Nana addresses appearance criticism in 'Snow White's Revenge'

Actress Nana has directly addressed the criticism surrounding her appearance, specifically her lips, following the release of the Netflix series 'Snow White's Revenge.' After encountering reactions that her physical changes for the role hindered viewers' immersion, she reflected on herself, stating, "I think my personal choice was not the right choice as an actress."

Her remarks are drawing significant attention as they go beyond a simple response to malicious comments, touching upon her responsibility toward her choices, her acting, and the work itself. On the 22nd, Nana shared her feelings regarding the recent reactions through a fan communication platform. She stated, "If my lips caused discomfort to those watching, it is my fault," and added, "I believe my personal choice was not the right choice as an actress."

Rather than reacting emotionally to the ongoing evaluations of her appearance, she expressed her position by re-examining the choices she made as an actress. She also expressed her apologies toward her fans. "I think it breaks my heart to think that the fans who love me must be hurting while seeing these criticisms. That is why I feel even more sorry," Nana said. "I will try harder so that we can hear good words together in the future."

At the center of the controversy is 'Snow White's Revenge,' which was released on the 18th. Set in the Joseon Dynasty, the work depicts a story where Lady Cho (Son Ye Jin) and Cho-won (Ji Chang Wook) engage in a bet surrounding a dangerous love, and in the process, Hui-yeon (Nana) becomes entangled with them. The character Hui-yeon, played by Nana, is a widow who has lived a life of long-term chastity, making this a significant project as it is the first historical drama the actress has attempted since her debut.

Nana approached the character by stripping away much of the modern and sophisticated image she had previously shown. Instead of glamorous outfits or modern styling, she attempted to express the emotions of a Joseon Dynasty female character through *hanbok* and a restrained atmosphere. However, after the release of the work, diverse opinions emerged online regarding the harmony between Nana's appearance and the character. In particular, some viewers reacted that her full lips drew too much attention, making them somewhat inconsistent with the atmosphere of a period drama.

While evaluations of appearance are a highly sensitive area for actors, in period dramas, an actor's face, clothing, hairstyle, speech, and gestures are all connected to the mise-en-scène of the work. Since a viewer's gaze can be excessively captured by a specific actor's physical features, causing the actor's image to be perceived before the character itself, Nana's remarks are difficult to view as a simple debate over looks. However, the fact that viewers' evaluations of appearance are purely subjective is a separate matter from demanding unilateral beauty standards from an actor.

Nana's mention that her choice "might not have been right as an actress" is noteworthy in this context. Rather than denying her appearance itself or concluding that she is accepting specific aesthetic standards, she showed a side of herself that retraces how the external image she chose as an actress for this work affected the character and the production. It can also be read that the actress does not view her physical appearance merely as a personal domain, but recognizes it as part of character building.

'Snow White's Revenge' is a work based on the novel 'Les Liaisons dangereuses' by French author Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, reinterpreting the dynamics of desire and relationships against the backdrop of the Joseon Dynasty. Just as the 2003 film 'Untold Scandal' reinterpreted the same original work with the colors of the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean sentiments of that era, this work also varies the familiar narrative with a new cast and character composition. To that extent, the actors' external images and historical representation serve as important elements in constructing the work.

For Nana, 'Snow White's Revenge' was not just another project, but a testing ground for entering a new territory as an actress. She chose to change to show a face different from the image she had built in modern dramas, and she fully accepted the evaluations of that choice. As the mixed reactions to the work continue, the fact that Nana directly reflected on her own choice serves as a catalyst for greater interest in how she will coordinate her characters and her image moving forward, rather than in the controversy itself.