[OSENWORLD] From When Life Gives You Tangerines to her world premiere in Venice, Yeom Hye-ran is having a global moment with Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice.
Timed to the film’s Sept. 24 release, Yeom appeared in a new Cosmopolitan feature showcasing her striking charisma and versatile presence. The movie, which surpassed 300,000 presale tickets three days before opening, has already been dubbed one of Korea’s most anticipated fall releases. In it, Yeom plays Lee Ara, an artistically inclined woman who refuses to lose confidence despite repeated audition failures.
Looking back on the Venice world premiere, Yeom admitted she was nervous: “I worried about how such a uniquely Korean expression like ‘no other choice’ would be translated, and whether the audience would connect with it. But when the film ended, it felt like I had climbed a mountain. It was overwhelming and such an honor to be there as an actor.”
Speaking about her character, Yeom explained: “Ara carries the image of Eve. She’s curious and proactive rather than passive. Though she stumbles often, she’s a woman who always rises again.” Yeom confessed she initially thought Ara was far from herself: “When I first read the script, I wondered why director Park Chan-wook chose me. But the role drew out hidden feelings I had long set aside. It made me face parts of myself I once avoided.”
Yeom also noted that while her past roles explored openly expressed desires, Ara embodies hidden, even taboo ones. “Audiences may find that side of me unfamiliar, but it expanded my perspective and broadened my world,” she said.
Her range is evident in roles spanning When Life Gives You Tangerines, Wall to Wall, The Glory, Mask Girl, The Uncanny Counter, and When the Camellia Blooms. Yeom described this journey as a process of self-discovery: “Portraying such different women is like building a treasure chest. Each role becomes a precious asset, and playing self-driven women has been both meaningful and joyful.”
She also emphasized her sense of responsibility as both an actress and a mentor figure: “I’m conscious of what I must pass on to the next generation — not only through words, but by example. I hope more stories will be told where women aren’t just functional, but fully alive as characters.”
As for what she hopes to reveal in No Other Choice, Yeom concluded with a thoughtful metaphor: “A monk once said, after seeing thousands of Buddha statues, that they all lived inside him. Acting is the same for me — discovering countless versions of myself. I can’t wait to see what else emerges.”
/k_inside@osen.co.kr
Courtesy of Cosmopolitan
