Lee Sung-kyung interview with W magazine April/May 2017

We have another interview for Lee Sung-kyung (이성경) here on Bah+Doo. This interview is from W Magazine April/May 2017. So far I am really enjoying her interviews. This particular interview explains her rise to stardom. She had a starring role in a drama quicker than most actresses and she has a crazy amount of Instagram followers for a person who was not a famous actor or Idol (~6.4 million as of this post). But instead of being bashful and shrugging it off, she explained that it was because she joined Instagram when it first started, as a model, and it just naturally took off from there.

She also talked about make-up (she said she is amazing at it) and her looks, saying she doesn’t have a high nose or big eyes, but she does have confidence. I love that. I think top models look at someone’s appearance differently than actors or musicians because their job is literally only based on how they look. She said she saw so many beautiful models who would not be considered gorgeous traditionally, due to gaps in their teeth or skin conditions or something, but that they were confident and that confidence exploded from them in attractiveness (not in those words, but you know). To say that confidence is the most important part of a person’s look is a really wonderful insight.

The interview is below. Check it out if you get a chance.

THE INTERVIEW
W Magazine Korea: April 20, 2017
Translated by Bah+Doo

모델, 배우, 그리고 인스타그램 스타. 외모와 끼와 당당한 태도 그 모두가 주목받을 만한 청춘 스타의 조건에 들어맞는, 이성경의 매력.
Model, actor, and Instagram star. Looks, talent, and confidence all fit the requirement for a young star who attracts attention from everyone, the charm of Lee Sung-kyung.

첫 드라마인 SBS <괜찮아, 사랑이야>의 조연부터 극 중 이름을 제목으로 내세운 MBC <역도요정 김복주>의 주연에 이르기까지, 채 3년이 걸리지 않았다. 아이돌도 아니고, 특별히 한류에 올라탄 작품이 있는 것도 아닌데, 인스타그램 팔로어 수는 한국 여자 연예인 중 톱 순위에 속한다. 지금 이성경은 많은 여자들의 워너비이자 연기 재능이 막 여물어가기 시작한 배우다. <더블유>가 지난해 미국 <더블유> 매거진닷컴과 협업해 화보로 완성한 ‘K-POP WORLD’ 기획 이후, 다시 함께 만난 한국의 스타. <더블유> 매거진닷컴 에디터는 SNS 영향력을 지닌 모델 출신의 그녀를 보며 지지 하디드를 떠올렸다. 이성경은 지지 하디드만큼 핫하고, 그러나 누구와 굳이 비교할 필요 없이 기분 좋은 개성을 지녔다.

It took her no more than 3 years from her first drama SBS It’s Okay, That’s Love as a supporting actress to take on a main role on MBC. She is not an idol, she wasn’t in a drama that was internationally popular, but she has the most Instagram followers among Korean actresses. Right now, Lee Sung-kyung is one of the IT stars among young women and she is maturing as an actress as well. We got together again after our last interview, “K-POP WORLD” pictorial, which was a collaboration between W and American W magazine. The editor of W reminded her of Gigi Hadid who also has a big presence in Social Media and started her career as a model. Lee Sung-Kyung is as hot as Gigi Hadid, but she has her own pleasant personality that doesn’t need to be compared to anyone.

MBC 드라마 <역도요정 김복주>가 1월에 종영했다. 요즘은 어떤 나날을 보내고 있나?
이성경 최선을 다해 쉰다. 작품 때문에 살을 찌워서 끝나면 바로 운동을 하고 싶었지만, 몸이 워낙 안 좋았다. 건강 검진을 받아보니 무리한 근력 운동은 하지 말고 가벼운 조깅 정도만 하며 푹 쉬라고 하더라. 밀라노에 2주 머물기도 했다. 가장 좋아하는 도시가 파리였는데, 이제 밀라노로 바뀔 것 같다. 거기에 가족과 가까운 분이 살고 계셔서 부모님도 함께 갔다.
The MBC drama Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo ended in January. How do you spend your time now?
I do my best to rest. I gained a lot of weight for the drama, so I wanted to exercise a lot, but I didn’t feel too good (her health declined). The doctor told me to rest a lot and only do some light jogging, my doctor prohibited me from hard weight lifting. I stayed in Milan for 2 weeks as well. My favorite city was Paris, but I think it will change to Milan. We have a family friend there so my parents went there as well.

