'Kill Shot 2' Kim Hye-jun's Growth: 'Ordinary Quality Like a Neighbor's Younger Sister Is Her Strength' [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

For actor Kim Hye-jun, 'Killers of the Mall' remains more than just a seasonal production. Like 'Jung Ji-an,' who grew from an ordinary college student to lead the mall's killers, Kim Hye-jun herself became a stronger actress through both Season 1 and Season 2.

'Killers of the Mall Season 2' is a stylish action series in which 'Ji-an' (played by Kim Hye-jun), who has taken over as the new CEO of the mall after a grueling handover, launches a full-scale counterattack alongside 'Jin-man' (played by Lee Dong-wook), who has returned from the dead, against the global power 'Babylon.'

Kim Hye-jun portrayed 'Ji-an,' who grew from an ordinary college student into the new CEO of the mall. Though she wants to return to her ordinary life, she awakens her killer instincts in the face of an unavoidable fate and stands together with her uncle 'Jin-man' against a massive enemy.

Regarding the release of 'Killers of the Mall Season 2,' Kim Hye-jun stated, "I feel strange. It's as if I'm saying goodbye to 'Ji-an' for real, so it's bittersweet and nostalgic for the filming days, leaving me with complex emotions."

She continued, "Of course, I was happy to play 'Ji-an' again, but I naturally felt the burden of 'How should I show her growth?' For lines where 'Ji-an' might appear a bit weak, I discussed them with the director and went through a revision process."

She added, "I thought 'If it were Ji-an, she wouldn't have said those lines.' Since Ji-an is no longer just an ordinary girl but someone who understands this entire world and accepts her life as a killer, I paid close attention to portraying her appearance and speech patterns accordingly.

Kim Hye-jun mentioned the strong bond she shares with the actors from Season 1, saying, "We've already become so close that we feel like family. Even after meeting again after a long time, there's no need to say 'Long time no see.'"

Especially regarding Lee Dong-wook, who plays her uncle Jin-man, she expressed special gratitude. Kim Hye-jun said, "He always tells me, 'You are the protagonist. Jung Ji-an is the protagonist.' There were many moments when I felt intimidated or lost confidence, and he would encourage and support me."

She further added, "Others on set also treated me that way, giving strength to the character of Ji-an. For these reasons, I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Lee Dong-wook oppa."

Kim Hye-jun also explained the line in the work, "Listen well, Jung Jin-man." She said, "I thought that scene could show Ji-an's growth. The staff had high expectations for it as well. I saw the act of planning with my uncle while telling him 'Listen well' as a key point of Ji-an's development."

She continued, "The line 'Listen well, Jung Jin-man' was not originally planned. It seems to have been an idea that came up during post-recording. I thought, 'Wouldn't it be good if I tried saying "Listen well" once?'"

She then shared, "Speaking those words as Ji-an gave me goosebumps. I also thought fans who waited for Season 2 would love hearing this line. I probably recorded it several times until I was satisfied."

There were also changes in Kim Hye-jun as an actress after going through 'Killers of the Mall.' She said, "If there's one thing that has expanded, it's that I've come to love the set more. I've also thought much more about how to live and communicate with the staff on set than before."

Especially in Season 2, as her screen time and role grew, she naturally felt a greater responsibility to lead the set.

She said, "Since Ji-an has a lot of filming scenes, I felt a sense of responsibility to get along better with the staff and lead the set more than in Season 1. I also thought a lot about how I should behave on set."

As an actor who experienced Season 1, her attitude toward newly joining actors also changed. Kim Hye-jun explained, "Having filmed Season 1 and then immediately moved to Season 2, I realized that new actors might find it difficult to join the existing team. So I thought that the actors from Season 1 should break the ice first and make them feel comfortable."

She added, "Through this process, I learned a lot by observing how other actors approached the set. It was a place where I could learn not only acting but also how to create a work together with people," giving 'Killers of the Mall' special significance.

After finishing 'Killers of the Mall Season 2,' Kim Hye-jun also took on her first romantic comedy through tvN's 'My Favorite Employee.' She opened up about how she has changed as an actress and her desire to expand into new genres in the future.

Regarding her growth as an actress, Kim Hye-jun reflected, "By the time I feel I've gained some ease, I look at the results again and find more areas for improvement. I think all actors probably feel that kind of regret."

Especially while filming 'Killers of the Mall Season 2,' she said she was able to let go a bit of the burden regarding emotional acting. Kim Hye-jun explained, "In Season 2, there were many scenes where I had to pour out my emotions. In the past, such scenes were difficult, but this time I was able to let go of some of that burden."

She continued, "I realized that having a lot of burden doesn't necessarily lead to better acting. When you breathe together with people and look into your co-actor's eyes, there are moments when emotions just come naturally."

In the past, she would prepare for emotional scenes well in advance by immersing herself early on, but now she focuses more on the process of breathing together with her co-actors on set. She recalled, "In the past, I would hold onto emotions for days before filming. But this time, even if we were laughing and chatting right up until the moment, once we started filming, there were moments when anger, sadness, or joy just came naturally."

She then added, "I realized that emotions don't just happen because I calculate or prepare them. While it could be called growth, I think it's more accurate to say that experience has accumulated."

Kim Hye-jun expressed her wish to show various faces rather than staying within a specific genre in the future. She emphasized, "I have a strong desire to expand my genres. I hope to be called for many roles. There are many things I want to learn and challenge. I believe I can continue to improve even within a single genre."

When asked about her own strengths, she pointed to 'ordinariness.' Kim Hye-jun said, "I don't think my appearance or physical condition is particularly outstanding. In fact, people often tell me things like 'You seem like you live next door' or 'You look like a cousin.'"

She continued, "I think it's when a girl with such ordinariness does unexpected actions that she becomes charming. There's an element of surprise when someone who doesn't seem like they would shoot a gun or see blood finds themselves in such a situation."

She concluded, "I think my strength lies in how well my ordinary appearance and unexpected characters blend together," summarizing her identity as an actress.

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*This content was translated by AI.