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First 'Heavy' Role for Slim Actress

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

Slim actress Kim Ah-joong, right, plays an obese woman in the upcoming comedy film "200 Pounds Beauty".
Kim A-jung, an emerging actress known for her beauty and knockout figure, recently played her first leading role. But the rookie may have taken on too "heavy" a role.

In the upcoming comedy "200 Pounds Beauty", she plays an obese woman, who goes through a drastic makeover to become a successful singer.

"This is going to be a really important and memorable work", Kim said Thursday during a news conference at Plaza Hotel in downtown Seoul. "Since it my first leading role, I was really nervous in the beginning, but now I'm OK".

Directed by Kim Yong-hwa, director of the 2003 hit comedy "Oh! Brothers", the film is an adaptation of a popular Japanese series of comics by Suzuki Yumiko.

In the movie, Kim Ah-joong plays Han-na, who works as a lip sync vocalist for a famous Korean pop singer. Although she has a great voice, no one thinks she looks good enough to go onstage. She suffers from extremely low self-esteem because of her physical appearance and decides to get full-body plastic surgery.

Kim said that the most difficult part of the role was "gaining weight", referring four hours it took to apply the special makeup and the difficulty of moving under the additional weight.

"To act as a 200-pound woman, I had to wear a special makeup all over my body even during the hot summer season. That was the hardest thing. To smile as I usually do, I had to double my energy because of the thick makeup on my face", Kim said.

The audience will probably also be surprised by Kim's singing talent as well as her appearance. During the press conference, reporters got a sneak preview.

"It is really me who sings the songs in the movie", Kim said proudly. "I underwent intensive training to sing well, and a professional dancer taught me how to dance. I practiced a lot".

Having experienced being "obese" as well as slim, Kim was careful in answering questions about the obsession to be slim.

"I think society first has to change, and physical appearance shouldn't be the only thing people consider. You can lead a happy life after going through drastic plastic surgery like Han-na, but you can also change your attitude. I think it's totally up to each individual", Kim said.

"200-Pound Beauty" opens nationwide Dec. 14.

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