Interview with Hojo Shin by Freya Bennett
Hi Hojo, how are you? And where are you answering these questions from today?
Hello from Seoul! Us Seoulites are trying to figure out how to dress for this temperamental evanescent springtime.
XO, Kitty has such a huge global fanbase. What has it been like joining a series that already means so much to so many viewers?
It’s truly an honor and a blessing to be welcomed into the Jenny Han universe with genuine love and warmth from the creators, cast, crew and of course, the fans. It’s quite enlightening to really think about the fact that so many adolescents are growing up watching our show and maturing alongside our characters as each season unfolds. I have been feeling an abundance of love.
Your character Jiwon has been described as a grounding force and emotional heart of season three. What drew you to her, and what did you want audiences to understand about her?
Wow. I love that description. I do think Jiwon plays an integral role in grounding Kitty’s life in Korea. Jiwon sort of becomes an older sister figure to Kitty in Korea, and of course she is Kitty’s connection to her mom and her whole Korean lineage. So, this inherently allows a different type of intimate relationship to form between the two cousins. Jiwon is also the rare adult female in the show who sits somewhere between a seasoned adult and a student. That’s what’s cool and charming about Jiwon. She is the ultimate bridge. She is the bridge for Kitty and her Korean family, girlhood to womanhood, and the cultural gap between Korea’s filial piety and modern female independence. I mean, Jiwon deals with a lot of change this season. Her strict uptight appearance of appearing “put-together” is just a coping mechanism because underneath the perfect front, we learn that Jiwon is dealing with a lot of life-altering conflicts. I think Jiwon reminds Kitty, and all of us, that what we see on the surface is rarely it. We all have internal battles that we’re quietly fighting with as we try to figure out how to be an adult and go through life the best we can. I hope Jiwon’s story can be a gentle pat on the back for everyone, especially the ladies, quietly carrying something.
You also star in IDOLS, where you play dual roles in a much darker thriller world. How did it feel switching from the warmth of XO, Kitty to something so intense and psychological?
There wasn’t much time between the two productions. I just had to jump straight into the work and had various rehearsals for IDOLS as soon as XO, Kitty wrapped. I went to action school, acting rehearsals, and technical meetings, so I didn’t really feel much until it was all over. There was so much technical work I had to do and little time between the two projects’ shooting dates, so I just focused on simply showing up and doing the work every day. I just dug into it all. But all my feelings came flooding once I wrapped IDOLS. I had an out-of-left-field intense crying session once it was done because I think my body just needed to release all the intensity I was carrying in both Minha and Haemi. Both are super intense characters. It’s double the fun to play two roles in one project but it’s also double the work and intensity. All to say, it was such a special experience and I’m so grateful.
You work across languages and very different genres. Do you approach acting differently depending on the language or style of the project?
Definitely! So far, I would say that my approach has differed for different projects. Inherently, a language will inform the character’s voice, cadence, or volume. There’s the aspect of culture and environment that will also affect the character’s physicality. I don’t think I have a one-size-fits-all sort of approach. The only common through line would be that I read the script over and over again, every day. That’s the one thing I do for every project I’m in. I try to switch things up in my approach so I don’t become stale.
For people just discovering you now through XO, Kitty, what kind of stories or roles are you most excited to take on next?
I’m drawn to enigmatic and unpredictable characters. If she’s strange, quirky, dangerous, volatile or psychologically complex, I’m in. I love stylized surrealism, heightened and absurd worlds requiring theatricality, physical transformation and total immersion that the likes of Yargos Lanthimos, Park Chanwook, Pedro Almodovar, Ari Aster or Coralie Fargeat do so well, perhaps because of my theatre background. I’m also a sucker for deadpan British humor, espionage, ethereal worlds, cerebral dialogue or stories that explore outsider identity like Ex-Machina, Amelie, Misery, The Favorite or Chung King Express. I’d love to be a part of stories that mesh worlds, reframes the familiar or challenge the status quo, which I think recently shows like Bridgerton or Beef nailed. For example, there are many Korean films set in the Josun dynasty era told from the perspective of a Korean, but how exciting would it be to have a film set in the Josun dynasty era about a court room dancer that is told from the perspective of an outsider, where perhaps we hear different languages. Imagine it being helmed by someone like Sofia Coppola, Celine Sciamma or Luca Guadagnino. I’m generally excited by character-driven stories that capture emotional nuance well.
