Interview: Jun Ji-hyun on 〈Colony〉 — ‘I looked good in my previous project, too … there really was no special makeup treatment’

※ The interview with Jun Ji-hyun about 〈Colony〉 Part 1 continues here.

Also note that the following contains spoilers for the film 〈Colony〉.

Many people said she still looked great even in a blood-soaked raincoat.

I’m just grateful people saw it that way. Still, part of me feels it’s a little unfair because I was staying true to the situation. I didn’t do anything special, yet the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. People ask, ‘How could you look that good in jeans and a white T‑shirt?’ but that was literally all I wore. I did nothing. In fact, even in my previous film 〈Polaris〉 my look was praised. (laughs) It’s strange that 〈Colony〉 is getting even more of those comments. I don’t feel burdened by comments about my appearance. It’s better than the alternative, after all. (laughs) But it wasn’t intentional, as some might think.

You’re known for your stamina. There have been claims you run four hours a day.

Never four hours a day. But I do exercise every day. Getting older doesn’t automatically mean your stamina will decline. The body can improve with effort. Time passes and you’ll have age-related ailments, but I think they can come more slowly if you work on yourself. (Would you recommend a particular routine?) Uh, do whatever exercise suits you. (laughs) I remember once meeting a man in his 60s who told me an 80-year-old had said, ‘When I’m 60 I’ll still be running around.’ I was surprised then, but thinking about it, 60 is twenty years younger than 80. That comforted me. If you start now, you can still be in great shape in your 60s. So I would tell people not to think, ‘I’m old’—just start. (laughs)

As an actress, you can’t help but be conscious of aging.

There probably aren’t as many opportunities as before. That doesn’t mean you suddenly lose the ability to do things. I think it’s important to express what you can do now. There’s no need to fear what’s coming.

Your activity has noticeably increased recently.

I don’t think that was intentional. I think I’ve simply been fortunate to come across good projects. It’s truly gratifying when a project is well received after you work on it. The offers have been varied — they’ve come in a steady, even way. (laughs) Sometimes there are long stretches with few offers and you wonder if people think I won’t be doing many projects.

Is there a particular kind of project you’re more drawn to?

I feel a responsibility when I make a film. Audiences take the time and pay to come to theaters. So I have a duty to appear in work audiences want to see. Personally, I don’t limit myself to a single genre. If it’s interesting, I like it. Lately I’ve been enjoying 〈Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness〉 starring Koo Kyohwan. (laughs) I’ve watched all of writer Park Hae-young’s works. Right now, I want to focus on being one of director Yeon Sang-ho’s go-to actors for his next project. (laughs)

You returned to the big screen after a while with 〈Colony〉. Did that make choosing the project harder?

When I read the 〈Colony〉 script, I liked the fresh take on zombies and the messages the director wanted to convey. Many viewers who saw the film said it moves at a relentless pace, and on the first day, in the first scene I actually met a zombie. (laughs) You could feel how fast and urgent the film was even on set. So I thought audiences would want to see it. There’s a scene with veteran actor Go Su in which a zombie jumps out. During shooting I wondered, ‘Is this right?’ (laughs) and later I had the same feelings as the audience reviews described.

Go Su’s role is short but memorable. What was it like working with him on set?

I understand Go Su made a special appearance because, like me, he wanted to work with director Yeon Sang-ho. Working with him, I found him to be a genuinely good person. That made it a pity we didn’t have more time together. I thought I’d like to work with him again. Even though he was a special guest and could have limited his involvement to the set, he gave his all at the wrap party, interviews, and poster shoot. I thought his attitude was something to emulate.

The car-chase scene that arrives just as the action seems ready to ebb is striking, too.

Many audience members said they felt a thrill when the action spilled out of the building. A lot of viewers said it was satisfying to see the film pay off the setup so cleanly, and they called that payoff one of 〈Colony〉’s most enjoyable elements. The car-chase was driven by a stunt performer and I only pretended to drive. Still, it was genuinely fun. (laughs) I’ve only driven bumper-car-level in my life, so sitting in that car and feeling the thrill of almost hitting people was stress-relieving during filming. The final ant-mill sequence was exciting even on the page. It felt like the film’s biggest message and a moment people would love. With many actors on screen, there were moments of real shivers while acting.

You are one of the few actresses who can headline a film with a budget in the tens of billions of won. Yet you’ve said you don’t see yourself as a top star. People also say you seem more relaxed these days.

Director Yeon Sang-ho kept calling me a “top star” so I denied it. (laughs) I haven’t been on the big screen for a while, but I’ve steadily worked. Actors don’t get many chances to promote their work, and promotion methods change when you return to film after a long interval. That’s why my exposure may have been limited, but it wasn’t because I neglected promotion when I had projects. Maybe the timing wasn’t right. I’m grateful when people say I fit in big productions. From a young age I assumed that actors should, above all, act well. But when other differences appear, I wondered what else I should do, and I hoped for a wider market as an actor. Because of that, when I received offers from abroad I accepted them without hesitation, and that experience of handling many kinds of action and genre work naturally broadened my range. I think that helped me blend into a genre like this zombie film.

If there’s a second installment, have you imagined how the zombies might evolve?

That may depend on how much AI advances. (laughs) The forms zombies take are one of 〈Colony〉’s key messages and motifs, so any evolution would depend on the AI developments that inspire it.

By the way, how much do you use AI in your daily life?

When we filmed 〈Colony〉, people weren’t using AI in real time the way they do now. Back then it was things like asking ChatGPT for a fortune and creating animated‑style profile pictures. Now people ask everything. It’s totally different. If I’m curious about something I ask it, too. Oh, and I don’t believe in saju (Korean fortune‑telling). (laughs)

The era of AI making films without actors has actually arrived.

You can create realistic actors with AI and make films on a small budget. There are real examples, so it’s definitely coming, but I think we still have some time. I should study that area more. Right now I don’t know enough. Judging by how the zombies evolve in 〈Colony〉, AI could end up posing a real threat — at least that sounds good for promoting 〈Colony〉. (laughs)

As a cast member, what would you say is 〈Colony〉’s biggest selling point?

The director’s message is already there. I hope people feel the fun of the zombie genre fully. I think 〈Colony〉 will be talked about in Korean cinema. It offers a clear message about a changing society. For now, though, I just want audiences to enjoy the zombie genre and have fun watching it.