“While working on a project with Kim Seon-ho oppa, I really liked how he always seemed to enjoy acting. In 10 years, I want to be an actress who can act with that same kind of joy.”
Go Youn-jung, who once again captivated global viewers through the Netflix original series Can This Love Be Interpreted?, shared these thoughts.
We recently met Go Youn-jung at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, where we talked about various topics beyond just the episodes of Can This Love Be Interpreted?.
Can This Love Be Interpreted? is an unpredictable romantic comedy that unfolds when multilingual interpreter Ju Ho-jin (Kim Seon-ho) is assigned to interpret for global top star Cha Mu-hee (Go Youn-jung).
In the series, Go Youn-jung plays Cha Mu-hee, a global top star loved around the world, delicately portraying the complex emotional layers hidden behind her glamorous exterior. In addition, she delivers a powerful performance in a dual role by also playing Dorami, Cha Mu-hee’s other self, making her presence even more compelling.
On that day, Go Youn-jung said, “Filming Can This Love Be Interpreted? felt like spending both summer vacation and winter vacation. It felt like I had gone on a holiday. It was such a comfortable set where I could freely use ad-libs.”
She continued, “The Hong sisters’ writing feels like a fairy tale. It felt like I had been completely immersed in a fairy-tale world for a year. Everything was always soft and warm. Since I’m usually rather dry and calm, it felt even more so.” She added, “After filming ended, I felt empty. Reality hit me. It felt like I had come out of a lively, cute, and beautiful world and suddenly felt a bit cold. It was like turning off the TV after finishing a 16-episode drama.”
Go Youn-jung said, “In genre shows, there aren’t many viewers who actually experience those situations. But romance is something most people experience at least once. You have to act in a way that allows everyone to empathize with those emotions, which made it harder than I expected. I tried really hard to express it more vividly.”
She also shared, “In the drama, Cha Mu-hee is an actress, so there were about 100 outfits she had to wear. The stylist really went through a lot. Whenever we went overseas carrying expensive clothes, I was always worried that the luggage might get lost.”
Go Youn-jung talked about Dorami, one of the two roles she played. Although Dorami was a necessary presence in the drama as another self of Cha Mu-hee, reactions among viewers were divided.
She said, “At first, I started after receiving the script only up to episode four, so I didn’t expect Dorami to come out into reality. It was a fresh shock for me.” She continued, “Honestly, I felt pressured, but I was more excited. I thought it was a great opportunity to try acting that I had never done before.”
She added, “Cha Mu-hee is a character who speaks indirectly. On the other hand, Dorami is free-spirited and straightforward. There was something very refreshing about acting as Dorami. I had a lot of fun playing her.”
Then she said, “In real life, I’m a bit closer to Dorami,” adding, “That’s why when I played Cha Mu-hee, I spent a lot of time analyzing the lines. I thought about what the core of what she wanted to say really was. I tried to strip away the wrapping and find the true meaning. Dorami, on the other hand, is straightforward, so she was easier to act.”
Go Youn-jung said, “Dorami represents Cha Mu-hee’s trauma and inner feelings, and when there were errors in communication with Ju Ho-jin, she played the role of conveying things properly. I thought of her as another kind of ‘interpreter.’”
She continued to share her thoughts on the romance between Cha Mu-hee and Ju Ho-jin. “When I first read the script, I also wondered, ‘When on earth are Ju Ho-jin and Cha Mu-hee going to get together?’” she said. “From the perspective of a viewer watching a romantic comedy, I felt that the process, with its ticklish tension and repeated communication errors, was what made it fun. I tried to use a lot of ad-libs to turn potentially frustrating moments into something entertaining and cheerful.”
She then talked about her chemistry with Kim Seon-ho, noting that the two-shot of the pair itself was one of the drama’s strongest driving forces.
Go Youn-jung said, “I didn’t try to force myself to become close to him. If you approach too quickly, it can have the opposite effect,” adding, “Basically, our codes matched well. His energy and willingness to make every scene richer and more fun were so great. I felt the same way, so the synergy was strong.”
She added, “Our sense of humor matched especially well,” and laughed as she said, “He used to not know anything about memes, but I kind of pulled him up to my level. Now he knows even more than I do. He even says, ‘You don’t know this?’ I guess I need to work harder.”
In Can This Love Be Interpreted?, Cha Mu-hee becomes a top star overnight. As someone who herself rose to prominence in a relatively short time, how did Go Youn-jung view Cha Mu-hee?
She said, “If someone suddenly became a top star overnight, like Cha Mu-hee, I think they would feel anxious. They might think it’s just a bubble and doubt themselves, wondering if they really deserve it.” She added, “Adapting to something achieved in a single day and maintaining it for a long time would require an enormous amount of effort.”
She went on to say that filming a romance made her rethink the importance of communication. “I’ve been in love too. And through that, I realized how important expression is,” she said. “If you’re not good at expressing yourself, your feelings don’t get properly conveyed to the other person. Communication fails. I don’t think being honest is always enough. I think it’s important to express your feelings without distortion in a way the other person can truly understand.”
Go Youn-jung made her debut in 2019 with the drama He Is Psychometric, and began gaining strong recognition through the Sweet Home series. She then continued her rise as a global star through works such as Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow, Moving, and Resident Playbook (Someday, Wise Resident Life). She is now in her seventh year since debut.
Moving in particular cannot be left out. Go Youn-jung said, “Even when I watch Moving again, it still feels unreal that I’m part of that universe. When I see myself among such senior actors, I still feel fluttered and proud.”
She also expressed her affection for Can This Love Be Interpreted?, saying, “Living in a fairy-tale-like project for over a year left me with so many memories. I was able to enjoy the unexpected challenge of playing a dual role. I think those memories will stay with me for a long time.” She continued, “They created an environment where I could try many things, so I gained a lot from it. There were many areas where I could challenge myself as an actress. That’s why I feel I grew through this project.”
Lastly, Go Youn-jung said, “I want to try new kinds of acting that I haven’t shown before,” adding, “Kim Seon-ho oppa has been acting for at least 10 years longer than I have, but the way he truly enjoys acting looks so wonderful. It never feels like work for him.” She continued, “Seeing how he creates ideas endlessly and acts with such joy made me feel that if I could act like that, ‘work’ would always be enjoyable. In 10 years, I want to become an actress who can act with that same sense of joy.”
Go Youn-jung is set to meet viewers this year through the drama Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness, in which she stars alongside Koo Kyo-hwan.
The 12-episode series Can This Love Be Interpreted? was released in full on the 16th.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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