<역도요정 김복주>는 TV에서 오랜만에 보는 상큼한 작품이었다. 개인적으로, <커피 프린스 1호점> 이후 가장 즐겁게 본 청춘 드라마다.
와, 고맙다. 복주가 정말 귀엽고 사랑스러운 아이였다. 작품을 준비하면서 한 캐릭터를 만나가기까지 어느 정도 시간이 필요한 법인데, SBS <닥터스>를 마치고 15일 후 바로 촬영에 들어갔다. 그런데 캐릭터 자체가 워낙 잘 잡혀 있었고, 감정이 차곡차곡 잘 쌓이도록 대본이 받쳐줬다. 우리 팀이 봐도 재밌는 드라마였다. 대진운이 좋진 않았지(웃음).
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo; was a refreshing drama that I haven’t seen for a while on TV. Personally, it was the most joyful youngster drama since The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince
Wow, thank you so much. Bok-joo was a really cute and lovely girl. It usually takes time to realize (she said to meet a character) a character when I am preparing a drama, but I had to start shooting it right after SBS. However, the character was well-developed and the script supported the actors so I could develop emotions gradually. It was a fun drama for us as well. We just had stiff competition. (laugh) [note: their competition was The Legend of the Blue Sea]

인스타그램 팔로어 수가 567만 명이 넘는 걸 보고 깜짝 놀랐다. 드라마에서 상대역이었던 남주혁도 SNS 팔로어가 많은 연예인이고. 팔로어가 비약적으로 늘어난 시점이 있나?
내가 그런 걸 잘 인지하지 못한다. 팔로어 수가 어느 순간 확 늘었다기보다는 인스타그램이란 게 생겨난 초창기부터 시작해서 그런 것 같다. 어쩌다 확인해보면 조금씩 늘어 있더라. 그런 것에 무딘 편이다.
I was surprised when I heard you have more than 5,670,000 Instagram followers. Nam Joo-hyuk is also known for many SNS followers. Did you have any moments that your followers were rapidly increasing?
I don’t notice those things too well. I don’t think my followers increased rapidly at some point, but I think it happened because I started Instagram when they started the service. I check it occasionally and each time, I have new followers. I am kind of oblivious to those things.

남자만 예쁜 여자를 좋아하는 게 아니라, 여자도 그렇다. 같은 여자 중에도 스타일이나 메이크업을 따라 하고 싶게 만들 거나 바라만 봐도 좋은 대상이 있으니까.
모델 생활을 했으니 그 시절부터 팔로어들이 꽤 있었던 것으로 기억한다. 모델 하면서 영상 작업도 좀 했고, 여자들이 좋아할 만한 분위기와 이미지 작업을 자주 했다.
It is not only men who like pretty women, it is also the same for women. Among women, we also have people who we want to follow the style or makeup of, or we even just like to see them.
I remember that I had quite a lot of followers when I was modeling. I was on some videos and I also did frequent work on moods and images that women like.

최근 여자 연예인들이 눈에 색조 메이크업 대신, 음영을 진하고 넓게 주는 식으로 섀도를 바르는 경우를 많이 봤다. <역도 요정 김복주>를 보면서도 곧잘 느꼈다. 아니나 다를까 ‘이성경식 음영 메이크업 따라잡기’ 같은 블로그 게시물이 꽤 있더라.
나, 화장 진짜 잘한다(웃음). 다른 건 몰라도 그건 인정! 화장은 무엇을 쓰느냐보다 어떻게 하느냐가 더 중요하다. 마스카라 바르는 사소한 방법 하나에 따라 눈매가 어떻게 달라지는지, 각종 팁을 주변 사람에게 알려준다. 드라마에서는 내 자연스러운 눈의 음영이 조명이나 색 보정을 거치며 더 부각되어 보이는 것 같았다. 촬영하는 동안 헤어 메이크업 숍에 안 가고 그냥 차 안에서 10분 만에 해치웠다. 꾸밀 필요가 없는 캐릭터였으니까.
Recently it is a trend for female actors to apply shadowy makeup while applying dark and wide shadow (smokey eye), instead of colorful makeup on their eyes. I felt that a lot when I was watching Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo. Sure enough, there were a lot of blogs covering “Learning Lee Sung-kyung’s shadowy makeup”.
I am really excellent with make-up. (Laughs) I am not sure about other things, but with this it is really true! For makeup, how you apply it is more important than what you use. I usually share tips with others on something like how a small change in putting on mascara makes a huge difference in the shape of your eyes. I think in dramas, the natural shade of my eyes sticks out due to lighting and color adjustments. While filming, I didn’t go to any hair or make-up shops, instead, I did it in the car in 10 min. The character herself didn’t need much make-up as well.

