These Quotable Quotes From Son Ye-Jin Will Inspire You Today And Beyond
She's one passionate actress with impressive views on life, work, and living life to the fullest
Hallyu Queen, "Queen of Melodrama," and Metro.Style cover star Son Ye-jin has an inspiring career journey. She's been an actress for two decades but she's still hungry and thirsty for more creativity and excellence in her craft. Despite what she has already achieved, she acknowledges that one must always leave a room for learning and improving. Really, you don't need to be treading the same path as hers to be inspired by how she pursues her passions and balances working and reaping the rewards of her labor.
She's soft-spoken and eloquent, but what's also charming about Son Ye-jin is her humor. In a V Live interview, she was asked to say the first things that come to her mind at the mention of some random words; when the interviewer said "pure innocent beauty," her quick response was "Son Ye-jin" then she burst into laughter. In her interviews, she always responds with her signature eye smile that can light up any room, and one can easily feel the authenticity and sincerity of her words.
We've gathered some quotable quotes by Son Ye-jin from her various interviews. No matter where you are in your life, you'll surely find that her thoughts and pieces of advice can apply to you somehow—if not now, maybe in the future.
Check out the gallery below:
Son Ye-Jin Quotable Quotes
Son Ye-Jin Quotable Quotes
On what influenced her to pursue an acting career
Childhood dreams can become lifelong dreams. In the case of Son Ye-jin, her curiosity about how to express her emotions led her to a career that's all about displaying a wide range of emotions. She held onto her curiosity, and it took her to a dreamland that eventually became the reality she lives in. She mentioned in an interview with The Swoon, "Back when I was in school, I had this vague thought, I had so many emotions within me. But I spent some time without realizing what those emotions were or how to express those emotions. So, if I became an actress, I figured it could help me express my emotions… I think I got into this career because of this curiosity I had of myself ever since I was a child."
Photo Credit: MSteam Entertainment
On her nickname "Cow Ye-jin"
In Korean, "so" means "cow." Fans have been replacing the "Son" in her name with "cow" as an expression for how hardworking she is. In a Busan International Film Festival event in 2016, Son Ye-jin shared, "At one point, because I was doing film after film non-stop, people started calling me 'So (So = Korean for cow) Ye-jin! It’s not a pretty nickname, but I took it to mean I worked hard and tirelessly. I’m happy with that nickname, it means a lot." In relation to this, she was also called a "beast-like actress," especially with her portrayal in the 2013 movie "Accomplice" (also known as "Blood and Ties"). To which, she commented in an interview with SBS' "Good Morning" show, "I am very happy with it. I think people saw many things that I was not realizing from me... So, I am a beast whatever I do... I feel like I should take the chance when I get a good chance offered."
Photo Credit: @yejinhand
On playing different, new characters
Son Ye-jin is not afraid of stepping out of her comfort zone and taking risks when it comes to her choice of roles. No matter how difficult it may be to breathe life into a specific character, as long as the role speaks to her, that's what's most important for Son Ye-jin. In a Yonhap interview to promote K-Drama "Something in the Rain," she said, "Rather than a role that looks pretty or lovely, I choose a work based on how interesting it is to me. I don't worry about how my image will change by playing a certain character."
Photo Credit: @yejinhand
On appearing in one film after another, with no breaks
In all the years that she's been in the entertainment business, it's become hard for her to separate Son Ye-jin as a person and Son Ye-jin as an actress. Acting has become a significant part of her life, an inseparable aspect of her being. "Before, I just wanted to be a good actress. So I couldn’t stop acting. But the more I was eager to be better, it didn’t really work out. While I was acting, I was still thirsty to act. I think it was a problem coming from within and wanted to take a rest. But then, I found myself reading another screenplay. I guess I am not up for taking a break at the moment. I’m actually afraid of thinking about the time when I want to have a break. At this moment, I just want to continue what I’m doing and do as diverse films as possible," she told Korea Joongang Daily.
Photo Credit: @yejinhand
On balancing her career and personal life
As previously mentioned, having been an actress for so long made it quite a challenge for Son Ye-jin to establish a clear demarcation line that separates her personal life from her professional life. She shared with Korea Joongang Daily, "It's always agonizing to separate my life as an actress and personal life. Just because I'm happy with my acting life doesn't mean I'm happy with my personal life. I'm always making an effort to balance between the two. I'm enjoying my work more than before, so I'm under less stress now."
