Chun Woo-hee on Replacing IU in The 8 Show and Initial Worries

During a meeting with Tenasia at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on May 23rd, actress Chun Woo-hee discussed the challenges she encountered while developing her character for the Netflix series “The 8 Show.”

“Based on the popular webtoons “Money Game”and “Pie Game”, “The 8 Show”follows the dangerous yet alluring journey of 8 individuals as they compete for money in a secret location with 8 floors and the added challenge of accumulating time.”

Chun Woo-hee portrays the character of 8th Floor in this series, an unbound individual with unpredictable tendencies. The 8th floor represents the pinnacle of the building, where players earn 340,000 won per minute and 20.4 million won per hour.

Initially, the role of the 8th Floor was given to IU (Lee Ji-eun), not Chun Woo-hee. However, due to scheduling conflicts, IU had to withdraw from the project and Chun Woo-hee was brought in to take over the role. In an interview, Chun Woo-hee expressed her concerns about playing this character, stating that she hopes the audience won’t dislike her too much. She also acknowledged that this character is not one that can easily evoke empathy, as she is someone who doesn’t rely on storytelling or emotions in her interactions with others.

The actress commented on her character in 8th Floor, saying, “She has a keen understanding of the organizer’s intentions.”She continued, “The organizer aims to create a stimulating atmosphere with betrayals and conflicts, and I believe 8th Floor can see through these intentions effortlessly. While this character could be seen as irritating if she had ulterior motives, she simply participates in the show for her own pleasure and enjoyment.”

Upon receiving the script, Chun Woo-hee contemplated the idea of letting her hair down and immersing herself in the game. She expressed her desire to portray her character in a way that would not disrupt the overarching storyline. Due to the limitations of having eight people share one space, she had to constantly adapt her expressions. As a result, she decided to let go of her original plans and rely on her intuition and instinct while maintaining balance within the constraints.

When questioned about the challenges faced during filming, Chun Woo-hee responded, “It was difficult to find enjoyment in watching someone endure pain. I also came to understand that I am not a resilient person. However, I approached my role with the determination to fully immerse myself and pour my heart and soul into the character.”

Simultaneously with the release of “The 8 Show”, the broadcasting of JTBC’s “The Atypical Family”starring Chun Woo-hee also began. When asked about this, the actress shared, “There have been instances where release schedules overlapped, but I find it enjoyable to watch both at the same time. It allows me to showcase different genres and aspects of my acting to viewers.”She also revealed that she had undergone a significant weight loss transformation after filming for “The Atypical Family”in order to portray her character in “The 8 Show”.

According to director Han Jae-rim, Chun Woo-hee has been praised as the “Emma Stone of Korea”. In response, Chun Woo-hee expressed her gratitude and stated that she will continue to work harder based on the director’s words.

The source of the information is from daum.