"Lost 10kg while playing a 'Scarecrow'"... Erased the 'Heart Signal' tag, the rediscovery of Seo Ji-hye [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actress Seo Ji-hye (30) revealed the behind-the-scenes story of losing 10kg for 'Scarecrow' and giving her all.

The ENA Monday-Tuesday drama 'Scarecrow', which concluded on the 26th, tells the story of detective Kang Tae-ju (played by Park Hae-soo), who investigates a serial killer, unexpectedly forming an alliance with prosecutor Cha Si-young (played by Lee Hee-joon), someone he despised. The series is based on the 1986 serial killings in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, one of South Korea's three major unsolved cases. While Bong Joon-ho's film 'Memories of Murder' (2003) shed light on this case that remained unsolved at the time of its release, 'Scarecrow' covers the period up to the arrest of the true culprit in September 2019, leaving a meaningful message.

'Scarecrow' received explosive praise throughout its broadcast and ended with a high viewership rating of 8.1%. This set a record as the highest-rated ENA Monday-Tuesday drama and the second-highest among all ENA dramas.

In particular, 'Scarecrow' achieved the milestone of revealing a gem of an actress: the rediscovery of Seo Ji-hye. In the drama, Seo Ji-hye portrayed Kang Soon-young, the younger sister of Kang Tae-ju, the lover of Lee Gi-beom (played by Cha Young-beom, portrayed by Song Geon-hee), and the half-sister of Cha Si-young (played by Lee Hee-joon), depicting a tragic life. Pushed to the brink, Seo Ji-hye expressed the character's emotional journey, ranging from short-term memory loss to desperate revenge and despair, with solid acting skills. Amidst senior actors like Park Hae-soo and Lee Hee-joon, she delivered an indispensable performance in 'Scarecrow'.

As a result, Seo Ji-hye shed the tag of being a cast member from 'Heart Signal' (2017), the original of the 'Love Reality' (Yeon-peu) genre, and rose as a next-generation actress. She has steadily built her filmography since 2018 with 'My ID is Gangnam Beauty', 'Welcome to 2nd Life', 'Crime Puzzle', 'The Speed of 493km to You', '' (You Who Met Me by Chance), and 'Assembled Family'.

On the 28th, Seo Ji-hye held an interview at the StarNews building in Gwanghwamun, Jongno-gu, Seoul, sharing her thoughts on the intense interest. She said, "I really didn't expect 'Scarecrow' to be loved this much. It's the first time I've received so many messages from people saying they enjoyed it. Recently, even women on the street recognized me. They called out to me by my character's name, 'Isn't that Soon-young?' It was my first experience like that. Thank you for all the praise for my acting." She was moved to tears.

Seo Ji-hye also received praise from her seniors. She recalled, "I remember very well when Senior Park Hae-soo told me, 'You're already prepared as Soon-young, so just act as you think.' He said he liked it when I acted instinctively without overthinking, which gave me the confidence to go all in. Whenever I asked for advice, he would always say, 'You're doing well, keep going,' which was a great help. In reality, he took care of me just like a real older brother."

She continued, "I also had many discussions about acting with Senior Lee Hee-joon. He even gave me a gift of the book 'Acting Class.' It was a book filled with many things about the basics of acting and the mindset required. Since I never formally studied acting, I gained a lot of help from reading it. Senior Lee Hee-joon also provided delicate support and guided the set very comfortably."

In particular, Seo Ji-hye said, "'Scarecrow' was a project I wanted to do from the very first time I read the script. So, when I auditioned after receiving the script for the first four episodes, I went in having memorized the entire thing. I didn't even bring the script with me because I had prepared so much." She displayed her unique affection for the project.

She then revealed, "My weight now is almost 10kg different from when I was filming 'Scarecrow.' I did lose weight for the role, but after filming an emotional scene, I would feel as if I had a fever and wouldn't even have the strength to eat. After filming a sobbing scene, I even fainted in the car, so I kept losing weight during filming. Senior Kwak Sun-young, who is extremely thin, would ask me every time she saw me, 'Are you eating?' This gives a glimpse into the secret of her premium performance."

Seo Ji-hye said, "The set itself was full of fighting spirit, so a sense of responsibility and mission to work hard naturally arose." She added, "Even though the theme is heavy, I am so grateful to the viewers who watched until the end. I feel most grateful that everyone seemed to like each and every character."

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*This content was translated by AI.