[Lee E-dam's Jewelry Box] Unpretentious Simplicity, 'Can This Love Be Translated?' 'The Art of Sarah' 'Pavane' Lee E-dam

The actor that Netflix hurriedly included in the jewelry box. And 〈Can This Love Be Translated?〉 〈The Art of Sarah〉 〈Pavane〉 have been released one after another, and everyone has included their own actors in their jewelry boxes. That actor is none other than Lee E-dam. Lee E-dam is referred to as Netflix's new daughter, and it's no wonder because she has worked on as many as five projects together, from 〈Delivery Driver〉 to 〈Even the Psychiatric Ward Has Mornings〉, 〈Can This Love Be Translated?〉 〈The Art of Sarah〉 〈Pavane〉.

Why did Netflix include Lee E-dam in the jewelry box so early? I want to say that Lee E-dam is an actor with a 'dry charm.' I don't know how the term 'dry charm' sounds, but Lee E-dam is certainly an actor without any excess. There is no need for Lee E-dam to strip anything away. Her peculiar charm comes from that very point. Whether it's a genre piece, slice of life, historical drama, or modern drama, whether she plays a hero or a villain, Lee E-dam is never excessive and thus never uncomfortable. Without any signs of trying to show off or prove something, she blends into the performance and stands out instead. That dryness highlights the actor's inherent charm of strange mystique, simplicity, and naturalness.

There is no specific image associated with Lee E-dam. She seems simple at times, yet she can also look best in something glamorous; she appears filled with desire yet has a righteous face. For example, the stage name Lee E-dam is a clue to the kind of acting she aspires to. Lee E-dam chose the name Lee E-dam instead of her real name Park Hye-won because she wanted to perform under a gender-neutral name, and her image is just as balanced as her stage name.

Let's take a look at the three recent works Lee E-dam has appeared in: 〈Can This Love Be Translated?〉 (hereafter 〈Can This Love Be Translated?〉), 〈The Art of Sarah〉, and 〈Pavane〉. In 〈Delivery Driver〉, she plays a female delivery driver, in 〈Even the Psychiatric Ward Has Mornings〉, she is the teacher Deul-rae, and in 〈The Original〉, she plays the concubine Chae-ryeong from the Nine. Lee E-dam, who was far from everyday roles, successfully made her first romantic comedy attempt in the Netflix series 〈Can This Love Be Translated?〉. The character she played, PD Shin Ji-sun, is the object of unrequited love for Joo Ho-jin (Kim Sun-ho) and is a capable and assertive person. At the same time, PD Shin Ji-sun wavers and struggles in front of her love and marriage, ultimately accepting a new love. Lee E-dam's Shin Ji-sun adds tension to the main couple's narrative while forming a new and fresh chemistry with Cha Mu-hee's energy Kim Yong-woo (Choi Woo-sung), enriching the romance of the sub-couple in 〈Can This Love Be Translated?〉.

The fact that Lee E-dam appears in the Netflix series 〈The Art of Sarah〉 can be seen as a spoiler in itself, where various faces of Lee E-dam intersect strangely. 〈The Art of Sarah〉 must have struggled to cast a 'fresh face' for the role of Kim Mi-jung, who is responsible for the plot twist, and the answer they found at the end was Lee E-dam. From the simple face of factory worker Kim Mi-jung to the desire-filled decalcified Sarah Kim, Lee E-dam presented a stark contrast between purity and greed, chillingly delivering the drama's questions. Having built her skills through gripping scenes like grabbing Su-ae's hair in 〈The City of the Duchess〉 and performing barehanded, gun, and wire action in 〈Delivery Driver〉, Lee E-dam's 'life action' performance alongside Shin Hye-sun in 〈The Art of Sarah〉 also shone.

In the Netflix film 〈Pavane〉, the luxury goods store employee Sarah played a role where her gaze and presence were more important than her lines. Some might call Sarah a villain. However, in this role, which must be captivating by its very existence, Lee E-dam gave Sarah depth, not just as a simple 'villain,' but as another youth depicted in 〈Pavane〉. Just as Mi-jung (Go Ah-sung), Kyung-rok (Moon Sang-min), and Yo-han (Byun Yo-han) represented various aspects of cold youth, Lee E-dam's Sarah is confident yet shaken in front of love she could not seize, expressing the painfully lonely aspects of our youth. For instance, when she hears the song Kyung-rok was listening to with Mi-jung at the LP shop and sheds tears, her silent observation of him completes a poignant scene in 〈Pavane〉.

The strange mystique that was hinted at in the short film 〈Immae-mong〉 has now firmly established itself as the charm of a true actor. This is why we must hurry to include this 'jewel' that shines brightly without showing off in the jewelry box.