Jeon Jong-Seo, Wedding Impossible star, says she’s still waiting for her big moment

Get to know Jeon Jong-Seo, who’s inspired by other dramas & movies, her daily life and even her personal relationships

Known for Korean films Burning and The Call, Jeon recently hit headlines throwing out the first pitch at the LA Dodgers v. South Korea’s Kiwoom Heros MLB game in Seoul. Just wrapping its finale this week, she stars in 2024 K-drama, Wedding Impossible.

Rom-com Wedding Impossible (Viki, TVING) centers on an aspiring actress who agrees to marry her friend to help him keep a secret. Her fiancé’s super-ambitious brother doesn’t like the match, setting out to derail them.

If you’ve been following the series, Jeon’s character oozes mischief and humor, as they trip and trope through the storyline. The finale even includes a surprise cameo featuring her real-life director boyfriend, Lee Chung Hyun, who imitates life as a director in Episode 12.

But what’s her personality like outside the spotlight? Shares Jeon, “I think I’m like my character, mischievous and playful. Having fun is really important. I chose Wedding Impossible because I thought it would be fun.”

BIG MOMENT

Not nearly her first acting role, she’s slipped under the skin of a huge variety of personalities. Is there another character that with whom she aligns? “It’s difficult to pick one character most like my real self since I jumped around so many different genres – but I can say that every character I play has a little bit of me in it.”

It makes a lot of sense, that she’d leave something of herself in every role, building from black and white pages into the being we meet on screen. But everyone begins somewhere – how did Jeon arrive at a point of leading a rom-com when many actors play supporting roles for years? 

“I still think the ‘big moment’ hasn’t come yet and I try to work harder every time. I also try not to fall for various temptations, focus on the essence of the acting and not chase after the big moments. When the work is released, we get showered with reactions but the most enjoyable part is when I’m acting in front of the camera.”

EPITOME OF EPIPHANY

I’m curious how she turns feelings into facial expressions that build an on-screen persona. How does one hone learnings and apply them? She notes an epiphany in her own process.

“The moments where I get insights for my acting can be from other movies, dramas, other filming scenes, moments in my daily life or even within my personal relationships. I try to love what I love consistently, but I am also constantly looking for new things. The biggest learning moment for me was realizing that what I learned in my daily life comes out in my acting. Good acting, I think, is acting that is not very different from being myself.”

Of course, great content is motivating, piquing the imagination. “When I first started acting, what influenced me the most was the movie itself – the energy that takes over everyone who looks at the big screen in the dark.”

But equally watching others act is stirring too. “…Recently, my biggest respect goes to actress Go Hyun Jung. I didn’t have much opportunity to watch her works, but recently, I watched writer Noh Hee Kyung’s drama Dear My Friends (2016), and Go Hyun Jung’s performance was beyond my expectations. Seeing her through that unexpectedness was very powerful. Yet I also discovered her charm, which warmly touches deep down in human emotions. And through that performance, I had a chance to absorb Go Hyun Jung’s powerful acting skills.”

POWER OF EQUAL

Still, it doesn’t get better than having your first film acting experience – Burning (Netflix) – flanked by Yoo Ah In and Steven Yeun as spirit guides. “Both of them gave me great inspiration and knowledge without explaining anything verbally to me – who knew nothing. And I think the way they treated me equally and performed alongside me was coming from their open-mindedness. If I hadn’t worked with these two in my first movie, I might have had a different belief in acting than I do now and I’m grateful for this.”

In Ballerina (Netflix), her character channeled rage over a friend’s brutal demise. “What I focused on the most while playing Okju was supporting Min Hee. Although the process of revenge might be visually violent, I hoped that the viewers’ hearts would feel pain along with Okju. The title is metaphorical: the process of revenge is cruel, but it holds beauty and purity.”

In closing, I wonder what’s next – specific short-term or long-term goals? Jeon notes that she simply wants to continue acting. 

 

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What would you like to see Jeon Jong-Seo in next?  Click to read the Full Q&A in English & Korean and a Full Season Review plus recaps of Wedding Impossible. 

Click for more K-drama reviews and TRG interviews.