The Witch Returns: Jo Yoon-su in Park Hoon-jung’s Universe

Jo Yoon-su secured the role of Chae Ja-gyeong in The Tyrant after three rounds of auditions. With confidence in her background as a dance major, she responded “I’m confident” when director Park Hoon-jung asked during the first audition, “Are you good at using your body?” However, it wasn’t until she received the script that she realized she would have to take an entirely different approach to physicality to portray Ja-gyeong. “Even before my participation in the project was confirmed, I started learning kickboxing and enrolled in a driving school. I was so eager to be part of The Tyrant that I developed the necessary skills for Ja-gyeong. I would prepare the same way if I had to do it all over again.” Until now, Jo Yoon-su has always prioritized ‘empathy’ when approaching a role. However, as a cold-blooded killer and vault technician, Ja-gyeong was the polar opposite of Jo Yoon-su‘s own personality, which she describes as “sensitive and cheerful.” Instead of sticking to her usual method, she attempted to “admire the qualities in Ja-gyeong that I don’t possess,” and before long, she found herself “falling in love with the aspects of Ja-gyeong that I lack,” thereby acquiring a new acting philosophy that will serve her well in her future career. One of the biggest challenges for her was Ja-gyeong’s short haircut. “I had never had short hair before, so it felt strange to see myself after the cut, and I cried a little. But then I received a message from director Park Hoon-jung saying, ‘I didn’t expect short hair to suit you so well.’ As soon as I heard that, my tears dried up, and I started to like the way I looked in the mirror.”

One day in 2018, Jo Yoon-su, then a second-year dance student, found herself intrigued by acting after watching the drama The Guest. She recalls, “At first, it wasn’t that I wanted to become an actor; I wanted to act. As I followed the relationships between the three characters and the narrative of Yoon Hwa-pyung (played by Kim Dong-wook), I began to desire being part of such relationships and stories myself. In the future, I want to be in something with beautiful mise-en-scène like The Handmaiden, and I’d love to take on brighter, more cheerful roles than Ja-gyeong in The Tyrant. There are so many roles I haven’t tried yet. Just knowing that I can act fills me with excitement, and every day is brimming with anticipation.”

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