Son Ye-jin says even celebrities live with the fear of losing their jobs.
During a Sept. 23 interview in Seoul’s Samcheong-dong to mark the release of "No Other Choice", the actor said she related to Mansu, who’s suddenly laid off in the film. “In this line of work, you have to be extremely careful. If you cross a moral line―or do something illegal―you can be out of a job the next day. It’s not just us; everyone worries about the future. How many people truly believe that hard work alone guarantees job security? Mansu didn’t get fired because he lacked ability. There are so many variables―society, circumstances, the workplace. That’s modern life,” she said.
She continued, “As entertainers, one misstep can end a career at any time. Korea holds celebrities to a stricter moral bar, so I’m always cautious, always pulling back. After 20 years, it’s second nature: ‘Don’t slip up. Don’t do anything wrong. Don’t litter―pick up one more piece instead.’ It comes with the territory. If someone films me tossing trash, I become ‘the person who litters.’ The industry is tough, and I can’t focus only on work right now, so I live with a constant hum of anxiety.”
"No Other Choice" is a crime thriller about Mansu (Lee Byung-hun), a company man who feels he’s finally “made it” until he’s abruptly fired. To protect his wife and two kids―and the hard-won home they live in―he wages his own battle to get back on his feet. Son Ye-jin plays Miri, a wife who refuses to crumble and fights to keep her family together. The film marks Son’s first big-screen role in seven years following her marriage and the birth of her child.
"No Other Choice" opened in theaters across Korea today (Sept. 24).
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)