'It looks like a transparent glass bead, but it won't break so easily.' Aren't these lyrics from <Glass Bead> written for actress Lee Hyeri ? When you look at her in the film, it feels like you're looking at a beautiful glass bead on a gravel road that never gives up rolling no matter how much it gets scratched. He shows off his black pearl-like appearance for the first time in the series <Fair Competition>. Yoo Jaeyi (Lee Hyeri), a third-year student at Chaehwa Girls' High School, where only the children of the top class attend, is a fascinating and inscrutable person of power. When he approaches Woo Seul-gi (Jung Soo-bin), an ordinary transfer student, with a perfect record book filled only with the words "first place" and "president," it becomes an incident for the entire school. The crazy charm of a woman who smiles, talks, and reaches out to only one woman is thrillingly radiated by Lee Hyeri's slightly smiling lips and subtle touch. When we met Lee Hyeri the first week that <Friendly Rivalry> was released, she was surprised that she had this kind of face and was curious about how the public would view her transformation. We first published the story we had with her about <Friendly Rivalry>. Then, we looked back at her filmography by grouping it into the structure of 'Friendly Rivalry'. Even after moving from the hot sun to the pitch-black night, Lee Hyeri was still shining.
- Yoo Jaeyi is a character I have never seen before in actress Lee Hyeri’s filmography. I think this was one of the decisive reasons why she chose <Friendly Rivalry>.
That's right. Jaeyi was definitely a different story. I saw a flashy Jay through the script, and I realized that I'd only shown myself dressed up when I was a singer or at award ceremonies, but never in my work. That's why I was really drawn to Jaeyi. What was even more difficult was that I couldn't know what Jaeyi was thinking. I had no choice but to follow his actions with curiosity. This was the first time I'd seen a script where the character was revealed first. I usually read by following the main plot and prioritize the overall fun, but it was strange that Jaeyi just jumped at me as soon as I opened the first page.
- I think you must have had close communication with the female director who also wrote the script and directed the film.
Like other actors, I think it's most important to be aware of the tone the director has in mind before working. So instead of looking up references on my own and then having them reviewed, I ask the director directly whenever I have a question. That's the fastest and most accurate way. Director Kim Tae-hee is also a passionate person, so we worked well together. Two or three months before filming, she actively shared helpful materials for the actors, such as songs that Jay would have listened to a lot, and the sets of the school and Jaeyi's house. Thanks to that, I was able to read the script more realistically, thinking, "When I go up the stairs to the second floor, my sister Jenna's room is on the left, and Jaeyi's room is on the right, and the atmosphere in the rooms is like this." When we actually started filming, it was less awkward because I had already seen the set. The set was comfortable enough to ad-lib, which I don't usually do.
- From the moment Yoo Jaeyi's entrance information session reveals who the top student at Chaehwa Girls' High School is, her Jay-ness is evident. There is a clear aura that is completed by her unhurried speech, gait, and upright posture.
The image of Jaeyi that I had was unapproachable and someone whose hand I could only reach out and grab. As I continued to imagine that Jaeyi, the way she spoke and her posture naturally developed. If I go into it a little deeper, the fact that his appearance was not comfortable for Jaeyi was the key. The key was that it was a frame that would satisfy the father (Kim Tae-hoon) who wanted the perfect daughter.
- It's clear that there's some big wound inside Jaeyi, and I guess it came from her relationship with her father.
When acting as Jaeyi, understanding the father-daughter relationship was a priority. Jaeyi's father is the most influential figure. Jaeyi, who is always easygoing and confident, becomes nervous and anxious in front of his father. The pressure Jaeyi feels to always do well increases as the film progresses, and I looked deep into Jaeyi's inner self to gradually express that emotion well. The words and actions of his father comparing her sisters since she was young must have left a huge trauma on Jaeyi. That must have been Jay's biggest fear.
- Although it is directly revealed in the scene, Jaeyi is a character who lives in his own aquarium. She seems free but is trapped, and although she seems to want to be recognized by everyone, she is indifferent to the world in general.
Fortunately, I wanted her to feel like a character with both extremes. At first glance, Jaeyi seems like a character who has to be number one and become the best predator, but she is actually a friend who has no attachments to anything. I thought there was a certain sense of leisure and mystery that comes from having no attachments, and I wanted to fully utilize that.
- You actively participated in styling. What was the concept you had in mind, and what specific ideas did you come up with?
Jaeyi is set as a real powerhouse in the top 1% of Chaehwa Girls' High School. I thought she wasn't just a student who was good at studying, but a friend who pursued perfection in many aspects such as grades, family background, appearance, and athletics. That's why the concept, not the concept, was to look really pretty. I suggested that she have long, black hair to make her facial features stand out. This was the first time I had black hair in a modern drama. Since Seulgi (Chung Subin), Ye-ri ( Kang Hye-won ), and Gyeong-i ( Oh Woo-ri ), who she hangs out with, have pretty decent styles, I did a lot of research on what kind of styling would stand out among them. I thought that there needed to be a visual contrast between inside and outside of school, so I prepared outfits outside of school that had hip elements.
- I get the impression that the acting style has changed in this work. It is minimalistic overall, especially in the way the face is used. The facial expressions are not very varied, but subtle emotions pass through them.
I think it might be because I paid a lot of attention to the director's direction that Jaeyi should be a friend who speaks with his eyes. It's really hard to act by conveying everything with just a look. I still wonder how I'm going to do it. It was definitely a different way of expressing myself than before, so I had a lot of pressure wondering if I could do it. I had no choice but to trust the director who gave me the role and the cinematographer who could capture my expressions well. More than anything, if my expressions were good, it's because of the other actors. I'm sure that Jaeyi's expressionless face was able to have layers because they all reacted well, looking around and being afraid.
- It must not have been easy to portray an aura that is unapproachable and an overwhelming sense of control. How do you think it was possible from a successful perspective?
Aura and control are never created by an actor saying, "I'll create it from now on." Through this challenge, I realized that they come from a detailed script and the hard work of the on-site staff. Jaeyi is a character who exerts influence on the entire class even when she sits still in the classroom, but I didn't have confidence that I could exert that level of presence. At that time, the director said, "All the rookie actors who play students in the class might dream of becoming an actor like Hyeri. Since they are just starting out, they might also admire Hyeri." That specific advice gave me courage. The words from the admissions information session saved me. Even though I am not easily intimidated, I was embarrassed because I had to overwhelm a crowd of hundreds of people who were only focused on Jaeyi, and that too with English lines. I was able to digest it because there were playful words that lightened the mood.
- I want to ask you directly. Why is Jaeyi so obsessed with Seolgi?
I can't go into detail, but Jaeyi has some goals that Seulgi needs. If you watch the drama closely, you'll see that even though there was no communication between the two, Jaey knows Seulgi's phone number and that Seulgi was the top student in her previous school. The conflict deepens in the latter half when Seulgi learns something that Jaeyi doesn't reveal, and that's where the fun comes from.
- Then, does that mean that the sexual tension between the two that supported them from the very beginning will gradually disappear?
I think that tension will live on until the end. It started out of necessity, but Jaeyi's feelings also change as she experiences various incidents. Seulgi can't help but develop feelings for Jaeyi, who continues to be good to her. They help each other grow and fill in each other's shortcomings. That's how I want to define the relationship between Jaeyi and Seulgi
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