'Solo Leveling 4' → 'The First Man': Kim Min-seol on becoming the villain as an ENFP [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Min-seol, who first gained recognition through last year's 'Solo Leveling 4', has returned to acting this year via 'The First Man', solidifying her position in her primary profession. Notably, this work marked her first leading role.

Recently, Kim Min-seol met with StarNews for an interview regarding the MBC daily drama 'The First Man' (directed by Kang Tae-heum, written by Seo Hyun-ju and Ahn Jin-young).

'The First Man' is a drama depicting the fatal confrontation between a woman who lives another person's life for revenge and a woman who steals another person's life for desire.

Kim Min-seol plays Jin Hong-ju, an employee at Dream Hotel armed with strong ambition. She is quick-witted and meticulous in her calculations, possessing a stubborn streak that will stop at nothing to achieve what she wants. However, she also reveals a clumsy side at critical moments, adding a twist of charm. While she only looks toward Kang Baek-ho (played by Yoon Seon-woo), unable to win his heart, she views Oh Jang-mi (played by Ham Eun-jung), whom Baek-ho loves, as a thorn in her side, ultimately playing a pivotal role that explodes into a quadrangular romance conflict involving Kang Jun-ho (played by Park Geon-il).

Born in 2000 and turning 25 this year, Kim Min-seol debuted in the 2022 KBS 2TV drama 'Beautiful Man' and went on to appear in EBS 1TV's 'The World Without You', tvN's 'Please Take Care of Me This Life', and other works. She was a winner (Jin) at the 2021 National Chunhyang Selection Contest, worked as a sports announcer, and gained public attention by appearing in last year's Netflix release 'Solo Leveling 4'.

-What are your thoughts on the conclusion of 'The First Man'?

▶It was my first leading role, and I am grateful that I could finish it well. I am also grateful because I believe this work will be remembered as a good one.

-'The First Man' is your first drama in three years since 'The World Without You' on EBS 1TV in 2022, and also your first leading role, so your feelings about the production must have been unique.

▶There was naturally a sense of burden, so I wanted to show good acting. I pondered how to portray Hong-ju in an appealing way. Although she is a villain, her clumsy side made me feel that Hong-ju was three-dimensional. I wanted to create the character in an interesting way.

-As you worked on a daily drama, did you feel your recognition rise as the audience base widened?

▶Actually, last week I went to a restaurant and an auntie asked if I was the person from 'The First Man'. I was so surprised and said, 'Thank you for recognizing me.' Since it was my first work, I wondered if anyone would recognize me on the street, but it was quite amazing. During the Lunar New Year holidays, I received many messages through acquaintances' parents. My own parents loved it so much that they rarely watch weekday dramas more than 40 times, yet they watched every episode.

-Among viewer comments about your role as Jin Hong-ju, which ones stand out in your memory?

▶This time, I particularly wanted to be recognized for my acting, and I received reactions like 'She acts well.' It was also good to hear responses saying they hoped to see Hong-ju in other works. There were even comments saying, 'I hate Hong-ju so much.' (laughs)

-What are the key points to watch for in the ending of 'The First Man'?

▶In episode 139, Hong-ju gets angry at Choi (CEO) (played by Oh Hyun-kyung) for the first and last time. I had to act while grabbing my senior's hair, but she told me, 'Don't feel burdened, just act.' Fortunately, we finished filming in one take. My senior even gave me elbow and knee pads. Oh Jang-mi's family takes care of me and my mom, and Hong-ju becomes the personal secretary to Jang-mi's family, living a life of repentance.

-How did you prepare for and act out the character of Jin Hong-ju?

▶I entered through an audition. After the first round, I decided to look less polished for the second round, so I went with heavy hair and makeup. I also practiced my expressions extensively. I think the director liked the various sides of Hong-ju that I portrayed. When the director asked why I wanted to do a daily drama, I said, 'I want to appear on TV that my grandmother turns on.' I believe he felt my sincerity from those words.

-Hong-ju struggled for love; are you as proactive in love as Hong-ju was?

▶Hong-ju stops at no means or methods. Actually, I am not quite like Hong-ju, but I have confessed to people and also received confessions.

-This is the most significant role you have taken in any TV drama so far. To what extent did you feel the weight of being a leading actor?

