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| Kim Tae-ri / Courtesy of Netflix |
An ascendant actress talks on forging her own path
By Kwak Yeon-soo
The "Handmaiden" and "Little Forest" star Kim Tae-ri has emerged as one of Korea's most-sought-after young talents through a mix of boldness, curiosity and relentless focus.
A mixture of confidence and vulnerability has made Kim a commanding presence since her debut in auteur Park Chan-wook's 2016 erotic thriller "The Handmaiden." That performance ― she played a pickpocket named Sook-hee who conspires with conman Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) to swindle the wealthy Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) ― earned her multiple awards for best new actress.
Her profile has skyrocketed thanks to a string of projects ― including director Jang Joon-hwan's historical drama "1987" (2017) and Yim Soon-rye's "Little Forest" (2018), a film about finding solace in the beauty of the countryside.
"I'm neither meticulous nor calculating. I just followed my heart and I was lucky to be given opportunities to work with the country's prominent directors and actors who I look up to very much," she said during a Zoom interview with The Korea Times, Monday.
Kim revealed that she had more pressure on her shoulders when filming "Space Sweepers" than any other previous works.
"Honestly, I felt zero pressure for box office success after 'The Handmaiden' because I was aware of my weaknesses and knew that I would need to get help from others. So I was more concerned about developing my characters," she said.
"When filming 'Space Sweepers,' however, I had more pressure than usual. But I tried to let it go because feeling overwhelmed or anxious doesn't help when acting."
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| A scene from "Space Sweepers" / Courtesy of Netflix |
Kim, who plays Captain Jang in "Space Sweepers," explained that the ensemble cast had great chemistry on and off set.
"We were a perfect team. Because it is the first Korean sci-fi movie set in outer space, it was challenging and new to everyone. The actors and the production crew really worked together to bring the movie to completion, and it was a fulfilling experience," she said.
The actress said the film is "very human. It basically talks about love for humankind."
Kim shared that every time she sees herself feeling low, she goes to bed or indulges in her hobbies such as baking, sewing or playing the piano.
Unafraid to try new things, Kim stayed in the United Kingdom for two months in 2019 to study English.
"Thanks to that experience, my English got better. But it got rusty again. Two months was too short," she complained.
The 31-year-old actress joined Instagram recently, where she uploaded old photos of herself in order to interact with her fans.
"I wasn't so sure about joining social media because there wasn't much idea about running it. Nonetheless I started it because my agency recommended it. I still need to get used to reading comments while livestreaming," she laughed.
Kim is currently filming director Choi Dong-hoon's "Alien," a sci-fi blockbuster about aliens in the Joseon era. "There's nothing I can say about the film at the moment but I'm sure a lot of people would love that film too," she said.
