Eom Jeong-hwa, Breaking Through the Age Barrier: "Action? I Can Do It for Another 20 Years" [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

• 'OK Madam 2' Eom Jeong-hwa Interview.

Actress Eom Jeong-hwa revealed her secret to continuing her career as an action actress, stating confidently, "I think I can keep going for another 20 years."

'OK Madam 2' is a comedic action film about the family of Mi-young (played by Eom Jeong-hwa), a former legendary agent who embarks on a luxury cruise vacation and gets caught up in a hijacking incident over a blue sea hanbok.

Eom Jeong-hwa returns as the lead character Lee Mi-young in 'OK Madam 2', approximately six years after the beloved 2020 summer film 'OK Madam'. The sequel also holds special significance as the first-ever follow-up produced in Eom Jeong-hwa's acting filmography.

Eom Jeong-hwa stated, "After 35 years of working as an actress, this is my first sequel. I am truly proud as an actress." She added, "I feel so happy that I've gained the strength to make a sequel that I can even praise myself for. The very fact that the film was made means a lot to me."

She further emphasized her deep sense of responsibility toward the project, saying, "I know it's not easy to produce sequels in Korea, so everyone went all out."

Eom Jeong-hwa revealed that she actively participated from the planning stage of 'OK Madam 2', building even stronger chemistry with the cast. She said, "Perhaps because we were together from the planning stage, this team met unusually often. I became very close with actors Park Sung-woong, Bae Jung-nam, and Lee Sang-yoon. It hardly felt like so much time had passed."

The most tangible sign of the five-year passage of time was the growth of Jeong Soobin, who plays her daughter in the film. Eom Jeong-hwa laughed, saying, "Seeing my daughter grow up a lot felt a bit awkward at first. But she grew well while keeping the same face. If her face had changed completely, I would have felt the passage of time even more strongly."

She also revealed that she never stopped practicing action even when it was uncertain whether a sequel would be made. She said, "Even without knowing when filming would begin, I consistently practiced boxing to hone my striking skills. After making the first film, I think I realized how fun action can be."

Eom Jeong-hwa recalled, "When I first started practicing the action for 'OK Madam 1', it felt too awkward. Even extending a single punch didn't come naturally. Since I was always dancing, it took a long time to get each movement right when doing action."

She continued, "Even after filming 'OK Madam', I kept boxing as a hobby. I practiced whenever I could, and when I heard we were making the second film, I approached it with a completely different mindset. I wanted to start action training as early as possible."

However, the actual preparation period was not long. Eom Jeong-hwa explained, "I received the script in advance, but I couldn't move forward until investment was decided. The investment decision came just three months before filming began. There wasn't enough time, but I did my best to prepare."

Eom Jeong-hwa showed confidence even in the expanded action sequences compared to the first film. She shared, "When making the first film, I had a lot of fear. Since we were doing action in the confined space of an airplane, I kept shrinking back because I was worried that no matter how I threw a punch, someone might get hurt."

She added with a smile, "In the second film, there was also more gun action. I practiced for a long time on how to handle a gun, but it ended up being too short in the finished film, which was a bit disappointing."

Above all, this film reflects her urgent desire to push beyond her limits as an actress. Eom Jeong-hwa emphasized, "This time, I had a strong thought: 'I will break through the age barrier.' Rather than relying on the staff's consideration, I wanted to accomplish everything entirely on my own as an actress."

She then declared, "I think I can continue for another 20 years. I believe it is fully possible right now," showing her determination to keep challenging herself as an action actress.

Eom Jeong-hwa revealed that as she has gotten older, managing her weight has become more difficult, leading her to change her diet. She said, "Dieting has become much harder than before. As I age, my body feels heavier, and the heavier my body gets, the heavier my mind feels."

She also disclosed that she started a low-carb, high-fat (low carbohydrate, high fat) diet during a slump period lasting about three years. She confessed, "As the number of projects decreased, I felt like I was hitting a wall. I think I probably started the low-carb, high-fat diet around then. My confidence dropped significantly, and I worried that if no acting roles came in for longer, or if people forgot me as an actress, what would happen?"

After maintaining this dietary change intensely for about two and a half to three years, she experienced not only weight loss but also health improvements. Eom Jeong-hwa recalled, "Not only did my weight decrease, but I also experienced lower inflammation levels in my body and clearer blood. Through this process, I learned that carbohydrates and sugar can cause inflammation in the body."

Currently, she no longer strictly adheres to a rigorous low-carb, high-fat diet, but has naturally developed a habit of reducing her intake of carbohydrates and sugar. She explained, "I'm not strictly following low-carb, high-fat anymore, but I've naturally started limiting carbohydrates and sugar. I don't strictly stick to one meal a day; I eat about one and a half meals, and I can feel my body becoming lighter and healthier."

She added with a smile, "Rather than finding this process painful, I'm satisfied because the benefits of feeling better in my body are greater. It's more important to me that I can maintain my health than the joy of eating delicious food."

She continued, "When I received the script for 'OK Madam', I was so happy. It felt so precious that I could have cried. Meeting that project gave me strength again."

Eom Jeong-hwa also shared her honest thoughts on being evaluated as a role model for younger actors through her career path.

She said, "I feel very happy and fortunate. I myself felt the wall of age many times. There were fixed notions about how one should act at this age, and since our generation lived within those frameworks, we had to break through that wall."

Smiling, she added, "Fortunately, because I kept receiving projects, I was able to get here. There were times when the path ahead felt unclear, but now I have the courage to continue acting."

She then said, "Sometimes I feel like this is just the beginning. I always have a craving for new projects. While living as an actress, I hope to someday find that truly special project."

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*This content was translated by AI.