Actress Kwon Eunbi opened up about her tough journey while taking on the challenge of acting in Japanese.
On October 18, she sat down for an interview at Megabox COEX to discuss her lead role in the film Smartphone: The Last Hacker, directed by Nakada Hideo. This movie is the final part of a popular trilogy based on novels by Japanese author Shiga Akira. Kwon Eunbi plays Sumin, a mysterious black-haired beauty, and she expressed her excitement about this big opportunity. “I’m thrilled and happy to be part of a Japanese production,” she said, sharing her mix of excitement and nervousness as the release date approaches.
As it was her first leading role, Kwon Eunbi felt the weight of expectations. “I felt a lot of pressure when I was cast as a lead. It made me think a lot,” she admitted. She also reflected on her worries: “Since this is my first time, I worry that my shortcomings may be noticeable. I’m ready to accept honest feedback. If you offer praise, it opens up the possibility for growth. So I hope you can share both good words and areas I need to improve on without hesitation.” Rather than feeling completely satisfied with her performance, she was focused on doing well and expressed her hopes for everyone to enjoy her first challenge.
Kwon Eunbi shared that the atmosphere on the Japanese set was quite different from what she was used to in Korea. “It took me some time to adapt. I wanted to have deeper conversations with the other actors, but I could only say simple greetings like ‘Have you eaten?’ and ‘How are you feeling today?’” she explained. “I felt disappointed about that. But if I think positively, it helped me focus on my role. My character was lonely and cold, so I could immerse myself in those emotions.”
To prepare for her role, she asked her agency to clear her schedule for three months to focus solely on studying the script. “I had three teachers during that time. One helped with pronunciation, one was a male actor playing my counterpart, and the last was a female teacher who helped me with emotional organization,” she shared. Reflecting on this period, she said, “It was my first time experiencing such a lonely time since my debut.”
Kwon Eunbi expressed her gratitude for her co-star Narita Ryo, calling him a great partner. “I’m grateful that my first acting partner was Narita-san. He really immersed himself in his role,” she said. “He guided me through each line and emotion during rehearsals and practiced pronunciation details with me. It was an honor to work together for the first time.”
As she looks forward to the release of Smartphone: The Last Hacker on November 1, Kwon Eunbi hopes to grow from this experience and connect with audiences through her performance. She said, “It was a lonely time, but I learned so much. I hope people see my hard work and enjoy the film!”
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