▶A leading actor must take perfect responsibility for the character. I also felt more strongly that I needed to film happily with senior actors and staff on set. Senior Ham Eun-jung told me, 'Please hit me harder' so that our next scene would come out three-dimensionally when we were waiting for each other's turns. She also said, 'If you have any questions in the future, feel free to come talk to me,' which made me very grateful.

-What was the most difficult scene to act in this drama?

▶In the beginning, I wondered how much anger Hong-ju should express. In reality, I am not usually a person who gets angry often and tend to be positive. Since I am a perfectionist, if I cannot achieve what I want 100%, I get angry at myself.

-How was your chemistry with actors Ham Eun-jung, Oh Hyun-kyung, Yoon Seon-woo, and Park Geon-il? I imagine you learned a lot from the seniors.

▶They were such senior actors that I wondered how far I should go. Senior Lee Hyo-jung monitored me and said things like 'This part was good' and 'You did very well today.' Senior Oh Hyun-kyung always treated me kindly, and whenever we had a scene together, she would say, 'We need to practice beforehand,' so we rehearsed more. Senior Eun-jung also always told me, 'Feel free to come talk to me first,' which I was grateful for. Senior Yoon Seon-woo enthusiastically said, 'Study it more' and gave me great acting advice. They all said they wanted to meet again in the next work. I wrote a letter to Senior Oh Hyun-kyung after filming ended, saying, 'I want to appear as your daughter next time.' To Senior Kim Sun-hye, who played Hong-ju's mother, I said, 'Next time I want to appear as a rich family's daughter.' (laughs)

-There was a scene where Oh Hyun-kyung grabbed your hair and slapped you. Were there any difficulties during filming?

▶I was worried about that scene even during rehearsals, but fortunately, my senior handled it well, so I could follow along easily from behind. Even though it was a hitting scene, she made sure it didn't hurt at all, which was amazing. We filmed it successfully in just two takes.

-How was your chemistry with actor Kim Sun-hye, who played Hong-ju's mother, Yeom San-wol?

▶There were many scenes where I shouted at my senior, so I felt sorry, but she accepted it well and told me, 'Thanks to you, I was able to act well too,' which made me grateful.

-How will 'The First Man' be remembered for Kim Min-seol?

▶I finally feel like it has truly ended. We met with senior actors and staff almost every week for nine months, so it feels like we will meet again in the studio next Monday. It is sad not to see each other, but I believe we will meet again while acting someday. I think this will remain a good first leading role for me. Since I was the youngest on set except for child actors, everyone treated me kindly, and I am grateful for that.

-You are still known to the public as a contestant from Netflix's 'Solo Leveling 4' alongside your acting career. Do you intend to continue appearing in variety shows?

▶People still recognize me mostly through that program. I think I appeared well on it. I want to do as many acting works as possible, and also appear frequently in variety shows to promote Kim Min-seol publicly.

-You previously worked as a sports announcer; how did you start acting?

▶While I was acting, the pandemic came, so I tried other things and became a sports announcer. Originally, I wanted to be a singer when I was young, but since I liked giving speeches, my mom recommended musical theater, so I joined an acting academy in middle school and went to Seoul Arts University. I performed at the academy and found it very fun. When acting, even with short monologues, you must fully understand the character, and that process is longer than expected. However, when I finally implement it perfectly, there is a sense of catharsis.

-Your MBTI is ENFP. It seems Kim Min-seol's cheerful nature, a typical trait of ENFPs, is charming.

▶You can know me that way in reality. On set, people also said, 'Hong-ju is bright and confident, which is good.' On the other hand, I have a serious side as well; I am someone who is more sincere than anyone else about things I like. I hope there will be many opportunities to show those sides in the future.

-What are your future plans? What kind of actor do you want to grow into?

▶Recently, I have thought that I want to become a 'friendly actor.' I hope to earn the title of 'acting fairy'—someone who makes people feel good when they see them. I want to settle in everyone's hearts.

-What are Kim Min-seol's recent personal interests?

▶Lately, I have been very into baking. Since I like making and eating things myself and enjoy desserts, I started baking. I even made Dduk-chunku and Oreo chewy cookies. (laughs)

-Is there anything you want to say to the viewers of 'The First Man' one last time?

▶It was a long journey until episode 140, so thank you for watching until the end, and thank you for viewing the character Hong-ju positively. Please watch me nicely in other works later as well.

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*This content was translated by AI.