"What’s happening?”

In a span of five months, everything had changed. From “Squid Games” to “All of us are Dead”, actress Lee Yoo Mi has seen her career skyrocket like she hadn’t imagine. Her Instagram followers had seen a drastic change from 40,000 followers to 7.9 million.

The success of “Squid Game” had sent the actress into a viral meme star, with millions using the actress’s scenes as a way of delivering comedic relatable life situations. Fans of both “Squid Game” and “All of us are Dead” have expressed shock at the major difference in both characters. Lee Yoo Mi’s character in “Squid Game” had caused viewers to spill tears, whereas her character in “All of us are Dead” brought the audience to feel rage.

However, the fame is all very unfamiliar to the new rising star.

"Of course, I’m ecstatic. But it all just feels so surreal. Everything that has happened in the last few months, (including now) all feels so new to me. I plan on continuing what I do now.”

Dispatch had the exciting opportunity to interview the star through zoom. Read below to hear more about the star’s honest perspective and her aspirations. 

◆ "A Miracle on One Ordinary Day”

Although actress Lee Yoo Mi is only recently getting a taste of limelight, the star is actually a veteran actress who’s been playing the field for twelve years. Lee Yoo Mi has played in a number of production works since 2009 as an extra and supporting roles. The actress has made appearances in works such as “The Yellow Sea”, “Rough Play”, and “Hostage: Missing Celebrity.”

However, the films were unsuccessful in highlighting a gem. The star reveals she spent more time on break than behind the camera on set. Lee Yoo Mi opens about hearing of the rise of “Squid Game” while working her shift as a food delivery worker.

The actress continues to woo with her acting in her next viral series, “All of us are Dead.” Her character appears as a despicable high school student in a pink cardigan. Lee Yoo Mi pulled at viewers’ heartstrings in “Squid Game” and drove people to anger in “All of us are Dead.”

The star reveals the surprising fact that she had in fact, took part in filming for both roles around the same time. “During filming for Squid Game, I left the weight of everything to act as hallow and depressing as I can. In All of us are Dead, I brought it all with me.”

We question the star if she had expected to see both series to reach an international, mass audience. “No, I hadn’t expected for any of this to happen. I truly think you never know what’ll happen in life. I’m very happy, but on one hand, also weary about the sudden fame.”

“My friends have said something similar in the past. However… I think if I use that fear to my advantage and utilize it to work even harder, I think I should be fine. Just like I am now.”

◆ "The despicable character of Nayeon in “All of us are Dead” 

“Nayeon”, the star’s character in the show is simply, distasteful. The character does everything from throwing tantrums to calling people to solve the problem but does nothing herself. Nayeon, a student from a wealthy background, despises a specific student (Kyungsoo) who lives under welfare. Eventually, the character leads the student to transition into a zombie.

The character is a hard one to understand and come to terms with. However, in order to act the part, it is necessary to understand parts of one’s character. Lee Yoo Mi revealed, “Nayeon did a lot of things that are hard for people to wrap their minds around. I dug deeper and thought of what kind of family my character must’ve grown up in.”

“I think deep inside, she must’ve felt envious of Kyungsoo. It was probably how he got along very well with everyone. Nayeon would be surrouned by friends but her mind wouldn’t be at the same place. I think that’s why she must’ve felt the need to return everything the way it was, later on.”

The star continued, “I think what Nayeon showed was just a few raw emotions of human instincts during a time where humanity was at risk. She was someone who had to get her voice across even if that meant speaking over and insulting people. She also wanted to feel validated and feel a sense of belonging.”

The star improvised a lot on her own. The star reveals that the script was full of actions more than it did, words.

However, viewers were conflicted with the character’s ending. Nayeon, seeing a change of heart and a change in attitude, takes the viewers on a whirlwind of emotions. All of her actions may have been for nothing however, when the character meets a cruel fate, dropping the bag of food she had stored for her friends on the rooftop.

“The viewers see an end to Nayeon following her surprising actions for her friends. I think it’s a key point in getting the message across that there is good in bad. To me, it’s a core example of the whole show; hope.”

◆ "A veteran of 12 years? Acting is still fun” 

Actress Lee Yoo Mi is currently one of the trendiest actresses in a list of trendy celebrities. Her success with “All of us are Dead” is followed not too long after her success in “Squid Game.” However, the actress explains that she still feels the same surge of excitement and gets nervous just the same. “It’s all very unfamiliar. I’m trying to live in the present, trying to adapt but it all feels like a daze.”

However, the actress is currently enjoying the aftermath of the two shows. “I find my international fans very entertaining with the memes of my scenes. I laughed a lot when I see them. I’m very glad that I was able to show two totally different sides in both works.”

We question the star on what “All of us are Dead” means to her. “Something of a co-worker. Just as my character, Nayeon, had a desire to make friends in the series, I’ve befriended a lot of good people on the show.”

Lastly, we conclude this article by asking the star on her driving force in her profession.

“I don’t know if this will come across as insincere, but it’s true. The reason why I was able to do what I do I because it’s fun. There is no end to acting, it’s simply limitless no matter how much you study it. There’s also so much I still don’t know.”

Although Lee Yoo Mi is a veteran actress of 12 years, there’s still so much the star aspires to do. “I want to try a range of characters. I’d like to play a character who lives for a long time, a cute character, a cool character, and so much more.”

“I did want to get my name out there. But looking back, I didn’t despise it. Through it, I was able to grow and put in more effort. This year, I’m starring in another drama. I play a short track athlete in the midst of a slump. I hope you like this one too.”

<Photo credits=Varo Entertainment>

<Translated by=Justina Kim(Dispatch)>