'The Absolute Value of Romance' Kim Hyang-gi recalls her school days... "I tried not to harm my high school senior friends" [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Interview with actress Kim Hyang-gi, who plays the role of Yeo Ui-ju in Coupang Play's series "The Absolute Value of Romance"

Actress Kim Hyang-gi, who took on a comedy genre role for the first time in 19 years since her debut, recalled her school days.

Recently, an interview with actress Kim Hyang-gi of Coupang Play's series "The Absolute Value of Romance" (script by Lee Min-ju, directed by Lee Tae-gon and Kim Jun-hyeong) was held at a cafe in Palpan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

"The Absolute Value of Romance" is a high school comedy series in which high school student Yeo Ui-ju (played by Kim Hyang-gi), who writes romance novels about handsome male teachers, encounters unexpected moments with them in reality and becomes the protagonist of a tumultuous school life. Kim Hyang-gi plays Yeo Ui-ju, a high school student who transforms into romance novelist "Lee Mok" at night, freely creating a world in her imagination.

Kim Hyang-gi took on a comedy genre challenge with "The Absolute Value of Romance" for the first time in 19 years since her debut. Regarding this, Kim Hyang-gi stated, "I had always admired comedians. When developing the character, I considered the comedy element to be 'sincerity.' I wanted the image of a friend with dreams at that age to be expressed naturally and harmoniously, so I practiced hard on my own."

She added, "Since it was my first time, there were moments when I wondered if this was right. As the number of characters increased, synergy emerged, which made me want to be even funnier, so I felt like I might overact, but the director did a great job of setting the right boundaries."

She also spoke about her hairstyle. Kim Hyang-gi explained, "After finishing the previous project, my hair wasn't particularly long. To make a big change, I would have needed to attach a hairpiece, but when I imagined Yeo Ui-ju, it didn't feel like it would suit her. While wondering what I could do with my own hair, a spiky hairstyle came to mind. As I considered how to bring out the comedy element externally, I decided to cut my bangs."

Kim Hyang-gi, who recalled her school days vividly, said, "I studied engineering. The director conducted auditions for all supporting actors and personally assigned each role. Since the friends with energetic roles fit well, we also discussed trending memes and had fun filming."

How was the acting chemistry with Cha Hak-yeon (as Ga Soo-woo), Kim Jae-hyun (as Noda Ju), Son Jeong-hyeok (as Jeong Gi-jeon), and Kim Dong-gyu (as Yoon Dong-ju)? Kim Hyang-gi revealed, "At the beginning of filming, everyone was quite tense. I saw them frequently checking the acting tone with the director, but as time passed and they gained more freedom, it was fun to see them perform to their own satisfaction."

She continued, "In my case, I have many scenes with classmates, and even when filming those scenes, I found myself talking more and more. The director also eventually said, 'You guys go ahead and do it freely. What do you think would work best?' giving us a lot of freedom, which created a lively atmosphere on set."

What was Kim Hyang-gi's actual school life like? She recalled, "I still meet my middle and high school friends the most. I think I lived in an environment that naturally accepted me. Even while pursuing acting, it was an environment that didn't place a heavy burden on me, and I am truly grateful to my friends for that. I think I had a pretty good school life."

She added, "I tried my best not to cause any trouble for my high school senior friends, and I remember that our homeroom teacher for the senior class offered a lot of encouragement in that regard."

When asked if she had ever read BL novels, Kim Hyang-gi replied, "I have seen BL movies, but not novels." She continued, "Ultimately, I viewed Yeo Ui-ju as believing that (BL) is just one kind of love. I didn't deliberately search for more BL works to prepare."

How well did she sync with the character Yeo Ui-ju? Kim Hyang-gi said, "I think about 50 percent. The main thread is similar in that she has something she loves and is immersed in it."

When asked if she had ever "fandom-ed" something like Yeo Ui-ju, she confessed, "I do a lot of character fandoming. I like Crayon Shin-chan. I tend to like cute characters overall," which drew laughter.

Kim Hyang-gi, who debuted as a magazine cover model at the young age of four in April 2003, began her acting career with the 2006 film "Heart." Since then, she has built a diverse filmography, appearing in films such as "Shadow Murder," "Wolf Boy," "Graceful Lie," "Along with the Gods," "Yeongju," "Witness," "Hansan: Rising Dragon," and dramas including "Queen's Classroom," "Joseon Psychiatrist Yoo Se-pung," "Play, Fly," and "Cashier."

Kim Hyang-gi, who was often called "teacher" on set, was asked how it was on the set of "The Absolute Value of Romance." She said, "There were many peers, so it felt like I was filming as if I had actually come to high school. I saw scenes shot from a teacher's perspective, and the energy of the female students was immense. I thought, 'I just need to capture that as is.' In reality, on set, we would talk and play like friends, and if we felt our energy dropping, we would share snacks."

She also mentioned the reactions from those around her. She said, "For a while, I appeared in genre-specific works, and I was quite worried myself. I didn't show it outwardly, but close friends knew. I tend to ask a lot of questions to those around me. Fortunately, although I was worried about whether I could pull off the Navy Headquarters role, those around me watched it with enjoyment. They said they chuckled, so I am grateful and relieved."

Kim Hyang-gi, born in 2000, successfully portrayed a student in "The Absolute Value of Romance" as well. When asked how many more years she could wear a school uniform, she expressed her conviction: "I'm not sure. I was wondering if I should show something new, but I think I should just work hard with what is given, just as I am doing now."

She added, "Since it had been a while since I wore one, I wondered, 'Is this okay?' but I was relieved that those around me said, 'You still look fine. It suits you.' As an actress, I think it's good to be able to move freely up and down in age."

She also mentioned the reactions from those around her. She said, "For a while, I appeared in genre-specific works, and I was quite worried myself. I didn't show it outwardly, but close friends knew. I tend to ask a lot of questions to those around me. Fortunately, although I was worried about whether I could pull off the Navy Headquarters role, those around me watched it with enjoyment. They said they chuckled, so I am grateful and relieved."

Kim Hyang-gi, born in 2000, successfully portrayed a student in "The Absolute Value of Romance" as well. When asked how many more years she could wear a school uniform, she expressed her conviction: "I'm not sure. I was wondering if I should show something new, but I think I should just work hard with what is given, just as I am doing now."

She added, "Since it had been a while since I wore one, I wondered, 'Is this okay?' but I was relieved that those around me said, 'You still look fine. It suits you.' As an actress, I think it's good to be able to move freely up and down in age."

She said, "I think there has been some change in the tension level. Every work requires an adaptation period, and I feel that period has become shorter. I enter a work with a significantly heightened physical tension, and I feel I have gained the leeway to control that aspect. However, since media changes rapidly, I think I need to adapt well."

She also shared her philosophy on acting. Kim Hyang-gi stated, "Character approaches vary, so I can't pinpoint just one. I think quickly emptying oneself of a character helps in daily life. I like taking walks. For me, walking is not 'rest' but a concept of 'recovery.' Even when I get stuck while reading a script, good ideas often come to mind while walking."

She further said, "I think acting is like a 'lifelong friend' to me. I like the concept of 'friendship.' I feel good about building a friendship where we maintain a certain boundary and treat each other politely, and acting feels like that."

Regarding "The Absolute Value of Romance," in which Kim Hyang-gi took on comedy acting for the first time since her debut, she expressed her affection: "I think it was a good time to take on this challenge because I had to accept and challenge something new from zero (0). I think it will remain memorable for a long time."

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*This content was translated by AI.