person.”
She added, “Senior Lee Byung-hun also used comedic timing very well. The scene where he gets bitten by a snake was very entertaining. Both Lee Byung-hun and Lee Sung-min really lifted my badminton shuttlecock whenever it seemed like it would fall, and they helped me finish all my scenes,” expressing her gratitude.
Although 'Can't Help It' features veterans, the reactions have been sharply divided after its release, with audience ratings sometimes dropping to the 6-point range.
In response, Yeom Hye-ran said, “Senior Lee Byung-hun mentioned that being overly concerned can be scary, and since expectations are high, some might think it’s not as good as they expected. I’ve seen 'Can't Help It' five times, and when I first watched it, I thought the director made a film with a clear theme that was easy to understand. But when I watched it a second time, it felt different. Initially, it felt like there was one thick line, but after watching it multiple times, I realized it was different. Director Park Chan-wook has a preconceived notion of being detailed and meaningful in his works, which might make it hard to watch comfortably, leading to mixed reviews.”
She added, “The audience's perspective serves as a guide for us, so such reactions are precious. They are valuable reviews. However, instead of just saying 'it's not fun', it would be helpful if they could write in detail about which parts were difficult. Of course, even if such reviews are added, it won't change the completed film, but I think it could provide points for improvement in the next project.”
Yeom Hye-ran has perfectly immersed herself in her characters from the drama 'When the Camellia Blooms' to 'Can't Help It', showcasing her 'thousand faces'.
She expressed, “I fear that my image will become fixed while acting. I was very happy to play Gwang-rye in 'Betrayed', but wherever I go, people see me as if they are looking at their mother, and some even cry when they see me. While I am grateful for that, I also felt a sense of urgency to show a different character like Ara. I fear that my image will become fixed. I want to try various things and show a diverse range.”
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
