[TEN Interview] “It was only a day of filming for Son Seok-gu, but I felt an inner intimacy” 11-year actor Lee Re talks about the movie ‘It’s Okay’ [28th BIFF]

[Ten Asia = Reporter Ha-neul Lee]

Actor Lee Re, who debuted in 2012 and is already in his 11th year, is an actor with a strong personality despite his young age. When looking at actor Lee Re’s filmography, one gets the feeling that he is gradually expanding his own scope by wearing clothes that suit his age one by one. From a confident girl who flexibly navigates the world in ‘The Perfect Way to Steal a Dog’ (2014) to struggling to survive in ‘Peninsula’ (2020).

Lee Re, who visited Busan with the film ‘It’s Okay, It’s Okay!’ (Director Kim Hye-young) was invited to the Panorama section of the 28th Busan International Film Festival. In the movie ‘It’s Okay, It’s Okay!’, In-yeong (Jeong I-re), a high school student who lost her mother in a car accident, overcomes the hardships of her world with courage and confidence. Through ‘It’s Okay’, Lee Re said that she wanted to convey the message to the audience that there are people around them who can lend a hand. I am looking forward to the future of actor Lee Re, who is growing like a character in the play.

Q. I am curious about your impressions of visiting the 28th Busan International Film Festival with ‘It’s Okay, It’s Okay!’ The year before last, I attended the stage greeting for the Netflix series ‘Hell’ and met the audience.

It is a precious work with many memories. I am also very thankful for the fact that it was submitted to the Busan International Film Festival, the largest film festival in Korea. It’s a work that was fun to film and makes you laugh and cry while watching it together. I hope that the audience can feel my sincerity as well.

Q. I’m curious about what part of the scenario appealed to you and made you choose the work.

Even though she lost her mother in an accident, seeing her courageous and flawless appearance also healed me. I chose the scenario because I thought it would be so fun to film.

Q. After her mother died in an accident, In-young seems to live stoically without revealing her sad feelings out loud. Maybe that’s why the scene where she cried at the pharmacy was even more heartbreaking because it felt like all her emotions were coming out.

In-young’s sadness seems to have exploded as she reached her breaking point in front of the people she trusted and relied on. Inyoung is still a child and growing. She was glad to see that scene because she thought it would be good to know how to express her pain. Director Kim Hye-young also said that since In-young looks like an adult, she wanted her to cry like a child.

Q. The most important relationship with In-young is Hwang Seol-ah, a dance teacher played by actress Jin Seo-yeon. In-young stays at her house and gradually integrates into her daily life. She feels like Seol-ah’s sadness and In-young’s pain are harmonized and healed.

She thought it was a natural process. Young In-young knows how to overcome her sadness alone, but isn’t she lacking? She must have been anxious as if the fence had disappeared, but Seol-ah took care of those factors. I think she may have healed from the times she was hurt. I was nervous because Jin Seo-yeon was so charismatic, but she was so easy-going. Even though I was a young actor, she was considerate and took care of me, so we had fun filming on set.

Q. There are reliable and comfortable people by Inyoung’s side who comfort her. Lee Jeong-ha as Do-yoon and Son Seok-gu as the pharmacy owner. I feel like a man with long legs.

These two people are the kind of people who meet up with In-young when she is having a hard time and tell her about them or help her forget them. I feel like I can talk comfortably without having to worry, and I can rely on people like that.

Q. How was the collaboration with actors Lee Jeong-ha and Son Seok-gu?

The scene with senior Son Seok-gu was filmed in one day, and I learned a lot in that short period of time. Should I call it internal intimacy (laughter), it was a comfortable relationship that I would have felt this comfort if I were the real Inyoung. Senior Son Seok-gu’s acting style was so free that his acting came out rather impressively. Actually, I don’t have a friendly personality that makes me approach him first. When I was filming with my older sisters and older brothers, I was concerned about how I would approach them as younger siblings. I was very happy that Jeongha oppa came to me comfortably.

Q. In the play, doesn’t Inyoung major in Korean dance? The Seoul International Performing Arts Company’s 60th anniversary performance scene appears at the end of the film. I think you must have practiced a lot to prepare for these scenes.

At the time of filming ‘It’s Okay’, the drama ‘Hello? It’s me!’ was being filmed at the same time. I think I was trying to make time to practice. Even though I was a teenager, I thought I should have skills as a student who joined the theater company. My sister who dances and the choreography director helped me a lot.

Q. It feels like ‘It’s Okay’ doesn’t deal with grief too heavily, as in the line, “For those who leave, that day is the day they say goodbye, but for those who are left behind, they continue to say goodbye until the day they accept it.”

The meaning or significance of the movie is not light. I’m not sure how In-young will reach the audience about the power to survive tomorrow, but I hope that through the movie they will know that they are not alone. In her play, In-young loses her parents and is forced to figure out how to survive on her own. However, she has a teacher and friends at the pharmacy, so I hope it gets across that if she holds out her hand, there will always be someone there to hold it.

Q. I am currently a freshman studying acting at Chung-Ang University. What is his school life like?

He apparently learned a lot about acting on set. I wanted to start from the basics, from top to bottom. When I thought of those methods, I thought that I wanted to learn them slowly in college. There is a lot to learn in school life, and my classmates and older brothers care a lot for me. I felt pressure every time I went on set, but I think university freed me from acting.

Q. You will appear as the younger version of Park Eun-bin in the next tvN drama ‘Diva of the Desert Island’ (2023). It is scheduled to air on October 28th, so it will meet viewers soon.

Her Bokha character in ‘Diva on a Desert Island’ is a child with a dark side who suffers domestic violence from her father, but she is a friend who lives without losing sight of the brightness of her singing. She is a friend who does not miss happiness in her life. She lives day by day, forgetting reality for a moment. Although she only filmed a child role, she is a good child who continues to find her bright spots even in such dark situations.

Q. It has already been 11 years since her debut in 2012. I’m curious what kind of actor you want to become in the future.

Aren’t there times when it’s hard? Whenever I want to escape reality, I listen to songs, find works, forget reality, immerse myself in that world, and heal as if I were really there. I hope people feel energized when they see me.

Busan = Ten Asia Reporter Ha-neul Lee greenworld@tenasia.co.kr