'Manager Kim' Seo Su-min: "SNS video hits 2 million views, sparking buzz → Many contacts from acting and idol agencies → I debuted as an actress" [Interview ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Seo Su-min (19) shared her own story about 'Manager Kim'.

On the 27th, Seo Su-min met with StarNews at a café on Hak-dong-ro in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, for an interview regarding SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Manager Kim' (written by Nam Dae-jung, directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun).

'Manager Kim' is a father-universe revenge action drama about the world's most ordinary father who becomes the world's most dangerous man to fight for his only daughter. The drama started with a 9.5% viewership in its first episode and recorded 21.6% within four episodes, writing new history as the first drama in two years to surpass the 20th% mark. In the final episode (episode 10) aired on the 25th, it achieved a peak viewership of 23.1%, proving its phenomenon status. (Based on Nielsen Korea nationwide data.) 'Manager Kim' successively surpassed records of past SBS Friday-Saturday dramas such as 'Stove League', 'Taxi Driver Season 2', and 'The Priest', setting a historic record by ranking second in viewership among all SBS Friday-Saturday dramas.

Its global box office performance was also dazzling. 'Manager Kim' held the number one spot in the Global Non-English TV Shows category on Netflix for three consecutive weeks, proving its worldwide popularity. It also recorded three consecutive weeks at number one in TV-OTT drama buzz and dominated the top tier in actor/actress buzz, sweeping all aspects of viewership, global popularity, and buzz.

In the drama, Seo Su-min took on the role of Kim Min-ji, the daughter of Manager Kim (played by So Ji-sub), making her first foray into drama. Seo Su-min delicately expressed Min-ji's diverse emotions, from the realistic portrayal of a teenage daughter to the fear and anxiety in an unexpected crisis, and the desperation to survive until the end. Especially in the early episodes where sadness and affection coexisted toward her father, through scenes of enduring extreme situations after being kidnapped, and up to the moment she finally faced her father again, she naturally conveyed the character's emotional changes, enhancing immersion.

-How do you feel about the conclusion of 'Manager Kim'?

▶I thought it would go well since I was working with good seniors, but I didn't expect it to be this successful. I consider it a miracle. On set, we always filmed in a good atmosphere with staff members and seniors.

-Since it was your first drama, weren't you burdened when approaching the work?

▶I felt quite burdened. Since 'Manager Kim' itself is a drama based on a webtoon, I worried whether webtoon fans would accept it well. I also worried about not causing trouble in terms of acting, but the director and staff helped me act very comfortably on set with a feeling of raising me together.

-How do you feel about the popularity?

▶Even after 'Manager Kim' aired, I went around without wearing a hat or mask, but people recognized me on subways and elsewhere. My friends and teachers actually didn't know I was acting. They contacted me very often after seeing me suddenly appear on TV.

-You mentioned before that you worked part-time even before 'Manager Kim'. Are you still working part-time now?

▶I am still working part-time. I work at a takoyaki shop, and since the store is closing down, I will work until the end of July. I took the part-time job thinking I should try something other than acting.

-Before 'Manager Kim', you made yourself known through daily vlogs on YouTube.

▶I never had any intention of acting; before YouTube, I used Instagram. People who visited my Instagram were originally curious about what I was like at school. At that time, I was with my company (agency), and I secretly uploaded a video. Then I asked the company, 'Is it okay to upload videos?' and the company replied, 'It would be better to stop uploading now.' I was grateful for so much attention. The company told me not to upload videos, but I uploaded another one anyway, and it became a hit. I said, 'I was just too bored and had no choice.' Now, only my 'bus video' is left public because it's a memorable video where not only I but also my friend from high school appeared together. I wanted to make the rest of the videos public as well, but since 'Manager Kim' became a hit, attention has been drawn. It's good that people are paying good attention, but once things calm down later, I might upload them again.

-When did you join your current agency, WY Entertainment?

▶I joined the company around winter break. I filmed a makeup video and then entered the company. Now, I went to the company directly myself. The makeup video also exceeded 2 million views, so many agencies for actors and idols contacted me. However, since I can't dance, I couldn't become an idol, and I wanted to act. I like watching movies, dramas, and exhibitions, and I think the characters in them give strength. Acting also seems to have the power to move people's hearts, so I wanted to give such influence to people as well.

-Did you study acting before?

▶I learned acting while at the company and never studied acting professionally. I auditioned several times and got cast in 'Manager Kim'. The director told me, 'I fell in love with you at first sight.' (laughs) The director also watched my two-minute free video and said he was confident about casting me.

-What thoughts did you have after being cast in this work?

▶All I could think was, 'Wow, this is a huge hit.' Then I immediately immersed myself in practice. I was grateful that such an important role was given to a newcomer with no filmography, and since I appeared as So Ji-sub's senior's daughter, I thought it was something impossible. I thought I would fail the audition, so I was surprised when I got cast.

-How did you prepare for the role of Min-ji?

▶I had to be not just a student but also in situations involving kidnapping and gunfights. When I first received up to four parts of the script, I read it multiple times and visualized the scenes. Actually, I really dislike reading text, but since I was given such an important role, I thought I should work hard. I believed that repeating and visualizing is what actors do.

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*This content was translated by AI.