"When I was an actress, many walls restricted me," says Ku Hye-sun. "I had to refrain from any actions that did not match the image of the character I was playing, and there was so much pressure not to break the mysterious image that an actress should have. But when I started directing, those walls came down and I became a much more positive person."

Ku tells the story of her inner self as an actress and a director in her new film "Magic."

"When I was shooting the film, I was very nervous, but now that it's done, I am much more calm and excited in a good way," she says. Ku has proven to be a versatile artist, who has published a novel with her own illustrations, composed songs, and produced films. It is an unusual path for a well-known actress, who would be justified in sticking to her established path.

"Many artists don't just do one thing. They get inspiration by doing other things, and express that inspired artistic imagination in various ways. In fact, there were so many things I wanted to do even as a child so I never could choose just one," she says.

What is so attractive about being a director? "Directors can make everything move in the way they want it to, but they also carry a great responsibility. Actresses face so many restrictions because they need to guard their image. My nature doesn't work that way, so I was under intense stress," she confesses.

Instead, she turned to music and art, and then she started seeing more possibilities and better scenarios came to her. "Directing was such a positive experience as I could reflect on the arrogance I had as an actress," she says.


Credit: Chosun , meow13@soompi.com