Bae Suzy as Lee Doona in K-drama “Doona!”. Image: Kim Seung-wan via Netflix
Given her history as an actress and singer, Bae Suzy confessed that portraying the struggles of celebrity life in K-drama “Doona!” was a tall order — as she wanted to represent K-pop idols and the “loneliness” they could be going through.
“Doona!” premiered last Oct. 20, with the story revolving around Lee Doona (Bae Suzy), a retired K-pop idol who lives in isolation from the glamor of being a celebrity. She then crosses paths with college student Lee Won-jun (Yang Se-jong) and they eventually find comfort in each other.
“Rather than being confident going into the role, I really didn’t want to portray the character in a very light manner because you could even say that the character — it’s almost like I am representing all K-pop idols,” Suzy told INQUIRER.net in an exclusive interview.
Suzy debuted as the lead vocalist and face of the K-pop female quartet Miss A in 2010, and was an active member until their disbandment in 2017. She had since made a name for herself as a solo artist.
“So I really wanted to do a good job in my portrayal of Doona,” she continued. “However, having said that, I wanted to make sure that I brought to the screen a character that was uniquely and only Doona in order for the audience to understand her the best as possible.”
With this in mind, the singer-actress made sure to “study the character” to portray Doona’s story “effectively,” especially when it comes to bringing her sadness and inner demons to life, as well as her desperation to put her past behind her. “I thought most about the vigilance and the loneliness this character had as I prepared for the role of Doona.”
“These are traits that everyone has but I thought that the situation and the context would be different from that of Doona, so, I considered this the most,” she further explained.
Bae Suzy as Lee Doona in K-drama “Doona!”. Image: Kim Seung-wan via Netflix
Many scenes of “Doona” showed the titular character hiding herself away from the world, where she even lamented about being unable to “get it together” in episode two, and even looking back at her K-pop days in distress. This, however, was masked with her strong-willed nature, almost to the point where she didn’t care about being seen smoking, cursing loudly, or getting into heated confrontations in public.
“I thought about my idol days as I was playing the role of Doona, and I was attracted to the character of Doona with her many scars,” said Suzy, confessing that her character allowed her to come to terms with her past.
She then added: “Looking back at the time, I didn’t really fully realize the difficult moments, and I think there were a lot of times where I tried to get over the moments while pretending to be bright on the outside.”
Nation’s first love
One of the highlights of “Doona!” was the love shared between Doona and Won-jun. But their ending went on a bittersweet note — with Doona returning to the limelight as a solo artist with her newfound confidence while her lover continued his studies.
“The script was robust and my heart fluttered a lot while reading it,” Suzy said, while explaining why she chose the project. “I thought that maybe I could express those emotions well. I had high expectations for the chemistry that I could show because the cast members were near my age.”
Yang Se-jong as Lee Won-jun, Bae Suzy as Lee Doona for K-drama “Doona!” Image: Courtesy of Netflix
While touching on the final episode, Suzy admitted that she couldn’t help but feel sad for Doona and Won-jun’s gloomy fate.
“It was sad to read the missed timing between the two protagonists when they went awry and also the clumsiness in the love felt by the two,” she said. “But I believe the biggest appeal of ‘Doona’ is how the emotional lines of the characters can be felt well.”
The series also marked Suzy’s first time working with Lee Jung-hyo, who directed the megahits “Crash Landing on You” and “Romance is a Bonus Book.” And as someone who finds solace in thinking deeply, the singer-actress is thankful to work with a filmmaker with an “open mindset.”
Bae Suzy as Lee Doona in K-drama “Doona!”. Image: Kim Seung-wan via Netflix
“I am most trusting of Director Lee’s in-depth consideration and open mindset. He always thinks deeply and ponders without being mired in the frame of a right answer, and as an actress, this allowed me to act without missing things,” she said.
Prior to “Doona!”, Suzy was given the nickname “Nation’s First Love” in South Korea after captivating audiences with her performance in the 2012 film “Architecture 101.” She then took on lead roles in a number of hit projects, including “Dream High,” “Vagabond,” “Start-Up,” and “Anna,” to name a few.
Bae Suzy as Lee Doona. Image: Courtesy of Netflix
The popular moniker, however, still makes her “nervous” until this day. But she chooses to see the title as a reminder to be the best version of herself at all times.
“It is a positive form of nervousness felt while wanting to do better though,” Suzy said. “I try to become diligently immersed into the character with a mindset that ‘I should temporarily live the life of the character.’”