[Interview] Cynthia: "I Wanted to Cry Ugly, Because That's Real"

Playing a First-Year OB-GYN Resident in 'Someday Wise Resident Life'
"It Felt Like I Was Repaying My Grandfather, the Doctor"

Cynthia conducted an interview on the 19th in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Andmark

"The time I spent asking my grandfather about medical terminology was my favorite."

Actress Cynthia paused several times throughout the interview. Her eyes welled up both when recalling the mother-daughter relationship in the drama and when talking about her grandfather, a former doctor who cared for her deeply. The conversations she had with her grandfather, who continued to answer each of her questions with a smile even after retirement, became her greatest source of strength while preparing for this project. Meeting at a cafe in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on May 19, she said, "I'm grateful that I could repay him in some way, even if it was like this."

Her grandfather encouraged the family to watch the show live every week by posting messages in their group chat, saying, "Namkyung, fighting today as well." Cynthia said with a laugh, "He would tell everyone in the group chat?including my grandmother, aunt, and uncle?to gather in front of the TV at 9 o'clock. Every time I received that kind of support, I truly felt proud."

Cynthia played the role of Pyo Namkyung, a first-year OB-GYN resident, in the recently concluded tvN weekend drama 'Someday Wise Resident Life.' Having debuted as a cold and strong-willed character in the film 'The Witch: Part 2' (2022), she expanded her acting spectrum by portraying a completely different type of character in this project. She delicately depicted the reality of a young doctor growing through mistakes, earning empathy from viewers.

Pyo Namkyung is a character who always remains "second best." She entered medical school after a second attempt, always in the shadow of her top-ranked friend, and quietly fulfills her duties at the hospital. Cynthia explained, "Rather than glamorous achievements, it was the effort not to miss out on everyday life, relationships, and even romance that felt more realistic."

The scene where her emotions were most complexly revealed was the final episode with patient Yeom Miso. It was a turning point that kept Namkyung from running away, exhausted by hospital life, and a moment where she held back tears to be with the patient at the end. In the scene where Yeom Miso's consciousness gradually fades, Cynthia wrote a short farewell line herself and suggested it to the director, even though it wasn't in the script. "I kept thinking about what Namkyung would say at the end. In the end, I realized that simply saying 'Thank you' would be enough."

The scenes with her mother in the drama left an especially deep impression. In a brief conversation with her hospitalized mother, frustration, complaints, and belated regret were all captured. Cynthia confessed, "The line, 'It's the first time I've slept with my daughter since middle school,' actually made me tear up." She said it resonated even more because she hasn't been able to see her parents' faces often these days. She wanted to watch this scene with her mother, but couldn't, and after the broadcast, when her mother sent a message saying, "I cried," she felt both gratitude and regret at the same time.

Through this project, she realized once again that she is a "crybaby." Even when acting out emotional scenes, she said, "I never thought about crying prettily," believing she had to follow her sadness as it truly felt. She said she was relieved when her family told her, "You cried just like you do at home."

Drama 'Someday Will Be Wise Resident Life' still photo. tvN

She also did not hold back her emotions in the breakup scene with her boyfriend. At the moment of accepting the end of a long relationship, she chose to cry as she really would, rather than maintaining a composed expression. "I wanted to cry hard, just like in real life. I heard a lot of people say they liked that I cried in an unflattering way, and those reactions were actually comforting to me. That was my real emotion, too."

As it was her first drama, she put a lot of effort into preparing on set. She not only observed at hospitals but also asked her medical student friends detailed questions, such as "How much can you dye your hair?" and "What kind of clothes do you wear under your gown?" and took careful notes. For the surgery scenes, she even practiced suturing herself with the help of the medical advisory team.

Pyo Namkyung, who was an awkward and unfamiliar colleague to some and a warm comfort to others, was also a character who made the actress reflect on "who I am right now." Cynthia said, "I'm someone who also really wants to do well, but because I keep trying so hard, I often get flustered. I felt that this was something I had in common with Namkyung."

This project also changed her attitude toward acting. It was a time when she directly experienced that expressing emotions honestly leads to deeper acting. Cynthia said that meeting such a warm story for her first drama was a great fortune for her. Above all, she reflected on the meaning by saying, "I finally realized why I came to love acting and what kind of attitude I should have."