IU Eyes a Role as Wild as Jobu Tupaki from “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

While IU is best known for her emotionally rich performances in dramas like My Mister and When Life Gives You Tangerines, she has her sights set on something entirely different: multiverse madness. In her interview on B tv’s Piaakia with Lee Dong-jin, IU shared her admiration for the Oscar-winning film Everything Everywhere All at Once, especially the character Jobu Tupaki.

“Lately, I’ve been obsessed with Everything Everywhere All at Once,” IU said with a gleam in her eye. “I love it so much.”

When asked if she’d like to take on a role like Jobu, she didn’t hesitate. “I’d love to try a role like Jobu Tupaki’s… It would require a lot of makeup. I think I might actually enjoy that part,” she added with a laugh.

Jobu Tupaki, played by Stephanie Hsu, is a chaotic, costume-shifting, existentially complex villain-turned-victim whose emotional core drives the heart of the film. For IU, that kind of unpredictability and absurdity holds huge appeal. “To me, comedy is one of the most powerful ways to connect with an audience. And right behind that is a reflection on life itself.”

It’s no surprise she was drawn to the movie’s mix of humor and philosophy: “When I first read the script for When Life Gives You Tangerines, Everything Everywhere All at Once came to mind,” IU noted, pointing out how both stories explore mother-daughter dynamics and life’s emotional rollercoaster.

With her proven ability to balance sorrow and levity, a role like Jobu Tupaki might be just the kind of genre-bending challenge IU’s ready for next.