(C) KbizoOm
Shim Eun-kyung, an actress once dubbed a "prodigy" by the Korean media, has enjoyed a remarkable career trajectory, moving seamlessly from a celebrated child star to a major box office draw, and eventually becoming a revered figure in the Japanese film industry. However, beneath the veneer of awards and commercial success, the actress recently revealed a profound internal struggle that led her to contemplate giving up the very craft she excelled at.
In a recent interview in Seoul, promoting her new film The Days and the Journey (Tabi to Nayami), Shim opened up about the deep sense of self-doubt that plagued her at the peak of her career. The decision to star in director Sho Miyake’s latest art film was driven by a single line of dialogue that resonated with her own dark period: "I thought I didn't have much talent."
A Star's Sudden Slump
Shim's confession is startling, particularly as it arrived right after her greatest domestic triumphs. In 2014, she swept multiple acting awards for her performance in the hit comedy Miss Granny (Suspicious Girl), a role that cemented her status as a generational talent. Yet, the pressure and rapid ascent caused an emotional rift.
"Of course, I was ecstatic at the time, but I also felt like I was floating," Shim recalled. "After that, I definitely made some missteps in subsequent projects, losing my center on how to approach a new role. All at once, a few years of deep concern about acting and a slump arrived."
For an actress who began her career as a child actor in major dramas like Hwang Jini (2006) and The Legend (Taewangsashingi, 2007), acting had always been a source of pure joy. That joy, however, transformed into despair. "When the acting I enjoyed so much as a child turned into despair, I wondered if I should continue this if I lacked talent," she admitted. This period of intense introspection is what led her to seriously consider stepping away from the spotlight entirely.
Finding Liberation in a Quiet Role
The film The Days and the Journey proved to be a critical turning point. In it, Shim plays 'Ie,' a Korean screenwriter working in Japan who is also grappling with a creative slump, feeling "trapped by the framework of words." Seeking an escape, she embarks on a quiet journey to a snow-covered village, an act the actress describes as "running away from words."
Shim, a long-time admirer of director Miyake Sho, immediately connected with the script. She felt the protagonist’s journey was her own. For her, the character 'Ie' was a vessel through which she could explore both what she possessed and what she lacked as an artist.
"When you desperately want to do something well, you inevitably feel inadequate," she reflected. "I always wondered when I could shake off these concerns, when I might finally feel at ease as I aged, but that hasn't happened." Through filming, however, she found an unexpected form of therapy. "Through this film, I felt a kind of relief and liberation during the process of passing through a dark tunnel. If I were to assign an meaning to the film’s ending, I feel like I am just starting now."
Learning to Use the Brake Pedal
Shim Eun-kyung's career highlights are diverse and globally recognized. Following her Korean success, she ventured into the Japanese industry, initially driven by a simple desire to appear in Japanese films she enjoyed. This move proved immensely fruitful, culminating in her historic win of the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Actress in 2019 for the political thriller The Journalist (Shimbun Kisha). She is the first non-Japanese actor to achieve this honor, showcasing her mastery of the Japanese language and acting across different cultures.
Now, having navigated her major slump, Shim says she is learning to temper her drive. Instead of constantly pressing the accelerator in her acting, she is learning to occasionally press the brake. The shift in perspective came during a special appearance in the TVING drama The Week Before I Die. The director, Kim Hye-young, advised her: "Don't try to do anything."
"When I followed that advice, I saw a kind of acting emerge that I hadn't been able to achieve before," Shim explained. The new approach centers on giving the audience more "negative space" and removing the excessive force she used to apply.
Currently, while promoting her latest award-winning film—which won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival—and shooting the drama How to Become a Building Owner in Korea, Shim Eun-kyung is looking forward with renewed contentment. "I always felt lonely at the end of the year, but these days, I am happy every day," she concluded, suggesting the prodigy has found not just talent, but also peace.
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