All Of Us Are Dead Actress Defends Her Character Na-yeon's Actions

Actress Lee Yoo-Mi defends her character Na-Yeon's actions in the new Netflix K-drama All Of Us Are Dead. Lee Yoo-Mi is a South Korean actress who rose to global fame for her role as Ji Young in Netflix's hit drama Squid Game. Although Ji Young's time in the Squid Game was cut short, viewers adored her for how sweet her brief friendship with Kang Sae Byeok (Jung Ho Yeon) was, despite the deadly game they played.

Lee Yoo-Mi's latest role for Netflix is Lee Na-Yeon in the zombie thriller All Of Us Are Dead. The new series follows a group of students at Hyosan High School, as they find themselves trapped at school during a zombie apocalypse. All Of Us Are Dead is based on Joo Dong Geun's 2009 webtoon Now At Our School. In the Netflix show, Lee Na-Yeon is a wealthy girl with an arrogant attitude who thinks of herself as better than others. In complete contrast to Lee Yoo-Mi's role as Ji Young, who sacrificed herself willingly for Sae Byeok in Squid Game, Na-Yeon betrays a classmate in All Of Us A Dead. This leads to his transformation into a zombie and, eventually, to his death. Despite the serious consequences of her actions, Na-Yeon remains confident in herself and separates from the group of survivors.

Following All Of Us Are Dead's premiere in January, the show's cast spoke with Cosmopolitan Korea (translated via Soompi) about the series' success and their roles. During the interview, Lee Yoo Mi defended her character Na-Yeon. The actress argues that the stress of the situation causes Na-Yeon to act on her impulses, but because she's directed by her emotions, she behaves differently. Then, Lee Yoo-Mi also jokes, "If she's really mean, that means I acted well, right?" Read Lee Yoo-Mi's full quote below:

“She has no choice but to be in a rush because she has to survive. Her desire to live was just expressed in a different way. Na Yeon does what she can because she’s human. That’s why I think people feel pity [for her]. If she’s really mean, that means I acted well, right? If I receive hate, I will think that I did as well as the amount of hate I receive. It’s fine if you send hate and it’s fine if you pity her.”

Fans who came to know Lee Yoo-Mi from Squid Game were probably shocked to see her behave so unfriendly as Na-Yeon, and hearing her defend Na-Yeon is even more surprising. After all, Na-Yeon's decision led to the death of both her classmate and her teacher, despite it being to guarantee her own survival. While Lee Yoo-Mi may have a pass for sympathizing with Na-Yeon given that she had to embody the character, betraying her classmate during a time when teamwork was crucial certainly makes Na-Yeon difficult for fans to support or like.

Thanks to Squid Game and All Of Us Are Dead gaining international views on Netflix, Lee Yoo-Mi's fame has skyrocketed. Now, the actress is globally recognized, and has demonstrated her acting talent by playing two wildly different characters in each Netflix series. Clearly, Lee Yoo-Mi does her homework when researching her parts, and is tapped in to the mindset of her characters to convey the most convincing possible performance (even if they are not very likeable). And while her new fans won't see her in Squid Game season 2, All Of Us Are Dead's success means the actress will surely return.

Next: All Of Us Are Dead Ending Explained

Source: Cosmopolitan Korea (via Soompi)