Bae Suzy: "There are so many versions of me inside" — A natural-born actress

Actress and singer Bae Suzy has shared unexpected thoughts regarding the representative label surrounding her: the 'First Love' image. Despite being embraced by the public as a symbol of the 'Nation's First Love' for years, Suzy confessed that she actually considered her own face to be "ordinary and plain." She further explained that her features, which she herself had overlooked, have instead become a vital asset as an actress capable of embodying diverse characters.

Suzy's pictorial and interview were released on the 14th. The pictorial utilized her most comfortable and private spaces as a stage, capturing both her natural appearance and dramatic image variations. Moving freely from everyday expressions to her face under dramatic lighting, it showcased the multi-layered persona Suzy has built as both an actress and a singer.

What particularly caught attention in the interview was the way Suzy views her own face. Starting with Yang Seo-yeon in the film "Architecture 101," Suzy has played female characters with distinctly different textures, such as Lee Yu-mi in the Coupang Play series "Anna," Lee Do-na in the Netflix series "Doona!," and Gigi in "Genie, Make a Wish."

In that process, Suzy said she newly discovered the potential hidden within her face.

Suzy revealed that in the past, she did not understand why people thought of a 'first love' when looking at her. She explained that she only came to understand the meaning after hearing that her face is "ordinary and plain, making it easy to project emotions in a movie."

"I realized that I could contain various characters in my face," she said, sharing the moment she began to perceive her appearance anew as an actress. She continued, saying that as time passes, there are moments when she discovers expressions and faces she didn't even know herself, adding, "It makes me happy to think that there are still faces within me that I haven't discovered yet."

Suzy's remarks show a significant gap with her public image as the 'Nation's First Love.' Having played the role of Yang Seo-yeon in the 2012 film "Architecture 101," Suzy left a strong impression with her fresh and pure image, earning the nickname 'Nation's First Love' alongside the film's success. Since then, Suzy's name and the first love image have essentially been consumed like a single cultural symbol.

Interestingly, Suzy did not think she created that image herself. Rather, she did not perceive her face as being particularly extraordinary, and she explained that she realized late that her 'ordinariness' and 'plainness' could be an advantage that allows the audience to project emotions onto a character.

This also implies something regarding how one views an actor's appearance. A star's face does not necessarily have to be intense and unique to be convincing as a character. Sometimes, a face that is not completely defined by a specific image can function as a kind of empty space that accepts the emotions and narratives of various characters.

In fact, since "Architecture 101," Suzy has constantly varied her image as an actress. In "Anna," she attempted to break away from her existing youth star image by playing a character who changes her status and identity through lies, and in "Doona!," she portrayed the famous idol Lee Do-na, who contemplates retirement, simultaneously expressing the glamour of a star and her inner emptiness.

In bringing out different female faces in each work, what Suzy focuses on does not stop at the character itself. She stated that she now considers not just who a person is, but also what kind of relationships that person has with those around them and what kind of environment they have lived in.

Suzy's method of character building involves imagining even the past that does not directly appear in the script. She said, "Even if it doesn't appear in the script, I imagine what kind of time this character has passed through and create my own reasons and stories."

This is a method where the actor fills the 'narrative void' of the character themselves. Rather than merely reproducing lines and actions, it is an approach that builds the inner self that is not visible on screen by imagining the character's upbringing, human relationships, and emotional deficiencies.

Suzy also compared the characters she has played to several 'rooms' in her heart. In each room, the characters she has played in the past exist, and the memories shared with them hold both affection and regret.

However, Suzy explained that she is a person who values the present, so she has well and truly closed the doors to the rooms of characters from the past. She said that currently, she only has the new room titled "Men of the Harem," which she is currently filming, wide open.

This expression implicitly shows Suzy's attitude toward her filmography as an actress. Rather than settling for successful characters from the past, she seeks to focus on new personas, refusing to carry the same image from one project to the next.

Her criteria for selecting future works are also relatively clear. Regarding the film "Seven O'Clock Breakfast for the Brokenhearted," which was first showcased at last year's Busan International Film Festival, she stated she was drawn to the idea that people with similar sorrows can actually be more honest with one another.

For her other upcoming project, "Portraits of Delusion," she explained that she was attracted to the mysterious atmosphere in director Han Jae-rim's writing and the stories of the women contained within. She noted that playing the character Song Jeong-hwa captured many different facets of her, and while it was not an easy process, it was equally enjoyable and educational.

Regarding her selection criteria, Suzy said she trusts "attraction" rather than adhering to firm principles. She admitted she still does not know her exact criteria for choosing works and characters, adding that she simply wants to act in the projects and roles that move her heart at the moment.

Ultimately, Suzy's choices as an actress seem closer to intuition than a calculated image strategy. Despite being a star who has already secured the powerful brand of 'Nation's First Love,' she chooses to seek out faces and characters she has yet to discover rather than repeatedly consuming that established image.

The 'First Love' moniker attached to Suzy since "Architecture 101" has lasted for over 10 years. However, Suzy did not know the meaning of that face from the beginning. Rather, the face she thought was too familiar to be special was accepted by audiences as the most flexible canvas upon which to project their own memories of a first love.

Ironically, the 'ordinariness' Suzy mentioned has become her most powerful weapon. Because she is not fixed to a single image, she could be Yang Seo-yeon, Lee Yu-mi, or Lee Do-na. Now, Suzy is opening another 'room' to reveal the faces she has yet to discover.

As she continues to expand her spectrum beyond the 'Nation's First Love' title, interest is growing to see which new characters will reveal the "faces she didn't know" she possessed.