For nearly three decades, Song Hye-kyo has reigned as a queen of romance on screen, captivating audiences with her performances in works like “Encounter” (2020) and “Now, We Are Breaking Up” (2021). However, since her transformative role in Netflix’s “The Glory” (2022-23), playing a victim of school bullying, she has been stepping boldly into uncharted territory. Another addition to this is the upcoming occult film “Dark Nuns.”

Song debuted in 1996 and made her name known to the public through the SBS sitcom “SoonPoong Clinic” (1998-2000). Ever since then, the actor has been under the spotlight for her elegant beauty, which often restricted her to romantic roles that highlighted her charming appearance.


However, the actor has recently trailed off from her romance trajectory, which she says was triggered by “The Glory” and led her to her first-ever occult film.

“I think I mentioned it during a press conference for ‘The Glory,’ but after finishing [the Netflix series], I didn’t feel ready to return to love stories right away,” the actor said during an interview with local reporters in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. “The biggest reason was that I had so much fun acting in ‘The Glory,’ which sparked a greater interest in genre projects for me.”

“Also, I found myself drawn more to genre projects while I was reading the scripts and scenarios I’d received. And that’s how I ended up choosing ‘Dark Nuns.’”

Directed by Kwon Hyeok-jae, the film is a standalone sequel to “The Priests” (2015). It follows two nuns — Sister Yunia and Sister Michaela — who go to great lengths to save a boy possessed by a powerful evil spirit and a skeptical priest who doubts the existence of demons and finds himself at odds with them.

The film features actor Song playing Sister Yunia and Jeon Yeo-been as Sister Michaela, alongside actors Lee Jin-uk as Father Paolo and Moon Woo-jin as the possessed boy, Hee-jun.

It will hit local theaters on Jan. 24.

While she swiftly changed her path toward a wider spectrum of roles, the actor also shared that her attitude toward her on-screen self has shifted as well, compared to her younger years.

“Honestly, when I was younger, my focus when watching my projects was on how I looked on screen. Whether I appeared pretty or not was my top priority,” Song said.

“Of course, I still want to look good, but now my perspective has shifted. What matters most to me now is whether my performance has been captured well and if I’ve conveyed what I intended. Looking pretty or not just doesn’t feel as important to me anymore.”

“But I did actually have a few nightmares, which is unusual for me since I rarely have them,” she said.
As the film centers on possession by an evil spirit, tales of spooky or eerie experiences are common among actors in the genre. However, Song Hye-kyo shared that she didn’t have any such encounters, saying, "It would be great if I had one, but I didn’t."

“Sure, I sometimes have unpleasant dreams, but I’ve never woken up startled, like gasping in shock. However, while filming, there were maybe two or three times when I woke up like that.”

“Dark Nuns” is not only Song’s first occult film, but it’s also the first time she’s performed a smoking scene — something that many Korean female actors hesitate to do, fearing it might negatively impact their image or reputation.

It was the same for Song in her 20s, as she revealed that she was offered a role with a smoking character but declined it because of the smoking. However, this time, it was different.

“When I first read the ‘Dark Nuns’ script, I debated whether I should take the role or ask them to remove the smoking scene,” she said. “But then I realized that if the smoking part was removed, it might be hard to fully express the free-spirited personality of Yunia.”

Following her decision, the actor practiced smoking for about six months before the shoot, as she knew that "people who smoke can tell right away whether it’s real or fake."

“Also, since the first scene starts with me smoking, I felt that if I faked it, everything about Yunia would come across as fake,” she added.

As the actor continues to venture into new territory, she said there is another genre she wants to explore — comedy.

“When I did ‘Full House’ [2004] in the past, I had so much fun and many good memories from it,” she said. “But since then, I haven’t done any light romantic comedies. Now that I’m in my 40s, I’d love to try a comedy that suits my age if the right project comes along.”

The actor, who is currently working on a new project with actor Gong Yoo, slightly hinted at her next role.

“It definitely has a different vibe,” she said. “Since it’s a period drama, the tone is different, and the character is also quite unlike the ones I’ve portrayed before.”


BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]