Just as Every Touch Is Unique, So Is Every Interpretation... Lim Yoona's Growth [Limelight]

A New Perspective as an Actress Discovered Through "The Tyrant's Chef"
Finding the Intersection of Cooking and Acting After a Year With the Knife
"Beyond Fitting the Audience?Toward My Own Interpretation..."

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Actress Lim Yoona has spent nearly a year wielding a knife. It was all for the drama "The Tyrant's Chef," in which she played Michelin three-star chef Yeon Jiyeong. Simply mastering knife skills and fire control was not enough. She had to become adept at kneading dough and simmering broth as well. However, what truly mattered was something else: her own interpretation.

On set, she encountered unexpected moments. It was when Kim Hyungmook, who played Ming Dynasty envoy Woo Gon, tasted Yeon Jiyeong’s food and reacted with his whole body. "When he expressed how delicious it was with his entire being, our eyes met. I was so surprised, I wondered if this was really our drama." This was before any computer graphics (CG) were added. The power of the food was conveyed through the actor’s expressions alone. "I started looking forward to what new reactions would come next. These tasting reactions are essential to show just how skilled Yeon Jiyeong is."

In that moment, Lim Yoona realized something: there were limits to her own acting. There was a process of finding the right tone from the very beginning. "If I poured all my energy into it, Yeon Jiyeong might come across as the only bright spot. She could even seem like someone who can’t adapt to the Joseon era." Director Jang Taeyu, however, encouraged her, saying that the contrast made things more interesting. In fact, as her co-stars delivered bold reactions, Lim Yoona’s performance gradually gained more energy. It was no coincidence that Yeon Jiyeong’s character became more vivid as the cooking competitions unfolded.

"Just as the same ingredients can taste different depending on the cook, the same script can yield entirely different results depending on the actor. Just as each person’s touch is unique, so is their interpretation. I believe that’s where new expressions are born."

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"The Tyrant's Chef" is a fantasy historical drama in which Yeon Jiyeong is transported to the Joseon era by an inexplicable accident. As she draws closer to the tyrant Lee Heon (played by Lee Chaemin), who possesses an absolute sense of taste, she struggles for survival and love at the very heart of power through her cooking. The drama, which concluded on the 28th, recorded a 17% viewership rating, marking the highest for tvN since "Queen of Tears."

The greatest driving force behind its success was the food. It was not just a simple prop. Food revealed human nature and moved those in power. Yeon Jiyeong did more than just make delicious dishes. She prioritized the experiences and preferences of those who ate her food, such as discerning Lee Heon's tastes and inferring Grand Queen Dowager Inju’s (Seo Isook) past. In this aspect, Lim Yoona found parallels between her own life and her character.

"There’s a line that says, 'You can’t cook if you don’t know the eater’s palate.' But as I lived as Yeon Jiyeong, my thinking changed. While the perspective of the one tasting is important, as a chef, I started to wonder, 'What can I show you first?'"

Having spent years in the spotlight on stage, screen, and television, she was used to adapting to her audience. But this time was different. "Instead of matching what the audience wants, I developed a perspective of asking what I can create. I began to look forward to whether people would enjoy what I have to offer."

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The driving force that brought this shift in thinking to life was perseverance-a quality she is most confident in. From the moment she debuted, she maintained her position at the top through diligence, despite the fate of always being judged. Ahead of this drama, she spent about six months learning to cook and took private lessons to perfect a few lines in French. She filmed in thin, shabby clothes during the cold winter and wore thick chef’s uniforms in the summer, staying in provincial locations. Lim Yoona understood this entire process as an extension of the emotions Yeon Jiyeong would feel.

"Yeon Jiyeong has the perseverance to overcome any situation in her own way. I thought there were similarities to the path I’ve walked in the entertainment industry. Maybe that’s my own unique color."

There was another aspect she focused on in the drama: food is an instinctive medium that touches human memories and emotions. Even with many fantasy elements and rapidly changing relationships between characters, she became confident that cooking could create a sense of empathy with the audience.

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Director Jang Taeyu also strongly emphasized this point. Lee Heon recalls his childhood with his birth mother when eating grilled deer tongue cooked over charcoal, and Grand Queen Dowager Inju remembers her happy moments before entering the palace when tasting Yeon Jiyeong’s spinach and freshwater clam soybean paste soup.

"There’s a premise that everyone thinks of their mother when eating Yeon Jiyeong’s food. It’s imbued with the power of longing for someone. I thought that was the greatest strength of Yeon Jiyeong’s cooking. I believe viewers saw the drama in a more multi-dimensional way because they experienced that. Anyone can recall memories of the past with just a spoonful of warm soup."

Lim Yoona sought to convey sincerity rather than flashy technique. She focused on evoking universal emotions that the audience could relate to, rather than complex emotional lines. She especially made good use of narration that played when conceptualizing dishes or revealing inner thoughts. Even viewers who hadn’t watched the drama from the beginning could be drawn in, as she honestly revealed every aspect of her character.

"It wasn’t something I consciously acted. As I worked on the project, I realized there were points where 'this much explanation is needed for the emotions to follow.' As an actress, I try to find a balance between what I understand and what I can convey to the audience."

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This method of communication was also evident in the film "Exit" and the drama "King the Land." By playing bright, resilient characters who did not yield to adversity, she conveyed emotional nuances with clarity. However, in "The Tyrant's Chef," she went a step further. Blending heavy themes of power and survival with fantasy elements, she showcased a new side of herself. She is expanding her horizons as an actress, not just playing to her strengths but exploring new genres and platforms.

"I spent almost a year thinking and living as Yeon Jiyeong, and I feel that much more fulfilled. I feel a deep sense of regret at having to let her go. This work, in particular, stirs my heart every time I think about it."

She said that with each project, she grows in ways she doesn’t even realize. "I always work sincerely and diligently, but as I gain experience, I think I develop in ways I’m not even aware of." Lim Yoona said she wants to continue searching for new colors each time, just as each person’s touch is unique-through her own interpretation.