거울을 보고 있으면 어떤 생각이 드나?
‘아, 살 빼야 하는데.’
What do you think when you look in the mirror?
Ah… I need to lose weight.

살이 잘 찌는 편인가?
사실 먹는 양에 비하면 별로 안 찌는 편이다. 가리는 것 없이 다 잘 먹는다. 피자 라지 한 판을 혼자 다 먹는 기록을 세운 적도 있다. 많이 먹고도 디저트가 있으면 또 먹고. 6kg을 찌웠다가 현재 3kg만 뺀 상태다. 모델 시절에는 훨씬 더 마른 몸이었기 때문에 이후 몸무게가 웬만큼만 나가도 내가 평균보다 마른 편이라는 생각을 미처 못했다. 요즘엔 사실 마르고 싶다는 생각보다 몸을 건강하고 탄탄하게 만들어야 한다는 생각이 더 강하다.
Do you gain weight easily?
Actually, I don’t gain much weight easily compared to how much I eat. I eat everything. I hold a record eating a large pizza all by myself. After eating a lot, I also eat dessert. I gained 6 kg and have lost 3 kg now. When I was modeling, I was a lot thinner than now so after gaining some weight, I didn’t realize that I was still thinner than average. Recently, I want to be healthy and fit rather than being skinny.

자신의 몸을 예전부터 어떻게 생각했나?
어릴 때는 참 싫었다. 친구들이 다 내 어깨쯤에 와 있으니 거인 같아서 작아 보이려고 짝다리 짚으며 서 있곤 했다. 지하철을 타고 다니면 내 뒤에 서 있는 남학생들이 키 크다고 수군거리는 게 창 너머로 비쳤다. 사람들이 이 여자 힐 신었나 나를 위아래로 훑어보는 생활에 익숙했다. 모델 일을 시작하고 나서야 내 몸을 사랑하게 됐다. 더 크고 당당해지려고 힐도 신었고.
What do you think of your body?
I didn’t like it when I was little. I was a head taller than my friends, so l looked like a giant. I tried to lean on one foot to look shorter. When I was taking the subway, I often saw male students talking about my height behind me in the reflection on the window. I was used to people looking at me to see if I had on high hills. I finally starting to love my body after I started modeling. Now I wear high hills to be taller and confident.

어떤 여자가 아름답다고 생각하나?
편안하고 여유로운 마인드의 소유자. 자신에게 부족한 점이 있어도 있는 그대로 표현할 줄 알고, 뭔가에 얽매어 있지 않은 사람 말이다. 나도 콤플렉스가 많다. 눈이 특별히 크거나 코가 높지도 않고, 화장에 따라 얼굴이 상당히 달라 보인다. 화장의 영향을 많이 받는 얼굴이다. 그러나 그냥 나라는 사람 자체가 나만의 매력이며 개성이라고 스스로에게 주입시킨다. 외국에서는 앞니가 벌어져도, 백반증 이어도, 사각턱이어도 인기 많은 여자들이 있지 않나? 마인드 컨트롤이란 게 어렵지만, 시선의 중심을 돌리는 일이니까 필요하고 중요하다.
What kind of woman do you think is beautiful?
Someone who has an easy and relaxed mind. Someone who can express herself as is despite her short-comings, someone who is not restrained to anything. I also have a lot of complexes. I don’t have big eyes or a high nose, and I look very different dependent on my make-up. My look is easily influenced by make-up. But my self-image has its own charm and personality. In foreign countries, there are a lot of popular women despite gaps in their front teeth, vitiligo, or square jaws, right? Mind control is not easy, but it is necessary and it is important because it sways your focus.

여배우로서 이성경의 가장 큰 매력은 뭘까?
모델 경험 덕에 외적인 스타일링이나 변신에 두려움이 없다. <여왕의 꽃>, <치즈 인 더 트랩>, <역도요정 김복주>를 생각해보면 내가 맡은 캐릭터는 그 모습도, 나이도, 각양각색이었다. 어떤 틀이 없달까?
What is the most attractive point of Lee Sung-kyung as an actress?
I don’t have any fear of changing my outward appearances on styling or image because of my modeling experience. The characters I acted in Queen’s Flower, Cheese in the Trap, and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo are all different in appearance and age. So, can I say I am not confined to one character?

