Actress Lee Hwi-hyang, "Happiness Lost Due to Immersion in Villain Roles... Found Again Through Baking and Nature"

Actress Lee Hwi-hyang revealed the psychological difficulties she experienced due to excessive immersion in villainous roles in the past and the changes in her daily life that she attempted to overcome them.

"Psychological hunger brought by villainous immersion, happiness felt only when acting"

Appearing on the YouTube channel 'Song Seung-hwan's Wonderful Life', actress Lee Hwi-hyang mentioned her villainous acting in the 2003 drama 'Stairway to Heaven' and shared her feelings at that time. In the video, Lee Hwi-hyang stated that the role was the starting point for her as a villain, explaining her experience of being so immersed in the role of a stepmother that she could not control her emotions. She recalled that due to the nature of the character at the time, she felt no need to control her emotions, leading to intense acting where she even delivered physical blows to the actress playing the child role.

Regarding her continuous villainous roles afterward, Lee Hwi-hyang said, "Because of my personality, I cannot easily refuse when someone asks, so I continued to play villains," and added that she studied various aspects, such as performing as a villain while smiling without shouting, to show a more villainous side. However, she confessed that she experienced an identity crisis during this process. She had been so immersed in acting that when asked about happy moments during gatherings with seniors in the past, she would answer, "Only when acting," but she revealed that from 5 to 6 years ago, while continuing her villainous roles, "I was not happy even when acting" and "I even had thoughts like, 'Am I doing something fake?'"

"From baking to rural life, ways to fill the unfillable void"

The method Lee Hwi-hyang chose to find the happiness she could not feel in acting was to gather small values from daily life. Lee Hwi-hyang stated that she soothed her mind through baking, which she had loved since childhood. In the video, she explained, "I turned the moments that could be depressing during the process of growing leaven and the time and sincerity required for a single loaf of bread into happiness," explaining that she made bread once every day to fill her unfillable heart at the time.

Additionally, based on her experience of feeling that acting in great nature was difficult, she also discovered new values by visiting the countryside. Lee Hwi-hyang said, "I traveled to the countryside to collect valuable things that I could not find in nature," and said she learned how to absorb the flow of nature by talking to people in markets or communicating with village heads who farm. Through this process, she conveyed her changed attitude toward life, saying, "Now, I am living in such, such blessings."

"Now that I have let everything go, back to being a stage play actress"

Lee Hwi-hyang also mentioned the proficiency she gained from villainous acting. Regarding her ability to complete scenes in one take without mistakes when playing villains in the past, she added the pleasure she felt at the time, saying, "I feel sorry to the co-star, but finishing in one take is also good for the co-star." However, she emphasized that such technical achievements did not necessarily lead to psychological happiness.

Regarding her current life, Lee Hwi-hyang expressed her will for the theater stage, saying, "Since I have let everything go now, I want to do truly what I want to do." In particular, she mentioned roles in classic plays that older women can take on, suggesting the possibility of meeting audiences on stage in the future. Meanwhile, Lee Hwi-hyang also shared her recent news, such as using the subway while wearing disguises to hide her identity in daily life or traveling abroad alone.