NYLON - January 2009 - (Page 138) city girl IF THERE’S ONE THING KOREAN ACTRESS, PHOTOGRAPHER, AND STYLE ICON DOONA BAE DESPISES, IT’S BEING BORED. BY KETHERINE KOO. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARVIN SCOTT JARRETT It’s hard to describe exactly what Korean star Doona Bae does for a living. What doesn’t she do? She acts—if you didn’t catch her turn as a steely-eyed archer out to avenge her family against a river-dwelling, Godzilla-esque monster in 2006’s The Host, rent it now. She is also a published photographer—her London Play (Yellow Media) and Tokyo Play (Taste Factory) books serve as both photo essays and personal travelogues, the snapshot images displaying quirky honesty and visual catchiness reminiscent of Hiromix. This brings us to Bae’s fashion sense, which is a cool mix of Sofia Coppola, Chloë Sevigny, and Asian street style. We checked in with this multi-tasking phenomenon and got to know her a little better. NYLON : WHY DID YOU BECOME AN ACTRESS? DOONA BAE: It was not always my dream. I was fortunate enough to be discovered on the streets to become a model, and then I was cast in the horror movie The Ring Virus. WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOVIE ROLE? In the past 10 years, I have appeared in 10 movies, 13 dramas, and various other productions. Of these, the most memorable was Barking Dogs Never Bite. It was because of this movie that I started to dream of becoming an actress, which is why it holds such meaning to me. I am grateful to Joon-ho Bong, the director, as he was the one who cast me when I was still a newbie. IS THERE A DIRECTOR THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH? Todd Solondz. His movies are not fixed into any given confines and the unexpected twists never fail to give me enjoyment. Obvious stories are not exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed Welcome to the Dollhouse. WHAT MOVIE ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON? I’m preparing for Kore-Eda Hirokazu’s movie that will be released in Japan in the summer. There are plans to 138
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