[Interview] 'Moving' Go Yoon-jung: "Heesu, Numb to Pain, Is Very Similar to Me"

'Moving' Ko Yoon-jung, Playing Hee-su with Ryu Seung-ryong as Father and Daughter
"Low Voice, Easygoing Image, Writer Kang Full Says I Remind Him of Hee-su"
"Playful Senior Ryu Seung-ryong Gave Me a Bouquet at Our First Meeting"
"I Want to Be an Actor Who Always Sparks Public Curiosity"

In the Disney+ original series "Moving," which attracted early attention with a stellar cast and was known as 'Kang Full's choice,' actress Go Yoon-jung was the only character selected by the original creator. Even when heading to the audition, she had not seen the original work and went to the site without a script. Go Yoon-jung recalled, "I find impromptu readings difficult, but Hee-soo felt like a character whose personality and speech were similar to mine, so it didn't feel unfamiliar. I thought I could do it, and I hoped I would," reflecting on her feelings on the audition day. Kang Full chose her for Hee-soo because of her voice. Hee-soo's straightforward image came to life on screen with Go Yoon-jung's natural voice, speech, and personality.

Actor Go Yoon-jung.
[Photo by MAA]

Recently, at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Go Yoon-jung calmly introduced the work "Moving" with her usual straightforwardness. About her first meeting with actor Ryu Seung-ryong, who is well-known for his role as a 'daughter's fool,' she said, "He is a respected senior and a famous actor, so I thought it would be difficult, but I was surprised when he prepared a bouquet for me at our first meeting." She added, "I thought he was kind, and after talking a lot, my nervousness eased, and I soon felt a sense of closeness." She also mentioned that the atmosphere on set, which could have become stiff due to the many action scenes, was quickly lightened and lifted by Ryu Seung-ryong's humor and jokes.

To immerse herself in the role of Hee-soo, a physical education college entrance exam student, Go Yoon-jung attended a physical education entrance exam academy three months before filming. She said, "There must be a certain skilled posture that only real examinees have, and I wanted to show that without missing it to the sharp eyes of viewers. It was harder than I thought to naturally adopt the posture, but the movements I learned at the academy helped a lot." Regarding performing action scenes again after her previous work "Alchemy of Souls," she expressed enthusiasm and a desire to do better. "I also thought I wanted to have Hee-soo's (instant healing) superpower. If pain disappears quickly, as an actor, I could perform more realistic action scenes in various ways."

'Moving' Go Yoon-jung still.
Photo by Disney+

This passion was conveyed directly to viewers in the 17:1 confrontation scene set in a muddy field. During the continuous filming on the slippery muddy ground, the mud dried up, and since the students wore school uniforms, even the extras had to shoot without protective gear, bare-skinned. In a scene where CG could not be used except to erase wounds, she rolled and fought until her skin was scraped, creating a more dramatic moment. Go Yoon-jung recalled, "In the original, the setting was that wounds disappeared when washed away by rain, but since the filming space was too wide to call a water truck, the setting changed to rolling in the mud, which created a more dramatic scene." She added, "It was a very important scene that required great synergy with the extras and supporting actors, and everyone participated bare-skinned wearing only school uniforms without protective gear, so it remains memorable."

Go Yoon-jung, who cited being insensitive to pain or wounds as the most similar trait between herself and Hee-soo, also found herself in Hee-soo's image as a physical education college entrance exam student, recalling her own long experience with art entrance exams. She confessed, "I had a habit of focusing only on my goal like a racehorse, clearing my mind and moving forward. It might be called inertia?doing yesterday's work again today, and today's work again tomorrow. When other thoughts come in, it gets difficult, but without that, I have experience doing well today and tomorrow, so I understood and empathized with Hee-soo's traits. Both art and physical education are solitary endurance battles, and those things came to mind a lot."

Actor Go Yoon-jung. [Photo by MAA]

Although she did not major in acting and felt burdened, she now feels it is rather an advantage. She shyly smiled and said, "Since I am not a major, I approach the work thinking 'I will probably be the worst here.' Starting with an open mind and humility, I think my quick absorption when receiving guidance is a strength as an actor." She also expressed her aspiration to remain a 'curious actress' to the public. "I want to be an actress that audiences are curious about. I will work hard in acting with the thought that they keep wondering about me."