‘The Frog’ actress Go Min-si aims for transformative roles

Rising star Go Min-si revels in portraying roles that are markedly different from her real-life self. In her latest Netflix original Korean series, “The Frog,” which she calls her favorite show to date, she exemplifies this talent.

“I want to be the kind of actor who makes audiences look forward to her next project,” she said in an interview with local media on Monday.

“While filming the show, I discovered new sides of myself that I didn’t know existed. If this experience can serve as a stepping stone for my next project, where I can showcase yet another aspect of my acting, I would be truly happy,” she said.

In this crime thriller, Go plays Yoo Sung-a, a mysterious visitor who disrupts the tranquility of a remote woodland motel. The eight-part series, released on Friday, marks the 29-year-old’s latest Netflix project following her role in the apocalyptic horror “Sweet Home.”

During a conversation about casting for “The Frog,” director Mo Wan-il, known for “The World of Married,” mentioned seeing “a glimpse of someone whose thoughts and actions are unpredictable,” Go recalled.

At their second meeting, she wore a pair of heels, prompting the director’s compliment. Her brief pause before responding, “I only wear them on special occasions,” apparently revealed the character of Sung-a to Mo. The director later told her this three-second hesitation, rather than her answer, secured her the role.

She particularly appreciates the show’s challenging narrative style, which some viewers describe as “unkind” due to its requirement that audiences piece together the plot themselves.

“It wasn’t a particularly easy-to-follow script. But I like scripts like this. I prefer stories where each piece connects to complete a larger picture,” she said, adding she thought “the lack of straightforwardness” made the work “more appealing.”

Before making her debut as an actress, she gained attention with the short film “Parallel Novel,” which she wrote, directed and starred in back in 2016.

She went on to appear in various films and TV series, including “Cheese in the Trap” (2018), “Love Alarm” (2019-2020) and “Youth of May” (2021), where she played supporting roles. She gained international recognition through the Netflix series “Sweet Home.” Recently, she showcased her charming and hardworking real-life persona on tvN’s reality show “Jinny’s Kitchen 2,” created by hitmaker Na Young-seok, where a team of famous Korean celebrities run a Korean restaurant in Iceland.

“I didn’t pay attention to where the cameras were or how I would appear. I was completely focused on my work,” she said, adding, “I felt a bit embarrassed, as it seemed like the real me was exposed. But at the same time, I’m also grateful that my hardworking nature was captured well.”

As an actress, however, she hopes to come across as completely different from that image.

“I always hope to be open to showing who I am, what kind of image I project and how broadly I can transform,” she said. “I don’t feel afraid of future challenges. Instead, I believe I’ll approach them with enjoyment and enthusiasm.”