Kim Soo-hyun’s Comment on Sulli’s Acting in Real Resurfaces Amid Ongoing Scrutiny Over Nude Scene
A resurfaced interview from 2017 promoting the film Real is once again making headlines, this time under the weight of controversy surrounding the late Sulli and the nature of her scenes in the movie. Actor Kim Soo-hyun’s comments from the interview are being widely circulated, while Sulli’s family continues to raise questions about how she was treated during the film’s production.
On June 27, 2017, SBS’s “Night of Real Entertainment” aired an interview with the film’s cast, Kim Soo-hyun, Sulli, and Jo Woo-jin. The film was widely discussed at the time for featuring Sulli’s first nude scene.
During the interview, when asked by a reporter whether she had slept well, Sulli replied calmly, “I slept well.” Kim Soo-hyun, seated next to her, remarked, “You seem to be the most nervous.”
When asked to describe the film in one phrase, Kim responded, “It’s like a gift set,” adding that the script took him more than three hours to read the first time and that its complexity kept him up at night. “After shooting 101 scenes, I was humbled,” he said.
Jo Woo-jin then remarked, “On set, it was clear that Kim Soo-hyun was completely immersed in this film. Isn’t it ‘of the Kim Soo-hyun, by the Kim Soo-hyun, for the Kim Soo-hyun’?” Taken aback, Kim Soo-hyun replied, “Sunbae-nim, your tone is scary when it’s flat.”
Jo Woo-jin went on to highlight Sulli’s performance, “The most memorable character for me in ‘Real’ was Song Yoo-hwa, played by Choi Jin-ri [Sulli],” even though her role was smaller compared to Kim’s lead.
On March 28, Sulli’s family questioned the handling of her nude scenes in “Real,” citing unplanned scenes, pressure to perform despite a body double, and false claims about her health. They referenced testimonies from those present at her funeral.
In response, Gold Medalist, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency and the production company behind “Real,” stated, “The nude scenes were agreed upon prior to her casting, and her agency at the time, SM Entertainment, was fully aware of this.
The resurfaced interview and renewed attention on “Real” serve as a stark reminder of the scrutiny and pressures faced by young artists like Sulli. While Gold Medalist has issued its statement regarding the production choices, the public continues to examine the broader implications of how sensitive content is handled in the entertainment industry, and how much agency stars like Sulli truly had.