Lee Se Young Talks About What "The Red Sleeve" Means To Her, What Makes Her Happy, And More

Jan 24, 2022

Lee Se Young participated in a pictorial and interview with Vogue Korea!

Lee Se Young spoke about what her role in the hit drama “The Red Sleeve” means to her. “It really makes me feel emotional. When I finish filming for a drama, a lot of people ask me what I think my character would be doing right now. My character, Seong Deok Im, died in the drama, so it breaks my heart. However, I think Deok Im and Yi San (2PM’s Lee Junho) know each other’s feelings so well that they’ll be doing fine together.”

The actress also talked about what she liked about her character. “Deok Im is a strong-willed court lady who takes pride in what she does. When she swore to protect Yi San until he becomes king, she went against her goal of wanting to live a long and thin life. I thought this was very brave of her.”

She shared some of the changes she went through thanks to her character. “I usually separate myself from work. However, Deok Im changed me in a way. Deok Im lived in an era where there were limits to what she could decide for herself. However, she wanted to be her own leader and decide things for herself. I started to wonder about whether or not I’m truly making decisions for myself in my own life. I realized that regardless of the result, my sense of achievement and perspective would change if I start to have this mindset.”

Lee Se Young also talked about the friendships she formed while filming the drama, specifically the friendship between the court ladies. “I used to think that I should work out my issues by myself and help others with their problems, but I realized that it’s okay to rely on others sometimes and help each other out. Friendships make people stronger.”

“The Red Sleeve” is Lee Se Young’s fifth historical drama. When asked if she thinks that this genre suits her, the actress replied, “I chose to participate in dramas that I liked. I never really thought about if the genre suited me or not.”

She continued to talk about the special attributes of the genre, saying, “It allows for new interpretations. There are also certain visual angles that are pleasing to the eye when it comes to the historical genre. Some examples are the images of the sky and the ground, the combination of colors that the hanbok (Korean traditional clothing) displays, and more.

Lee Se Young picked the film “Duck Town” when talking about graduating from the child actor stage. “I was really desperate then. After attending the 2014 Melon Music Awards, I was jobless. I was shocked because this never happened before. I decided that I needed to do something and prepare for an alternative option and studied really hard. I barely got any sleep, and I even had my own cosmetic business. When I came across ‘Duck Town,’ I realized that the plot was the story of my life. I sympathized with my character in the film. You try to change your present life to change the future so you attempt to do something different, but there’s no hope. I feel really sorry for myself when I look back at those times. That’s why that film means a lot to me.”

When asked what she thinks an actor does and what it means to be one, Lee Se Young said, “An actor acts and delivers the story that the writer wrote. I think the most important aspect about being an actor is to be a great at acting. If actors don’t continue to work on themselves, they will fall behind.”

The actress also talked about her hobbies. “I joined a soccer team three years ago, but I’m still really bad at it. I try to score goals with my chest. I think it’s great when people try to search for something fun to do after being exhausted from work.”

When asked about any possible regrets from starting her acting career too early, Lee Se Young said, “I don’t regret it. If I want to try something else right now, I can still do that too. I think it’s rather relieving to know that I started doing something I like earlier since I don’t have any other talents. I used to think that it’d be better if I could become an actress without also becoming a celebrity. However, I still think it’s a blessing to be able to continue working as an actress. I know that failure exists, but I think it’s all part of the process. I love what I do, and I want to be better at it. I also think a lot about my fans. They’re like family to me.”

Finally, Lee Se Young spoke about what makes her happy. “I have low standards. I always liked to keep things small, but after going through those rough times, I really realized that happiness is something that I decide, and I can become either happy or unhappy according to my standards. I don’t compare myself to others. My life is mine and your life is yours. I’m happy after taking a shower and eating something after work.”