"I don't have a pretty face": Im Ji Yeon Gets Candid About Her Inferiority Complex

Actress Im Ji Yeon attempts a new transformation in the upcoming action K-movie Revolver. In the film, Im Ji Yeon plays Madam Jung,  who claims she supports Soo Young (Jeon Do Yeon) but simultaneously does suspicious things that make it unclear whether she is an ally or a betrayer. 

Now receiving praise for her performance in every project, Im Ji Yeon confessed that she used to "have a lot of inferiority complex."

She elaborated, "I consider myself an actress who needs extensive preparation. I had a huge inferiority complex because I was not an actress who could improvise on set or excel effortlessly. Even if I prepared 200 [things], I would barely manage to do even 20, so I always felt like I needed to prepare more."

Reflecting on her acclaimed performance in The Glory, Im Ji Yeon said, "I envied actors who were good at working in sync with others, fully immersing themselves in their characters, and acting with sensitivity. No matter how much you analyze and calculate, you can't focus only on your acting and remain closed off on set. It doesn't work that way. Since I knew I wasn't good enough, I thought I needed to build a solid wall around myself, so I focused solely on preparing more. As a result, I often felt regret about the scenes I had planned out in detail, thinking about how I wanted them to turn out. No matter how much I prepared, I only ended up with a feeling of regret."

But the actress has expressed satisfaction in breaking down self-imposed barriers, stating, "Breaking that wall for me was a big and significant challenge. So, for this movie, I decided to muster a lot of courage and just let go and have fun. When I saw the finished film, it was interesting to see how it turned out even without much preparation. It was fascinating and refreshing to see that something like this could come about." 

Having started acting in her early 20s and enduring numerous trials, Im Ji Yeon developed a sense of fear due to the scolding she got on set. She admitted, "Perhaps that's why my standards kept rising. Despite my easygoing personality, I'm strict and keep my standards high when it comes to work. Others say they can never watch their old performances, but I endure, despite it being mortifying, and watch them, trying not to deviate from my initial mindset, and keep studying. I was very lacking [in the past] and didn't have much knowledge about the field, and now that I think about it, I realize I also lacked social skills. I couldn't work harmoniously with others. Debuting at a young age in an intense movie, I didn't know my own charm or how to fit in on set."

When asked about the charm she now possesses, she candidly replied, "My charm now seems to lie in the fact that my face isn't exceptionally sculpted and pretty. Because I don't have a pretty picture-perfect face, I can look extremely kind when I appear good, and extremely wicked when I appear evil. Sometimes I even look like a man, and other times I look stupid. The variety in my voice tone also seems to be an advantage as an actor."

After having finally broken out of her shell and begun to look at the world, Im Ji Yeon said, "I want to work more closely with others and feel the essence of being on set. I want to courageously trust in the feeling of the set, rather than just studying alone. I want to experience more of this kind of environment."

The actress emphasized, "The magnitude of the role isn't important, but the character's charm is. As someone who loves movies, I believe I will continue to challenge myself in films. Even during breaks, I participate in study groups with fellow actors. My ambition is endless, so I constantly imagine and observe, and want to act for a long time."

Revolver tells the story of Soo Young, a former police officer who takes the fall for someone else's crimes and ends up in prison, only to be betrayed. Upon her release, she charges forward with the sole purpose of reclaiming what she thinks is rightfully hers. The K-movie will premiere on August 7. 

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