All About Girls' Generation - SNSD 소녀시대

Seohyun (interview) - 1

When A Girl Meets A Lady… Musical Gone With the Wind’s actress Seohyun . 
How might it have been if Phoebe Cates, known for being innocent, took on the role of the ‘Bond girl’ in the 007 series?

The thought that came to mind when I heard Girls’ Generation’s youngest member, Seohyun, was cast for the role of Scarlett O’Hara in the musical ‘Gone With the Wind’. Like Phoebe Cates in a sexy dress, blowing the end of a pisol, it’s possible on paper, but the image in my mind was tangled up. Scarlett O’Hara is arrogant and proud. In order to get the man she likes, without even caring if he’s married, she gives into her desires and goes at them. She’s even ambitious in a sense, that she’d even hold hands with a person she dislikes in order to uphold her household.

However, Seohyun holds a very unique position amongst girl groups as being ‘polite and stubborn’. On a variety show that everyone laughs at and enjoys, Seohyun presented her fake husband with a book and put an emphasis on becoming cultured, and sand a duet with the queen of trot, Joo Hyunmi. It’s safe to say that Seohyun’s role of the pretty, intelligent, and confident ‘Yeonwoo’, in the musical, ‘Moon That Embraces the Sun’, had the overall image that Seohyun has created thus far. To get the fastest and most accurate answers to the questions growing in my mind, we should hear them directly from the person in question. I went to the practice room, met Seohyun, and asked and listened.

Q: There’s a big gap between the Seohyun that the general public thinks of, and the image of Scarlett O’Hara from ‘Gone With the Wind’. I’ll be straightforward. Why are you doing this musical ? .

SH: That’s why I was even more desperate. There’s a side of me where only one specific image is emphasized. My image you see on variety shows is only one side of me, but that comes off as if that’s all of me. It seems like it’s even more like that because I’m the youngest in my group. More than anything, the reason I wanted to do this musical is because I had a lot of similarities with Scarlett. I also thought it would be a good opportunity for me to show another side of me. It was burdensome as it is such a blockbuster, but I aggressively appealed to the producers. I confidently told them, “I, can really do well,” and I think they saw that in a good way .

Q: What points did you feel were similar between yourself and Scarlett ? .

SH: Loving youself the most. Scarlett has strong self-love doesn’t she? I’m like that, too. I’m stubborn, and my opinions are distinct, so I don’t really get carried along by others’ opinions. Not minding other people’s gazes, and, rather than getting pulled along by others, living life making my own decisions is another similarity. I normally don’t like doing something someone tells me to do. But if I get convinced after hearing their logic, I accept it and work hard. I live by doing that, as long as it doesn’t create conflict .

Q: The image the general public has of 'Scarlett O’Hara’ is very clear and fixed. What kind of person do you think your version of Scarlett O’Hara is ? .

SH: In order to study Scarlett, I read the entire 'Gone With the Wind’ novel. It was really thick. Scarlett was clearly self-centered and only cared for her own things. But, I think the surroundings had a big influence. I think, as a woman, if you’re put in that situation, you can’t help it. I can also understand making emotional decisions, rather than rational ones, in a situation like that. I think it’s a character that any actress would sympathize with and want to play. I’m going to try to show this on stage 

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