It is short but thick. This is the presence of Lee Yoo Mi in her work. Lee Yoo Mi’s charm also worked in this ‘All of Us Are Dead‘. She has a strong impact even for a short time, leaving a thick afterimage.
Lee Yoo Mi, who made her debut in the 2010 movie ‘The Yellow Sea’, has been steadily active in ‘Hwayi‘, ‘Learning is a Learner‘, ‘Birdman‘ and ‘Powerful Girl’. In particular, she showed off her outstanding skills as an actress with her strong acting in ‘Park Hwa-young‘ and ‘Adults don’t know‘.
It was through the Netflix drama ‘Squid Game’ that Lee Yoo Mi made her face known properly. She continued, and she solidified her position through ‘All of Us Are Dead‘.
‘All of Us Are Dead‘ is the story of those who are isolated in a high school where a zombie virus has spread and those who try to save them, going through an extreme situation where they can’t figure out what’s ahead. It is based on the popular webtoon of the same name. In the drama, Lee Yoo Mi plays the role of Na Yeon, who puts her friends at risk with her selfish actions.
The first meeting between Lee Yoo Mi and Na Yeon was in the original webtoon. Looking at the selfish and vicious Nayeon in the webtoon, she said, ” I thought it’s really bad“.
Recalling her audition for the role of Na Yeon, Lee Yoo Mi said, “I chewed on the lines and thought that I didn’t get a good look. I remember coming out with regret, and as a result, I ended up playing Nayeon.”
What moved the director’s heart was his trust in Lee Yoo Mi . Lee Yoo Mi said, “Before filming, the director and the actors talked one by one as if in a conversation. At that time, when I asked why I became Nayeon, the director said that he had seen my previous work and believed in it. I thought that I had to work harder and repay the trust given to me”
After becoming Nayeon, Lee Yoo Mi began to focus on the narrative of the role. She didn’t just interpret it as a simple villain, she made a warrior understand his actions and narrative. This is the reason why Lee Yoo Mi‘s pro villain was born.
First, Lee Yoo Mi focused on Na Yeon’s home environment. Only then would she be able to understand Na Yeon, who says the harsh words to Kyung Soo (Ham Seong Min) in the drama.
“I think Nayeon took things for granted because of the education she received from a young age. The friend who grew up with such thoughts is Nayeon, and she became jealous when she saw how Kyungsoo made friends with other people so easily and made good friends with them” she said.
“I tried to express the wealthy family environment externally as well. In the actual work, Nayeon wears a pink bag and cardigan and is reflected in the image of a princess like a flower in a greenhouse. I thought that (the costumes) would be a device to show that there was a family who raised me like a princess.” she added.
Although hateful and vicious, Lee Yoo Mi also discovered Nayeon’s charm hidden behind such a figure. Regarding Nayeon, she said, “I think that people who you think are unlikely to be around can be closer than you think.”
“If you are really driven into extreme situations like Nayeon, the people close to you can change. She was a friend with such charm,” she explained.
In the work, Nayeon betrays her friend. She later tries to reach out to her friends again, but she eventually turns into a zombie. Lee Yoo Mi said that Na Yeon‘s death was not regretful. However, she also tried to draw another side of Nayeon, where she is Lee Yoo Mi.
“If Nayeon hadn’t become a zombie, I think she would have done something helpful to her friends.I think she would have tried to do good things and help her friends while remembering what the teacher said at the end,” she said.
There is also a friend who was particularly fond of Lee Yoo Mi and that’s Kyungsoo. Lee Yoo Mi said, “Even on set, I felt sorry for Ham Seong Min, who played the role of Kyung Soo. He always said he was sorry, saying that acting is just acting.”
“However, when it comes to acting, I tried not to be swayed by emotions. I’m sorry, I don’t think it’s okay to be overbearing, so I acted really hard,” she said.
Lee Yoo Mi also said that she tried to make better scenes with Ham Seong Min. “I didn’t change the lines a lot, but my mother and I took action and created something together,” she explained.
For Nayeon, Kyungsoo was love-hate. This is also the reason why Lee Yoo Mi defined their relationship as a ‘love line’. Lee Yoo Mi said, “I think that hating a lot requires affection. I think I did romance Nayeon’s way in my own way.”
‘All of Us Are Dead‘ shows various human groups. Not only the apostles of justice, people with good intentions, but also villains like Nayeon appear. This is the strength of ‘All of Us Are Dead‘ that Lee Yoo Mi thought, and the message conveyed by the work.
“I thought that ‘All of Us Are Dead” is a story in which people live. If a real zombie appears, many people will deal with the events in a variety of ways,” she said.
In the past, Lee Yoo Mi has played many roles in a number of works. She is full of scars, and she has a dark story, and she has played roles and so on. As she has been taking on characters with strong personalities, she must be concerned about her fixation on this image.
However, Lee Yoo Mi said, “I don’t want to worry about being trapped in a character. I will try to become a better actor. Then I think that I will become an actor who is curious about it. It’s scary, but I try not to be scared.”
Lee Yoo Mi loved all the roles she played even if she was a villain or a role that someone hated. But now she is greedy for a new image. Lee Yoo Mi said, “I want to stop short-lived. I want to live a little longer. I want to try bright and fun characters. “.