Photo Credit: @yejinhand
On the small things that make her happy
No matter how busy she may be, it's very important that she devotes time for reconnecting with herself and finding her center. Moments like that give her happiness. She told The Swoon, "When I don’t have any shoots and have some time to myself, I grab a cup of coffee and sit on my sofa staring blankly ahead without thinking about anything. That quiet moment is my happy moment."
Photo Credit: @yejinhand
On what traveling means to her
Another favorite activity of Son Ye-jin when she doesn't have work is traveling. She loves learning by exploration. Traveling reminds her that there's another side to life than just working. We must work to live, after all, and not the other way around. "I also love to travel. Traveling takes up about half of my life, so it’s very meaningful to me. In a way, the things that cover me up, like my image and what people think of me make me become close myself off and keep things in. But when you travel, you get to feel yourself bare, as you truly are. No one knows me, and no one helps me. That’s when I can feel much freer, and I get a chance to reflect on myself. It’s very advantageous in many ways," she told The Swoon.
Photo Credit: MSteam Entertainment
On who Son Ye-jin behind the camera is
This statement is proof of Son Ye-jin's humility, one of her likable traits that her millions of fans love about her. "There’s nothing special about me. In front of the camera, I’m always in character with the given role, so I tend to stick to it. But behind the camera, I think I’m just ordinary. I’m the same person as you guys," she said in an interview for her endorsement with Smart Communications.
Photo Credit: MSteam Entertainment
On pushing oneself to work hard but not forgetting the value of taking a break
That work-life balance is something that Son Ye-jin is continuously working on and conscious about. In an effort to achieve that, she also mentioned once that she doesn't talk about work at home. She told Smart, "There are times when I’m a little torn between the role and the real Son Ye-jin. But in the end, I tend to push myself more when I’m working. So, when I’m not working, I just rest and recharge so I can show you a better me. I think sometimes you shouldn’t push yourself too hard and take some time to relax a little bit."
Photo Credit: tvN
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On the importance of staying healthy
Connected to what she said about taking a break to rest and recharge is her take on staying healthy. We've been told countless times that health is wealth, and Son Ye-jin cannot agree more with that. "There is a health issue that the world is facing today. I also need to be healthy to be able to work. And health is the most important thing to be able to spend quality time with the people I love. That’s why I’m constantly exercising and trying to eat good food," she said in her Smart video interview.
Photo Credit: IMDb
On overcoming her struggles
She said in a DongA.com interview, "It would be a lie to say I've been happy all my acting life. I have had struggles and sometimes things didn't work out the way I planned to." But she knows that, ultimately, it's up to her to pick herself up and find ways to make the most of any given situation.
Photo Credit: tvN
On going beyond acting
Willingness and openness to do one thing you haven't done before are the first crucial steps to achieving dreams you probably never imagined can become realities for you. That's the case for Son Ye-jin when it comes to branching out in the entertainment industry. She told DongA.com, "If I have a chance, I want to participate in writing screenplays or in the planning stage. I don’t have the ability to write the whole screenplay by myself but by working together with a professional playwright, I always wanted to have a go. I heard many actors and actresses are participating in the production and learning a lot about filming that way. If I get the chance, I want to develop a story around a character who is living in the lowest point in his or her life, in the gutters."
Photo Credit: MSteam Entertainment
On doing more to be more
Life is a journey, and it's defined by a continuous quest for one's purpose. When asked what she usually answers when people turn to her for advice, she said in a V Live interview, "I think there’s no right answer. Even I don’t know doing this is right. That kind of answer is not known to me yet. You could give it all you have, but you don’t know if you will succeed or not. However, you have to give it more than 100% in order to be good at something... Keep honing your skills and expand your experiences. If you keep doing it, someday, I think you will become the actor you wanted to become."
Photo Credit: MSteam Entertainment
On her take on aging in the public eye
Actors are always under scrutiny, and that's a reality they have to deal and live with. Unfazed about aging, the timeless beauty that is Son Ye-jin told V Live, "Regardless of where they live, many people are curious about an actress’ looks. Even natural creases are used to say she’s old. So I want to keep showing a beautiful appearance as a female actress. You can’t turn back the time. Natural wrinkles, natural sagging, these can be a way to become a better actor with a depth. Of course, I think it is also a duty as an actor to show the best condition you can be in. But being obsessed with just outward appearances is not a good thing."
Photo Credit: MSteam Entertainment
Lead photos from Jennyhouse
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