[Sportschosun Interview] "Am I addicted to hard times? I don't want to miss out on being a 'queen'"... Shin Min-a in 'Julia's Eyes' can do it all (full story)

[Sportschosun Jo Ji-young] Shin Min-a (42), the truly limitless actress who has gone from a lovable rom-com queen to a thriller queen delivering extreme fear, is back.

In the suspense thriller film Julia's Eyes (directed by Yeom Ji-ho, produced by Dream Capture), Shin played a dual role as Seo-jin, a photographer who investigates her twin sister's death while gradually losing her sight, and Seoin, Seo-jin's twin sister who meets a mysterious death. She met with Sportschosun in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, on the morning of the 16th and spoke about how she came to join the film and the passion she poured into the project.

Julia's Eyes tells the story of a protagonist who is slowly losing her sight due to a genetic disease and uncovers the truth behind her twin sister's death, only to come face to face with the reality behind it. It is a Korean remake of the 2011 Spanish film Julia's Eyes, directed by Guillem Morales, adapted to suit Korean sensibilities. With sharp sound design that heightens the tension, stylish editing that keeps the story unpredictable, and a gripping narrative, Julia's Eyes is set to chill summer moviegoers as a horror thriller that carries on the momentum of Salmokji: Whispering Water, the horror film directed by Lee Sang-min that drew 3.24 million viewers after its April release.

Above all, Julia's Eyes is drawing attention as Shin's return to the thriller genre for the first time in six years, following Diva, which was released in 2020 and directed by Jo Seul-yeah. Through Seo-jin's desperation to uncover the mystery surrounding her sister's death despite losing her sight, and her determined resolve to face the truth even in frightening circumstances, Shin led the film with a wide range of emotions. In addition to intense action, she took on the dual role of Seo-jin, who is gradually losing her sight, and Seoin, who has already gone blind, delivering a fear unlike anything audiences have seen before through meticulous eye acting.

That day, Shin said, "It's been a while since I had a film release, so I was very nervous and curious. Many people watched the movie at yesterday's screening, and they all seemed to enjoy it. The atmosphere was warm, with everyone congratulating us on the release, so I felt really good." She added, "I had already watched this film so many times before the screening that I lost my objectivity. From my perspective, I kept noticing things I wished I had done better, so I couldn't fully focus on watching it as a movie."

Shin, who took on a thriller once again with Julia's Eyes, said, "When I chose this project, it was because I could relate more to Seo-jin. I empathized with the situation Seo-jin was in, and I was curious about how it would be portrayed. Of course, I also wanted to express Seoin's emotions and moments. On top of that, I found the situation of a character being chased while losing her sight very interesting. I thought that if it was captured well, it could create a tense thriller experience and offer a different kind of suspense." She continued, "I think I genuinely like the thriller genre quite a lot. I haven't actually done that many rom-coms, but I guess people remember me that way because they liked those roles so much. Still, I think I prefer thrillers a little more. Even so, when I do a rom-com, I want to be called a rom-com queen, and when I do a thriller, I want to be called a Thriller Queen. I want to keep the 'queen' title."

She also admitted, "To be honest, Julia's Eyes was really hard to film. My body was exhausted. In terms of screen time, there wasn't a single scene where I could relax, so I had to stay in a constant state of tension, and I used my body a lot, which made it even harder. Still, I tried to stay focused until the end. There were so many extreme scenes that at first I even wondered, 'How are they going to put this together?' This was around the time when I wanted to take on more varied projects. I was especially eager to act, and this was a project I filmed right after Karma. At this point, I guess I really am addicted to hard times." She added, "It was a different kind of hardship from Diva. In Diva, there was the pressure of expressing psychological emotions and performing specialized movements, while Julia's Eyes required me to keep feeling fear throughout. They were different, but both were difficult. Seeing those moments captured well in both Diva and Julia's Eyes makes me feel like all that hard work wasn't wasted."

Shin, who struggled in the film as she was stalked and chased by an unidentified figure, said, "While acting in Julia's Eyes, I really felt extreme fear. From the middle of the film, there was a setup where my eyes were covered with bandages, and at that point, I became sensitive even when the staff just moved a light. Every sense in my body was on edge. I realized how terrifying it must be to not be able to see. I was so frightened in this film that my body started to stiffen. We were filming the opening scene where I run away in the studio, and the fear was so overwhelming that I got a stiff neck. Even stress alone can make your neck tense up, and when fear and stress hit at the same time, my body reacted right away."

