Kang Mina Turns Anxiety into Opportunity

Actress Kang Mina spoke about the role of Im Na-ri in the Netflix series 'Gwirigo', revealing her ambition to turn her anxieties into opportunities for growth and become a stronger actress. She admitted to facing difficulties with the horror genre and playing an antagonist, which she was attempting for the first time, but stated that she immersed herself in the role by consuming various horror films and developing affection for the character.

In 'Gwirigo', which depicts the story of high school students whose deaths are foretold due to a curse from the wish-granting app 'Gwirigo', Kang Mina played Na-ri, a character who garnishes attention for her outstanding looks. Although she normally doesn't handle scary things well, she overcame her fear by immersing herself in various horror genres for the project. She specifically mentioned practicing by referencing the protagonist's gaze and facial expressions in the movie 'The Substance'.

Despite playing a teenage role, Kang Mina attempted bold ad-libs from the audition itself to highlight the character's individuality. She strived to convincingly portray Na-ri's 'twist' of making selfish choices alongside her youthful innocence. She focused on practicing to deliver the profanity present in the audition script with flair, and even used ad-libbed profanity to showcase Na-ri's power in not backing down from a confrontation.

Kang Mina also paid attention to expressing Na-ri's 'deficiency', the longing for affection despite appearing to have everything. She tried to understand Na-ri's twisted inner self and expressed deep affection for the character, rather than viewing her as an antagonist. She said that when she first read the script, she felt pity for Na-ri and could fully understand her choices when facing such dramatic situations at 18. This made her more drawn to the role, as she felt she could show a different side of herself than the Kang Mina known to the public.

This experience is also part of the fun Kang Mina finds in acting. She feels excitement rather than fear when encountering unfamiliar genres or new characters, and enjoys the process of building a character and completing a project. "I feel a sense of accomplishment when something within me comes out without me realizing it," she said, expressing the charm of acting. She added that she feels her love for acting when she talks about a project with affection for it.