Singer and actress IU is earning praise for her transformative performance in the Netflix drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, where she portrayed a character spanning from a high school student to a mother in her 40s. In a recent YouTube interview with film critic Lee Dong-jin on “B tv’s Piaakia with Lee Dong-jin,” IU opened up about why she was so drawn to the role and how she approached its physical and emotional demands.
Lee commented, “The story spans over 40 years, and you even play dual roles. One moment you’re in a school uniform, the next you’re in your 40s wearing glasses.” He asked what it was like to take on such an age-defying challenge with her famously youthful appearance.
IU replied, “I did think it would be challenging, but that very aspect is what made me want to do this project.” She explained that the opportunity to portray different life stages and to share a role with veteran actress Moon So-ri sparked her creative ambition. “The idea of showing a character evolve across different stages of life really appealed to me. I doubt I’ll be able to play a teenager again moving forward. I felt like this was my last chance to cover such a wide age range, and that’s what made me want it even more,” she added with a laugh.
Lee Dong-jin pointed out that audiences typically associate IU with a certain “star” image, yet in this role, she played all kinds of maternal moments. “About a quarter of the runtime, you’re pregnant. You have three kids. You’re rubbing your back, acting through childbirth, feeding your children, comforting them, and crying while holding them.”
IU acknowledged the concern: “I wondered briefly if it would feel awkward, but once I read the script, it felt completely natural. On set, it came even more easily. The writer described everything so clearly that there wasn’t anything I didn’t understand.”
She credited much of the physical authenticity to the costume team: “Since I was pregnant for most of the show, we used various belly wraps to show the progression of pregnancy. It didn’t weigh as much as an actual pregnancy, but it gave just enough weight to make my movements feel more realistic.”
Whether it was resting her hands on her lower back or sitting with her legs splayed, IU said the body language came instinctively once the role took over. “Because of that, I naturally started doing things like putting my hand on my back or sitting with my legs apart. There wasn’t even time to feel awkward, it all just flowed,” she shared.
IU’s portrayal of a woman across time, from youthful romance to mature motherhood, continues to impress audiences and critics alike. It’s a major shift from her usual image, and one she embraced with thoughtfulness and grace.