The changes in the position of her pupils, which were used to portray visual impairment, also reflected Shin's considerable effort. She said, "I actually practiced more and even tried completely changing the position of my pupils, but since the character gradually loses her sight, I tried to find the right balance. I had to show a blurred focus where only light was visible, and I practiced a lot to express that. The eyes are also part of the muscles, so after enough practice, it became possible. From the moment I received the script, I practiced moving only one pupil. There was also a scene where the pupils turned completely, but it felt too extreme, so we edited it out. After filming those eye movements, my vision was fine, but I did get a bit of a headache every time I acted."

She then explained the dual role, saying, "The other parts were fine, but it was hard to act while exchanging lines with myself. I think I found that part a little difficult to practice. Still, isn't it interesting to see the same person in one frame? I had also taken on dual roles quite a few times before, so it wasn't unfamiliar." She added, "I also gave the two characters different qualities. For Seo-jin, I tried to show a responsible, realistic personality because she has someone to protect. For Seoin, I wanted to give off the feeling of a delicate artist who is focused on art."

Shin Min-a, the all-time legend who debuted in 1998 through Kiki magazine and is now marking her 28th year in the industry, also opened up about the pressure she feels as a senior on set. She said, "I've been feeling that a lot lately. Even when I speak the same way I always do, the weight of my words can be received differently. These days, I feel like I need to be more careful. In the past, it seemed like my opinions were just taken as one of many, but now I worry that people may feel pressure to accept them as right. It's a little different, but lately I've often noticed moments on set when I try to be funny with a joke and the atmosphere turns awkward. My jokes just don't land as jokes."

She added, "I want to talk a lot with younger actors and colleagues, and I want them to feel really comfortable around me. But even when I was younger and the junior on set, some people couldn't approach me easily because of a certain preconception about me. I think there was an unspoken idea that 'Shin Min-a must be cold.' As I became a senior, that kind of preconception seems to have grown, and some people may find me even harder to approach. So these days, on set, I try to take the first step and talk more with fellow actors and directors. I know I might say something odd and make things awkward, but I hope people won't find me too intimidating."

Shin Min-a, who married Kim Woo-bin on December 20 last year after 10 years of public dating, also spoke candidly about presenting her first project since marriage. Kim Woo-bin attended the VIP premiere screening of Julia's Eyes on the 15th to support his wife, and when Shin appeared in the theater, he even took out his phone to capture her on video, showing his unmistakable affection. Regarding this, Shin said, "Actually, Julia's Eyes was filmed before I got married, so it doesn't really feel like my first project after marriage. Kim Woo-bin also came to yesterday's screening, and although it felt a little awkward, I was very grateful and reassured. In fact, I asked him, 'You have to come to the Julia's Eyes screening' and 'Please make sure you come.' He made time to come despite being busy filming his next project just to keep my request. He also recorded photos and videos of me from yesterday, but that wasn't something I forced him to do. It was entirely his own choice. He watched the film yesterday and said he enjoyed it. He knows how hard this project was and how much I worried about it, so he left a short message of support, saying I probably didn't need to worry, and then went back to filming. We've both been so busy lately that it felt like I was seeing Kim Woo-bin for the first time in a while."

She continued, "Since I started this job, I wanted to do a wide variety of projects. I wanted to take on many works regardless of marriage, and even if I hadn't gotten married, I was sure that the different experiences I had in life would build up over time and eventually come out through my acting. That feeling hasn't changed." She added, "I still say that nothing has changed after marriage, but I also wonder if something has changed in ways I don't even realize. The way audiences look at me has probably changed too. I hope marriage has helped my future acting career, even if only unconsciously."

Julia's Eyes stars Shin Min-a, Kim Nam-hee, Lee Seung-ryong, and Kim Young-ah, and is directed by Yeom Ji-ho, who helmed The Neighbor. It opens on the 24th.

Jo Ji-young, soulhn1220@sportschosun.com