[Interview] Kim Woobin: "The More I Read Kim Eunsook's Script, the More I Was Drawn In... I Wanted to Do Well"

Playing Genie in Netflix Series 'It Will All Come True'
52 Lines of Arabic Dialogue: "Practiced Each One a Thousand Times"
"After Illness... Now I Live Each Day to the Fullest"

Actor Kim Woobin. Provided by Netflix

"I believe that how a person lives is more important than how they were born."

Actor Kim Woobin has become a mirror reflecting humanity as a transcendent being in the Netflix series 'It Will All Come True,' which explores human desire. Meeting him at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on October 13, he said, "I acted while reflecting on human nature and desire."

'It Will All Come True' is a fantasy series written by Kim Eunsook, centered on good and evil and the nature of humanity. The character 'Genie,' played by Kim Woobin, is a supernatural being who grants human wishes. Outwardly, he appears to be a benevolent god, but he is a dualistic figure who leads people to corruption by exploiting their desires. He said, "Genie pretends to grant wishes but ultimately tests human desire, so there were a lot of complex emotions. The biggest challenge was expressing the boundary between good and evil in a convincing way."

He described this project as "an exploration of human nature." He added, "Humans are not that simple. Rather than dividing people into good or evil, I felt the message was that the choices we make ultimately define us."

His connection with writer Kim Eunsook is special. This is their third collaboration, following the dramas 'A Gentleman's Dignity' (2012) and 'The Heirs' (2013). Kim Woobin said, "This script was so good that it felt almost too precious. The desires, humor, and messages were perfectly intertwined, and the more I read it, the more I was drawn in and could fully sense the texture of the writing." He recalled that Kim Eunsook once told him, "It seems like you know why I wrote this scene and are acting accordingly." He continued, "That comment gave me a lot of strength and made me want to do well. I think there’s a real connection between us," he said with a smile.

In the series, Genie grants wishes to humans while scattering golden dust. This gesture was not in the script; it was something Kim Woobin created himself. "Because Genie is a being different from humans, I wanted to give an alien quality to every movement. I tried to make his tone, rhythm, and reactions different from those of humans. That gap makes it look like just another part of Genie's daily life."

The filming process was not easy. To perfect his Arabic lines, he listened to the recordings a thousand times. He said, "It was such an unfamiliar language that I would forget it as soon as I turned away. There were 52 lines of Arabic in the script, so I must have listened to them about 520,000 times in total," he said with a laugh. He listened to them repeatedly like music while driving or resting, and there was an Arabic coach on set at all times.

'It Will All Come True' still. Provided by Netflix

Actor Kim Woobin. Provided by Netflix

He changed his appearance by alternating between a striking long hairstyle and a bob cut. The bold styling, including earrings and costumes, was not just a simple transformation but a device to express the character's narrative.

"It was my first time having such long hair, and it was heavy. During breaks, I would twist it up and rest it on my shoulder. The makeup team even attached part of it to my waist to distribute the weight. Rather than focusing on a special transformation, it was more important to maintain the flow. Even when Genie expressed intense emotions, I wanted to make sure it didn’t feel off-putting."

He reunited with Suzy, his co-star, for the first time in nine years since the drama 'Uncontrollably Fond' (2016). He said, "Our personalities are so similar that we didn’t need time to get close. On set, we could almost always tell what the other was thinking, so whether it was a comedic or emotional scene, our chemistry was natural." In particular, their first kiss scene was the one they put the most effort into. He said, "I thought that was the moment when emotions truly developed, so I wanted to film it well. I discussed the angles a lot with the cinematographer as we prepared."

After filming ended, he watched the series all the way through twice. Kim Woobin said, "During the holidays, I looked up all the viewers' reactions. Whether the feedback was good or not, I was just grateful that people watched the show." He added, "Hearing that the drama was fun is the best compliment."

Kim Woobin has been keeping a gratitude journal for 16 years, a habit he has maintained since his debut. After being diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in May 2017 and taking a hiatus of about two and a half years, he returned to acting. He said, "I used to think living for others was only natural, but now I’m learning how to live for myself. As long as I don’t harm others, living for myself is what makes me happy."

His attitude as an actor has also changed. He said, "I don’t set grand goals. I just try to live each day to the fullest. On days when I work all day and come home, I often think, 'I couldn’t have lived today any better.'"

"After being sick once, I realized that health is the most important thing. So my wish is always the same: that everyone I know, including myself, lives healthily to 100 years old."