‘Cosmopolitan’ has released a pictorial with actress Moon Geun-young, drawing attention.

Recently, in the Netflix original ‘Hellbound 2’, she played the role of ‘Teacher Sunshine Class (Oh Ji-won)’, a key figure in the cult group Arrowhead, leaving a strong impact on viewers. This pictorial with Moon Geun-young was conducted with the concept of capturing her diverse faces, from her intense face in ‘Hellbound 2’ to her pure face in ‘Autumn in My Heart’. Actress Moon Geun-young, who has appeared in front of the pictorial camera for the first time in a long time, including this work, perfectly digested various concepts of the pictorial with a professional appearance that made it seem like the time passed was insignificant.

An interview was conducted after the pictorial shoot. What does it mean to have a colorful face as an actress? Actress Moon Geun-young said, “There was a time when I thought it would be nice if there was nothing on my face. So I wanted to be like a transparent sheet of paper that I could wear whatever color I wanted. But the public‘s perception of my face is mostly bright, kind, and lovable. I also have evil, anger, hurt, and sadness. I was happy and grateful when I met a director and a project that brought out the face behind my bright image,“ she said honestly. She continued to say that she happily filmed ”Hellbound 2“ with that same mindset. ”Director Yeon Sang-ho gave me the script first. He very carefully asked me, “If it’s okay, would you like to work with me?” My answer was, of course, “I really like it. Thank you!” This time, I had a really amazing experience. I didn‘t have a hard time filming “Hellbound 2.” It was the first time in a long time that I thought acting was really fun,“ she said, sharing her thoughts on acting as the ”Sunshine Class Teacher.“

She also shared a recent story of warm support from actress Shim Eun-kyung. “I saw actress Shim Eun-kyung tell my story in an article and I posted it on Instagram because I was grateful. She sent me a direct message after seeing it, saying that she supported us and that we should definitely meet sometime. I think it would be great to act with Eun-kyung in a production. Eun-kyung and I have walked similar paths. We started as child actors, played leading roles at a young age, and struggled to pave our own paths. Watching Eun-kyung act, I felt envious and reflected on myself. I wondered why I didn’t work as hard as she did. I’m so grateful to be able to connect with someone like her,” she said, expressing her affection for actress Shim Eun-kyung.

On the other hand, she also spoke honestly about how she has matured and grown over time. “In the past, acting was not my top priority in life. Acting was always in front of me. But things have changed these days. My acting exists because of Moon Geun-young. After putting myself first and acting second, only then did I think I needed to find fun in life. I started exploring one by one the things that had taken a backseat because I was only focusing on acting, like what I like and what I dislike. I feel like my attitude toward work and people has become lighter than before. In the past, I was always serious and grave, but now, I think, “I’m just going to enjoy and be happy at this moment!” and am slowly finding ways to live a lighter life,” showing a much changed appearance. Finally, what does he dream of? “In the future, I want to fill the blank spaces in my life with more works. As for me now, I can do anything!”, raising expectations for her future endeavors.

More pictorial photos from ‘Cosmopolitan’ with Moon Geun-young and their candid interviews can be found in the December issue of ‘Cosmopolitan’ and on the ‘Cosmopolitan’ website.

Choi Yoon-na, Donga.com Reporter yyynnn@donga.com