Introducing February Starring YunJee Kim

YunJee was photographed by Sopia.k and styled by Mi Ran Park; hair by Ha Jeong Lee and make-up by Hyun Yoo Noh. Interview by Alison Engstrom. She is wearing a look by Maison Marais.

Above Full look by Studio Table

It’s so great to meet you! I’d love to start off by congratulating you on the massive success of ‘Lift’. It’s such a brilliant action-packed comedy that really leaves you on the edge of your seat.  When you auditioned for the project, what was your immediate reaction to the premise of the film?

I have always been a huge fan of heist films so when I first saw the synopsis, my immediate reaction was full of excitement. I saw F. Gary Gray’s name on the list and thought how amazing it would be to film a heist movie with the director of The Italian Job.

I’d love for you to talk about your character Mi-Sun and how she comes into the plot.

Mi-Sun is a crazy tech genius who is capable of coming up with and building any kind of apparatus that is needed in the operation for the crew. She also oversees all the technical plans for the heist that enables other members of the crew to proceed with the plan without any kind of obstacles. I loved Mi-Sun from the moment I saw the audition script because I could tell that she isn’t just this serious, smart person, but a person with humor and a unique character. As you can see from the film, she is fun and funky and also very professional at what she does and what she is in charge of.

 I can only imagine working with Kevin Hart had its funny moments. Were there any times it was hard not break character and any examples you could share?

It was truly an incredible experience to have worked with Kevin on set. I grew up watching him on stage and wondered what he would be like in person. He is even more amazing in person and to work with. He always kept us laughing and high-spirited. There were moments where Kevin will just keep going on even after Gary calls out ‘cut!’. We would all just play along which felt like a bunch of friends hanging out a lot of the times. 

You filmed the series all over including Belfast, Venice, and the Alps. What was your favorite location? 

I would say Venice since it was my first time visiting and everything just felt so surreal that we were filming in such a beautiful city. But Belfast, Northern Ireland has to be my favorite out of all the places that we filmed. We started filming in Belfast and also ended the project there. So we spent a lot of time getting to know each other and made countless memories together. I miss that place from time to time.

Above Look by Daze Days

What have been some of your favorite reactions from fans?

Not many of my Korean fans were aware of the fact that I was working on a Hollywood film for the last twp years. So when it came out, many of them watched film without knowing I was in it and was surprised by it. They left me a lot of comments and congratulatory messages and were expressing their excitement to see me debut in Hollywood.

You are an accomplished singer as well. I love talking about creative flow and where inspiration is spawned. When you are embarking on something new, what’s your process? Is music very much part of your life as you pursue acting? Thinking back, have there been any defining moments that led you to where you are today?

When I’m approaching something new and trying to look for inspiration, I have two ways of doing it. I look for whatever it is within me and also look for outside sources that could help me with creativity. I think we all have so many different characters and personalities that lie deep inside us. So, I try to dig deeper into myself to find my own experiences and obstacles that could help develop feelings and emotions that’s needed. For Lift specifically, I am not much of a tech person in real life, so I tried to watch other films that incorporate virtual technology moments. 

Above Full look by Golden Goose

Do you have a personal motto or philosophy on what you decide to do creatively or professionally? You also are going to star in ‘Red Swan’ which will stream on Disney+ internationally and on Hulu in the U.S. later this year. Is there anything you can say about this project?

I tend to watch movies and TV shows that take me away from reality for a moment or that gives me some kind of comfort and healing out of it. I hope to give that moment of freedom to audiences while watching any project that I am acting in. I feel a responsibility as an actor to give the best performance in order to transport viewers into the world I’m portraying. 

Red Swan is about to come out later this year. I am very excited for everyone to see the romance thriller that we have been working very hard on last year. It is full of curiosity, suspense, surprises, and romance. I think a lot of K-drama fans will enjoy this project very much. 

Are you working on anything else people should know about?

I am currently doing a lot of projects with many different outlets. I am thankful for the international success of Lift because I am given a lot of opportunities not only in Korea but also internationally to further my career as an actor. I can’t wait to see what this year will plan out to be.

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stream ‘lift’ on netflix

A special thank you to this team and Shelter PR.