[Sportschosun Jo Ji-young] Actress Shin Min-a, 42, said, "I started by practicing how to roll my eyes, and aside from the side effect of getting headaches, it was fine."
In an interview on the morning of the 16th for the suspense thriller film 'Beautiful Eyes' (directed by Yeom Ji-ho, produced by Dream Capture), Shin Min-a discussed how she played both Seo-jin, a photographer who uncovers the death of her twin sister while gradually losing her sight, and Seoin, Seo-jin's twin sister who meets a mysterious death.
Shin Min-a recalled the experience, saying, "While acting in 'Beautiful Eyes,' I think I really felt extreme fear. From the middle of the film, there was a setup where my eyes were covered with bandages, and even when the staff moved the lights, I became sensitive and every nerve in my body was on edge. I realized how terrifying it must be to lose your sight. I was so frightened in this project that my body tensed up. In the first scene, when we were filming the escape from the studio, the fear was so overwhelming that my neck locked up. Even stress alone can stiffen your neck, and when fear and stress hit at the same time, my body reacted immediately."
Her effort was especially evident in the way she shifted the position of her pupils to portray visual impairment. She said, "I actually practiced even more and tried completely changing the position of my pupils, but since the character gradually loses her sight, I tried to find the right balance. She could only see light through a blurred focus, and I practiced a lot to express that. The eyes are also part of the muscles, so with enough practice, I could do it. I started practicing how to move only one pupil from the time I received the script. There was also a scene where my pupils rolled all the way back, but it felt too extreme, so we edited it out. After filming those eye movements, my vision was fine, but I did have a slight headache every time I acted."
She also explained that playing two roles was not easy, saying, "Everything else was fine, but acting while exchanging lines with myself was difficult. I think I found it a little hard to practice that. Still, isn't it interesting to see the same character in one frame? I had also taken on dual roles many times before, so it didn't feel unfamiliar." She added, "I also gave the two characters different qualities. Seo-jin has someone she needs to protect, so I tried to portray her as responsible and realistic, while Seoin was meant to feel like a delicate artist focused on art."
'Beautiful Eyes' tells the story of a protagonist who is gradually losing her sight due to a hereditary disease and comes face to face with the truth while investigating the mystery surrounding her twin sister's death. Shin Min-a, Kim Nam-hee, Lee Seung-ryong, and Kim Young-ah star in the film, which was directed by Yeom Ji-ho of 'The Neighbor.' It opens on the 24th.
Jo Ji-young, soulhn1220@sportschosun.com