그 무렵인 2년 전 <더블유>와의 인터뷰에서 연기를 시작한 이후 부쩍 감성적으로 바뀐 것 같다는 말을 했다. 안 쓰던 감정을 써보기 시작한 연기 초년생의 증상이었을 텐데, 이젠 좀 익숙해졌나?
음악을 잘 안 듣던 사람이 어느 날부터 슬픈 음악을 많이 들으면, 그 분위기의 감정에 반응이 빨라지고 공감도 잘하게 될 것이다. 난 주로 밝은 에너지만 쓰는 사람이었다. 그런데 연기하면서 소리도 질러보고, 엉엉 울어도 보고, 다시 삭혀보기도 하는 경험을 지속하다 보니 그런 감정에 불이 들어온 셈이다. 해당하는 감정과 관련된 상황이 주어졌을 때 내 안의 스위치가 확 켜지면서 예민해지고 잘 느끼게 되는 것.
When you had an interview with W about 2 years ago, you said you were more emotional since you started acting. I guess it is a common symptom for beginning actors when they use a lot of hidden emotions while acting. Are you more use to it now?
If someone who doesn’t listen to music all of sudden listens to a lot of sad music, that person will respond to the sad emotions faster and sympathize with the music more as well. I used to be a person who uses bright energy all the time. But with acting, I continuously had to shout, cry, and calm down, so it ignited that part of my emotions. Whenever I am exposed to an environment that is related to respected emotions, a switch in my mind turns on and I become more sensible and feel the emotions well.

연기의 기술이 더 늘었다는 뜻이기도 할까?
아니, 그저 감정을 솔직하게 받아들일 줄 알게 됐다는 의미다. 난 혼자 있을 때도 운 적이 없었고, 내 감정을 제대로 들여다보지 못했다. 이제는 연기할 때 눈물이 나면 그냥 나를 놔버리며 눈물을 흘리니까 어떤 감정이 더욱 선명해진다.
Can you say your acting skill has improved?
No. I am just saying that I can perceive emotions more honestly. I have never cried while I was alone, also I didn’t look at my emotions properly before. Now, when I cry while acting, I let go of control and just cry, which makes certain emotions clearer.

준비된 이성경을 아직까지 찾지 않은 세상의 감독과 작가에게 스스로를 어필해본다면?
음. “저도 제가 뭘 할지 몰라요.”
Can you say something to promote yourself to directors and artists who are just learning about Lee Sung-kyung?
Well… “I don’t know what I am going to do”

CREDIT
패션 에디터 정환욱 Fashion Editor Jung Hwan-wook / 피쳐 에디터 권은경 Feature Editor Kwon Eun-Kyung / 포그래퍼 Yoo Young Kyu Photographer YOO YOUNG KYU / 스타일리스트 박선희 & 박후지 Stylist Park Sun-hee & Park Fu-ji / 헤어 이혜영 by 아베다 Hair Lee Hye Young by Aveda / 메이크업 강예원 by 제니하우스 / Makeup Kang Ye-woon by Jenny House / 어시스턴트 오지은 Assistant Oh Ji-eun / 출처 Source W website

Translated by Bah+Doo
END OF INTERVIEW

I hope you enjoyed the interview. We try to do 1-2 interviews a week over here on Bah+Doo, but sometimes work takes precedence so we aren’t able to do any, and other times we might be able to shoot out 3 or more (I mean it hasn’t happened yet, but you know). Also, I am going to try to recap Fight for My Way here on B+D so that might reduce the interviews a little. It will be my first time recapping anything, so I’m not sure how long it will take. Hopefully, it goes well. I figure if I just let my love show then it will be fine right? (Right?!?)

Last but not least, if you have a favorite Korean actor or idol or musician or whatever and you want an article translated into English, just let us know! We are happy to do it. We are fans first (we bleed fan blood over here) and we know what it is like to want to know what your favorite someone said in an interview (yet it’s in another language, argh!!!!). That is so annoying. We want to keep you from that tiny bit of pain, so we are happy to help out in whatever small way we can.

Happy Monday ^_^

Source W Magazine

FEED YOUR OBSESSION

• Lee Sung-kyung Grazia magazine interview: Spring in Switzerland
• Song Joong-ki interview with W magazine: Calm and Passion
• Lee Sun-kyun and Ahn Jae-hong’s Arena interview: Get close, get closer
• Park Eun-bin’s Arena magazine interview: I am just who I am
• Interview with Song Ha-yoon for the drama Fight for My Way