Star of Netflix hit Vincenzo and Night in Paradise Jeon Yeo-been on how she gets into character and her love of Wong Kar-wai’s movies
- In Vincenzo, Jeon plays a feisty lawyer and in Night in Paradise a mysterious sharpshooter. Both are out for revenge against people who killed their families
- A big fan of Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai, the South Korean actress used to imagine herself playing the lead role and ‘sacrificing myself for friendship’
In the first few months of 2021, actress Jeon Yeo-been has starred in two different projects. She plays a feisty lawyer in tvN’s drama series, Vincenzo, and a taciturn sharpshooter in film noir, Night in Paradise. The two seemingly different characters have one striking similarity: both seek revenge against people who killed their families.
“Vincenzo’s Hong Cha-young becomes a relentless fighter for justice after her father dies. Jae-yeon of Night in Paradise also has a thirst for revenge after witnessing her family’s murder,” she said in a recent Zoom interview.
To play the stone-faced sharpshooter in the film, Jeon had to learn target shooting: “I was offered the role when I was filming the latter part of JTBC’s Melo is My Nature (2019). I was worried about shooting guns in the beginning, so I went to shooting ranges for a few months before I started filming. As I worked harder to prepare for the role, my skills improved over time.”
Jeon added: “I tried to maintain a strong gaze when filming shooting scenes, because that best describes Jae-yeon’s dynamic personality.”
The 32-year-old actress revealed that she concentrates on the emotions and situations of the characters she plays before filming, so her actual personality traits are reflected in the work she does. When asked if it is difficult to say goodbye to one character before moving on to another, she said it’s fairly easy.
“While I’m filming, I’m often immersed in the emotions and situations of the character. But when the filming is over, I’m quick to return to my daily life,” she said.
A devoted fan of Hong Kong noir films, Jeon especially likes the works of Wong Kar-wai. “I grew up watching Hong Kong noir films. As a kid, I often imagined myself playing the lead role in such movies, performing gunfights and sacrificing myself for the sake of friendship,” she explained.
“When I first started reading the script [for Night in Paradise], Jae-yeon’s character seemed less attractive. But in the final scene, I realised that she would be a rare character in Korean action noir. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to play Jae-yeon, who brings a totally new [kind of] character at the centre of all the male characters.”
Jeon said she can sense her growing popularity thanks to a huge following on her social media.
“I recently launched an Instagram account, and most of the comments are from my international fans who have watched my dramas and films on Netflix. I was surprised by how global the reach of K-content has become,” she said.
The actress also discussed her most memorable character, Young-hee from the mystery drama, After My Death (2018). Jeon won numerous awards for playing the high school student struggling to cope with the loss of her friend who committed suicide, including the Actress of the Year Award at the Busan International Film Festival in 2017 and the Independent Star Award at the Seoul Independent Film Festival the same year.
“All the characters I’ve played so far mean a lot to me, but I think Young-hee of After My Death was a real turning point for me as an actor. It opened doors to so many great opportunities,” she said.