IU says cheerful character attracted her to latest film 'Dream'

Singer and actor IU wanted to get away from all the murders and scheming and child trafficking — well, at least on screen. “When I first received the script for ‘Dream’ four years ago, I had been working on dramas like ‘My Mister’ and ...

Actor IU will play an unenthusiastic and honest broadcast producer Lee So-min in ″Dream″ [EDAM ENTERTAINMENT]

Singer and actor IU wanted to get away from all the murders and scheming and child trafficking — well, at least on screen.

“When I first received the script for ‘Dream’ four years ago, I had been working on dramas like ‘My Mister’ and ‘Hotel Del Luna,’ playing characters with complicated background stories,” IU told local press during an interview on April 20 at a cafe in central Seoul, prior to the release of “Dream,” the latest entry to her filmography.

"Dream" is director Lee Byeong-heon's latest film that will hit local theaters on April 26. Based on a true story, “Dream” revolves around a ragtag homeless football team rebranded as the Homeless Football Team representing Korea for the Homeless Football World Cup. Actor Park Seo-joon plays Yoon Hong-dae, a problematic professional football player that is forced to lead the team while IU plays Lee So-min, who plans to hit the jackpot by shooting an emotional documentary about the team.

“That must have been why I chose ‘Dream’, I wanted to play someone cheerful and didn’t have that many background stories to tell; So-min really had the least and I very much liked that.”

While she starred in brighter-themed dramas like “Dream High” (2011), “Lee Soon Shin is the Best” (2013) and “The Producer” (2015), complex and darker roles from “My Mister” (2018) and “Broker” (2022) have been the more defining characters in IU’s acting career.

In “Hotel Del Luna” (2019), IU played the role of a 1,300-year-old hotel owner and in “My Mister,” she was a young worker with unfortunate family history, shady background and a ton of debt.

Actor IU will play an unenthusiastic and honest broadcast producer Lee So-min in ″Dream″ [PLUSM ENTERTAINMENT]

“I chose to take part in ‘Dream,’ number one because I really thought it was entertaining, but also because I agreed with the message that the director wanted to convey,” said IU.

“'Dream' is about people with no home — not in the sense of a nice property by your own name — but as in there’s nowhere to sleep after a day's work [...] no space to get protection; I don’t think I ever thought about that concept,” she explained. “So the title of the film, ‘Dream’ while very straightforward, is extremely befitting — it’s about the dream these people have [...] and I think my views on the homeless have also changed.”

“I’m really not sure how foreign audiences will perceive ‘Dream’ as there are many aspects of the film that are very localized to the Korean [culture],” said IU. “But homelessness is not just an issue in Korea, it’s everywhere. If we approach it in the sense of it being a stage for everyone to shine, a solidarity between all mankind, I don’t think it will be a story that foreigners won’t sympathize with.”

Actor IU will play an unenthusiastic and honest broadcast producer Lee So-min in ″Dream″ [EDAM ENTERTAINMENT]

IU said working with director Lee for the first time was a tough challenge, even though she was playing a “simpler” role.

“I’ve prepared thoroughly for the role,” said IU. “But while shooting [...] it felt like everything was going at two times the speed for me. And everyone but me was pulling off so well.”

Director Lee is known to pursue speedy, tight, and wordy dialogue in the films he produces, as shown best in his 2019 film “Extreme Job,” the second highest-grossing film in Korea which garnered 16 million in ticket sales.

“That’s when I learned not to rely too much on what I have prepared; prepare thoroughly, but also ditch and adapt on site when needed.”

IU explained that she fully got the hang of director Lee’s fast-paced upbeat comedic style only halfway through the film’s shooting. “I started preparing a variety of approaches on site; it still didn’t mean that the scenes I had in mind were the ones that got used in the final film though [laughs].”

Actor IU will play an unenthusiastic and honest broadcast producer Lee So-min in ″Dream″ [EDAM ENTERTAINMENT]

Despite having multiple songs on soundtracks for dramas she has featured in, such as “Hold My Hand” in “The Greatest Love” (2011) and “Happy Ending” in “Hotel Del Luna,” IU didn't contribute her voice to "Dream."

“When I join dramas and movies, I receive offers to participate on the soundtracks, at least as a formality,” said IU. “But in ‘Dream,’ I wasn’t even offered [laughs]. Instead, ‘A Dreamer,’ a song I released during my teenage years was used in one of the trailers for the film. I think the director thought it suited the messages conveyed in the film.

“I think he found out about the song a bit too late. Maybe I should’ve offered to re-record it [laughs].”

Actor IU will play an unenthusiastic and honest broadcast producer Lee So-min in ″Dream″ [EDAM ENTERTAINMENT]

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]