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Actress Lost 4kg, Studied Influencers to Play 'Weak Hero' Villain

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Actress Park Seo-yoon lost 4 kilograms and studied influencer culture to portray the villainous high school influencer Han Ye-ri in the hit Korean drama "Weak Hero Class 1."
  • Despite having only about 500 followers before the show, Park meticulously studied popular Korean teen influencers to capture their online persona, including their posing and interaction styles.
  • Her dedicated performance, which included detailed attention to facial angles and smiles, successfully angered viewers, a reaction she considers a form of validation for her acting.

Park Seo-yoon, the actress behind the reviled high school influencer Han Ye-ri in the sensational Korean drama "Weak Hero Class 1," underwent a significant transformation for the role. To embody the character, who boasts 600,000 followers, Park shed 4 kilograms and immersed herself in the world of online influencers. She revealed that the director wanted her to appear at her most beautiful and confident, prompting her to reduce her weight from 48 kg to 44 kg through a low-salt diet, avoiding late-night snacks, and regular exercise. She even aimed for 42 kg but found the last two kilograms stubborn.

Compared to losing weight, it was more difficult to portray the 'influencer feel.'

— Park Seo-yoonDescribing the challenges of embodying a popular online personality for her role in 'Weak Hero Class 1.'

Beyond the physical changes, capturing the "influencer vibe" proved more challenging. In reality, Park had a modest social media presence with only around 500 followers before "Weak Hero Class 1" aired, primarily using her account to chat with friends. The culture of live streaming, sponsored posts, and group buying was entirely new to her.

I even studied to the point of analyzing facial flaws, discovering my left eye was smaller and my nose slightly crooked, so I deliberately covered my face with my hair and controlled my smile angles during filming.

— Park Seo-yoonDetailing her meticulous preparation to accurately portray the character Han Ye-ri.

To prepare, Park extensively studied the social media and live streams of popular Korean teen influencer Park Jennie. She meticulously observed everything from selfie angles and facial expressions to live chat interactions. Her dedication went so far as to analyze her own facial features, noting her left eye appeared smaller and her nose slightly crooked. Consequently, during filming, she deliberately used her hair to cover parts of her face and controlled her smile angles.

Although viewers' criticism continues, for the actor, it is the greatest affirmation.

— Park Seo-yoonReflecting on the audience's negative reactions to her character as a sign of successful acting.

This almost obsessive attention to detail successfully brought Han Ye-ri to life as one of the most infuriating characters in "Weak Hero Class 1." While viewers' constant criticism might seem negative, Park views it as the highest form of acting validation. She remains self-critical, often seeing only regrets when watching her own performances. However, she finds immense satisfaction knowing her parents and friends are proud of her work on the show, making all the effort worthwhile.

I never feel satisfied with my acting; every time I watch the broadcast, I only see regrets.

— Park Seo-yoonExpressing her self-critical nature regarding her performances.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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