Goo Hye Sun for Ceci Magazine

English Translation from susamerica@soompi.com:

Star Catalogue:
Stars that you have been wondering about...CeCi brings their stories to you.

Things I wanted to ask actress GHS:

GHS is planning to crank up her full length film in November and it is a story of a cellist and music. When did she start writing her script? Did she complete the casting process? Nobody knows. Not too long ago when she published her novel, exhibited her art work and came out with her music CD--nobody knew much about it either. Her working process has always been very quiet. That is why, to most people, GHS is not an easily understandable text.

(There are writings on this article usually next to GHS pictures that advertises CeCe clothes and how much they cost. I am not translating that. But I will translate some of the excerpts next to her pictures that are related to GHS.)

Only few years ago, the one qualifier word, Ulzzang explained everything about GHS the actress. Her face is full of mischiefs and curiosity behind those huge blinking eyes. But she gives me a correction:

I used to say that I can do anything: from the NN5's energetic and 'uh ri bah ri'=goofy? screenwriter, to untainted Yanbin female of the Pure Heart of 19, to Queen Yune who aroused 'gah chae' in King and I. Yes, I tried my hardest, but I also have lonely memories of not having things work out the way I wanted. In the beginning, I thought that things worked out well for me because I have all the luck and because I am special. I did not realized just how many people worked so hard to help me.Especially through KIng and I, my self-conceit and pride broke off. Because I made a debut at young age, I may have matured faster.

In 2009, GHS again solidified her place as an actress by playing Geum Jandi who, having gone through the torture of being abused and bullied end up being loved by the F4. While her popularity soared among the mass, her TV appearance time gradually decreased. Most celebrities' pattern is to be mindful of how their audience is feeling about them and to adjust themselves to maintain their status. Same pattern does not apply to GHS. In the middle of such heated popularity, GHS walks out showing one at a time new and different sides to her. After the big hit of BOF, she could have easily just enjoyed the unending adulation.

However, she quickly gargled the taste of popularity out of her and published her first novel, TANGO. Then she opened her own private exhibition of her illustrations and art work. Then she produced her New Age musical CD. And, in November, she is to hold the megaphone as a director. (We know that this article was written before the her movie was postponed.) Now, nobody can really predict her future. She may be able to think about what she has to do tomorrow, but she cannot make a guaratee or positive assertion about her future. She is curious herself what would be her future. Only thing that she feels sure is that the process will be mighty interesting. (She is still positive, GREAT!)

I always work with a smile on my face. I feel more the benefit from working really hard. On the one hand, living so intensely may seem empty, but I feel so alive. Making movie is about constantly being face to face with other people around you all the time--to communicate, to fight, to have conferences---I really enjoy that process.

Carefully, the reporter asked GHS about her new movie. Firstly, it is a mystery. The story deals with the endless desires of artistic people. They want to fulfill their intense desires yet the desire is endlesss and meaningless conflicts arise. People die. Towards the end, even after the death of a lover, the lead actor's frame of mind to still need to play the cello is revealed. It may not be your typical Korean movie that one is used to--it is slightly manic. (smiles)

After BOF, people are again acknowledging her as the actress. So, WHY does she have to choose a difficult road of being a director? As I became more and more famous as an actress, whether consciously or subconciously, my routine has turned into hiding myself from the public. The more I talked, sometimes the more it worked aginst me. If I play a bright and energetic character, I had to stay in that character no matter where I am. If I play a sad character, I could not easily laugh anywhere either. The character that I play is not the real and entire me. If I show the public many other aspects of me, would they be more confused? I want to be more free with myself and the public. How long do I have live my life by restraining and abstaining from being myself? The more and more I thought about it, the lonelier I became.

To comfort my loneliness, I scribbled, painted and composed. However, those are jobs for only one person to do. I wanted to meet people more. So, I went out. I took my work with me. Actually, even before I became an actress, I wrote, painted and composed. Those senior actors who have worked me have seen my work and have encouraged me to not just keep it as a hobby but to consider writing books and to do art exhibitions. Under such positive encouragement, she worked hard giving up sleep. That is how she came out with her work to the public.

I know that I lacked tremendously, but I maintained the cocky attitude that I wanted to do what I wanted to do no matter what. Luckily, many people helped me. Some friends worried for me. They cautioned me to first do more acting, really sharpen the acting skills, to try for movie roles. Then, slowly with more experience, try other challenges. I thought about it. However, when would there be the right time for me to know that I am ready to challenge myself new. What if such readiness never come my entire life and I die? By nature, we human beings are not even perfect to start with!

(No time like the present when one has the strong desires. US Nike should have capitalized on GHS's attitude about life: Life is just too short. This is it. No time for rehearsals. Just Do It! And leave the results to the wind! Love and enjoy the process of making your life so very rich and full! I just love her!)

I decided to give myself some room. I told myself that I am doing it because I want to do it, not because I am so good at it. A person who already lives her life so intensely may bring out even more authentic colors of her being by adding a flavor of something new. To make one scene, I fight fiercely with the staff. We may even fight more than 12 times a day.

Then I would say, (We all know what happens to those sand castles when the tide comes in. Right? GHS seems to saying that she felt stifled as an actress but more free and less lonley as a director. She broke FREE. I hope that even if she continues an an actress, she will take roles that make her feel more free and limitless so that we will still see her on screen, not only behind the screen. What a human being!)

Now, this is the start for me. I already hung out all my work out there for the public. I am sure that while filming, from time to time, I will look at some of the results and say to myself, I am going crazy...What am I to do now! But, you know what, I know positively for sure that it will be nothing but very interesting!

(Some character GHS is!)

credits: susamerica/natali/minjee@soompi.com + as labeled