Bae Suzy has opened up about her preparation processes for her role in new K-drama Anna.
In a recent interview with The Korea Times, the South Korean idol-turned-actress spoke about how she prepared for her lead role of Yu-mi, who endangers her own life after a small lie leads her to live out someone else’s life.
“When I read the script, I felt for Yu-mi and came to root for her. But I was worried if viewers will also see from Yu-mi’s perspective and support her like I did,” she said. “There are several points where she crosses lines. So the director said the audience has to empathise with her for this series to work.”
She shared that she had actually turned to a psychologist in order to guide her approach in portraying Yu-mi’s anxieties in the series. “I sought advice on what Yu-mi’s fundamental state of mind would be, and came to the conclusion that her motivation is anxiety,” she told the outlet. “She always had that anxiety that pushed her to take action … and led her to study harder than anyone around her.”
“As I studied the character in depth, I tried to portray that anxiety, so building the character of Yu-mi, for me, was a time to reflect on my own anxiety,” Suzy shared. “Since people need to see things through Yu-mi’s eyes, I tried to focus on the feelings that we would all have.”
Suzy also clarified that the series was not meant to highlight Yu-mi’s wrongdoings, but instead to allow for empathy towards the difficult circumstances that have allowed the situation to unfold. “Rather than judging whether she is good or bad, I would like people to think ‘maybe it was us that made Yu-mi like that’ and empathise with her,” she concluded.
New episodes of Anna are currently being streamed every Friday on South Korean streaming service Coupang Play. The K-drama is helmed by director Lee Joo Young, best known for his work in films like On the Other Side of You and A Single Rider. Watch the trailer here.