[Interview] 'The Owner of the World' Seo Soo-bin: "Not for a moment did I think of being the owner while preparing"

Director Yoon Ga-eun, who has discovered hidden gems like Kim Soo-an from <〈Bean Sprout〉> and Choi Soo-in from <〈Our Times〉>, has found a new face once again. Seo Soo-bin, who debuted in <〈The Owner of the World〉>, has garnered attention as a next-generation actor after receiving praise for her "astonishing performance" at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival. In this work, she plays Lee Joo-in, a bright and cheerful class president who takes good care of her friends and excels in her studies, embodying the ultimate school insider. Seo Soo-bin interacts effortlessly with everyone around her, but she portrays Joo-in, who carries past wounds and trauma, with a depth that is not typical for a newcomer. Throughout the interview, Seo Soo-bin radiated a bright energy with sincere and quirky answers, naturally revealing Joo-in's cheerful demeanor. We met with Seo Soo-bin to discuss the work and the character she portrayed.

This movie <〈The Owner of the World〉> is your debut work. I would like to hear your thoughts on finishing the filming safely and watching the completed film.

When I first saw the movie, it was so amazing to see my face on the big screen. I was also curious about how many people would view Director Yoon Ga-eun's work that many have been waiting for. Even now, while doing this interview, I feel very nervous, and I think I am still at a stage where it doesn't feel real.

After first encountering the character Lee Joo-in, I am curious about how you planned to develop this character.

Since Joo-in is a class president and a model student, she takes good care of her friends and studies well. I am not like that, so I think I focused on those characteristics of Joo-in while acting. Even in my daily life, I tried to apply Joo-in's traits by being much more considerate and caring towards my friends than before. So, my daily life has changed a lot. Not for a moment did I think of Joo-in while preparing.

Before starting filming, did you have any discussions with the director to align your thoughts about the character?

I wanted to do really well, so I tried hard, but the director told me not to aim for 100% perfection. She asked me to approach it as a play. And she made sure that I spent a lot of time with the other actors. That’s not an easy thing to do. The seniors were also willing to spend time, and my friends took time to go hiking together, so we spent a lot of time together. Instead of explaining about Joo-in, the director placed me in Joo-in's environment.

Although Joo-in has past traumas, she is not a character who tries to confine herself within that trauma. She continues to strive for love, and I am curious about your thoughts on Joo-in's strength.

I think Joo-in's strength resembles me. Is that self-praise? (laughs) My ideal type is also a strong person. So, Joo-in's traits were really attractive to me. She is similar to me but has more of the qualities I desire, so I felt truly happy when I took on the role. I was happier to meet Joo-in than the joy of being the lead in any movie.

You are in your 20s, but Joo-in is a high school student. The film deals with teenage relationships and love, and there are many romantic scenes featuring Joo-in. Did you make any efforts to show Joo-in's immaturity in her romantic experiences? I heard that the director referenced many teenage romance vlogs.

I also watched a lot of the vlogs that the director recommended. I thought that just hanging out with my brother would naturally come out well. When we filmed the romantic vlog scenes, the director gave us the camera and let us film ourselves. But at first, we were trying to act immaturely on purpose. However, those things were all cut out in the movie, and what came out were the playful moments we filmed together. For example, there’s a part where Chan-woo (Kim Ye-chang) is holding an apple, and I burst out laughing when I see it. That was an NG cut we filmed while joking around, but it ended up being used in the movie.

In the car wash scene, Joo-in's hidden emotions are fully expressed. I am curious about what aspects you focused on while acting in this scene.

The car wash scene was the most burdensome for me. The seniors were all curious and asked if we had filmed it once, so I felt like I really had to do well. The director had us practice a lot for other scenes, but she never had us practice for the car wash scene. I don't think we discussed the car wash scene much. So, I was even more anxious and went to the practice room alone to practice by shouting.

When I went to the set, I was so nervous that I listened to all kinds of songs. (laughs) When I arrived at the set, I was so tense that my body stiffened. It seemed like the director was a bit nervous that day too. We started filming with a worried heart, but interestingly, I began to recall Joo-in's surrounding characters and naturally entered the scene. So, I thought that the reason the director hadn’t had us practice before was to help me meet Joo-in's inner self at that moment. I was very nervous, but I think I had a precious experience. After that scene, the director hugged me and thanked me.

What was your chemistry like with actress Jang Hye-jin, who played your mother? If there was any advice you received from the senior actress on set, please share that as well.

The senior was always cheerful. She always brightened the atmosphere on set, and I laughed a lot during those times. She also shared many fun episodes from her previous works. We talked a lot, and she advised me not to feel too much pressure in my future acting career, saying, "It's okay to run away." (laughs)

Also, in the car wash scene, the staff member who appears in the film was actually a gas station employee. But when we started filming, that person took a picture of me with their phone. I was really distracted while acting, but the senior held my hand and told me to close my eyes, breathe slowly, and that it was okay to take my time to focus on myself, which I was very grateful for. At that moment, interestingly, my concentration returned. Since I had never experienced such a distraction before, I had no idea how to regain my focus, but thanks to the senior, I was able to concentrate again.

I am curious about your experience acting alongside Lee Jae-hee, who played your younger sister Hae-in, as she is a younger child actor.

At the beginning of filming, when we first shot the home scene, I was very nervous. When we arrived at the filming location, Jae-hee was so naturally living there in her pajamas. (laughs) Even though Jae-hee must have been there for the first time that day, she just became Hae-in, who lives in that house. So, I think I was able to relax a bit and truly enter that house.

Since your performance has received rave reviews since its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival this year, I am curious about what kind of roles you would like to pursue in the future.

I am confident in sports, so I want to do a sports movie. But I want to do one that involves competition. I enjoy watching sports movies. Movies like <〈Million Dollar Baby〉> or <〈The Love of Baek Eun〉> are the kind of intense films that I can really immerse myself in. Since I understand the feeling of those tough moments that feel like they are about to burst, I want to try acting in something like that.

As you continue your acting career, do you have any resolutions or commitments you would like to share?

I think all the experiences I will have in the future will greatly benefit from <〈The Owner of the World〉>. Not only the internal aspects of the film but also the precious experiences I learned while working on <〈The Owner of the World〉>, I will live my life honestly, fully experiencing without avoiding anything. I want to live doing everything faithfully and correctly.