Lee Se Young Reveals Why She Was Drawn To Her New Drama "Memorist" + How She Chooses Her Roles

Mar 20, 2020

In a recent interview and pictorial for Singles magazine, Lee Se Young talked about her new drama “Memorist” and her goals as an actress.

Based on the hit webtoon of the same name, tvN’s “Memorist” is a new mystery thriller about Dong Baek, a detective with supernatural powers (played by Yoo Seung Ho), and Han Sun Mi, a genius profiler (played by Lee Se Young), who join forces to hunt down a mysterious serial killer.

Explaining why she had decided to take on the role of Han Sun Mi, Lee Se Young shared, “I’d always dreamed of playing a charismatic character who would take charge of the story. Sun Mi is exactly that kind of character, and I thought it was a great opportunity to show a new side of myself.”

While discussing what she considered to be the drama’s strengths, the actress remarked, “Just as Dong Baek, the character that Yoo Seung Ho plays in the drama, and [my character] Sun Mi are polar opposites in terms of personality, they are also polar opposites in terms of their investigation methods.”

“The first thing to keep an eye on in the drama is the way the two characters go about solving the crime in their own distinctive ways,” she continued, “and the second thing is the fun puzzle of figuring out who the criminal is. I also personally want to name Sun Mi’s determination and girl-crush appeal as [one of the drama’s strengths].”

Lee Se Young—who debuted as a child actress—went on to reveal that even though she’s been acting for over two decades, she is still eager to take on new challenges and try new things. “There are still so many kinds of acting that I want to try,” she said. “From real, old-school action that would require me to use my body—to comic acting that is hell-bent on being funny. I want to try everything I can.”

The actress explained that her desire to take on new challenges is the most important factor in how she chooses her acting projects. “When the story draws you in, and when a character has an important role to play within the plot—those are the projects that catch my eye,” said Lee Se Young.

“Among those projects,” she went on, “I think I’m drawn more to characters or subject matter that I haven’t tried before. Both ‘The Crowned Clown‘ and ‘Doctor John,’ which I appeared in last year, were new challenges for me.”