Recently, Son Na-eun participated in an interview where she talked about the JTBC weekend drama “Family x Melo”, and shared various stories. Son Na-eun stars as Byun Mi-rae, the daughter of Byun Moo-jin and Geum Ae-yeon, who fiercely opposes her parents’ potential reconciliation.
She created the perfect melodrama romance with SHINEE’s Choi Min-ho.
Regarding her collaboration with Choi Min-ho, Son Na-eun said, “We had worked together briefly before, but that time was so short that we approached this collaboration with a new sense of chemistry. Since we had met before, it was easy for us to become close. Even though he is a senior in the industry, I felt quite comfortable because he is the same age as me. My senior, like a symbol of passion, gave me a lot of strength on set”.
Son Na-eun, who debuted with Apink in 2011, has continued to pursue acting. She said, “I’ve always wanted to act. I started with that mindset, but the more I do it, the more I want to do it well and the more greedy I become with acting.”
She described the appeal of acting. “Whenever I work on a project, there are always things I need to improve on, and if something doesn’t turn out as I hoped, I want to do better in the next project”.
Beside Choi Min-ho and Son Na-eun, “Family X Melo” also has another idol, Yoon San-ha. When asked about the common ground between the three of them as singers, Son Na-eun said, “We didn’t really discuss our singing careers since we were focused on acting on set.”
She added, “San-ha is the youngest, so I wanted to take good care of him. Having been a rookie and the youngest myself, I understand how nervous he must be. I tried to support him as a senior”.
She continued, “I feel excited each time I participate in a new project and enjoy the process of creating a character. Since this is a job I do with the director, actors, and staff, I’m really happy to meet and work together to create a piece. I have an MBTI type I, so I’m usually at home when I’m not working, but I think I get energy from the set”.
Meanwhile, Son Na-eun, who began her career at a very young age, also confessed to her difficulties.
She said, “The hardest part was feeling like I had jumped into the adult world too soon. I felt like I grew up very quickly. I felt pressured to mature and to be like an adult”.
She added, “Byun Mi-rae also took on family responsibilities because of her father and became more mature quickly. She is similar to me in that regard, and I empathize with her”.
Son Na-eun mentioned that despite her introverted personality, she really enjoyed performing on stage at talent shows during her school years. She said she would choose a similar career if she could turn back time.
Son Na-eun said, “I really enjoy this job and find it very exciting. I think it doesn’t quite match my personality, but there are aspects of it that I feel really suit me, and I hope to continue doing well in the future”.
Son Na-eun had been balancing her work with Apink and acting, and left the group to focus on acting in April 2022, shortly after Apink released a fan song to celebrate their 11th debut anniversary.
Reflecting on the difference from her singing career, Son Na-eun said, “As a singer, I received feedback very quickly. In contrast, with acting, there are many pre-productions and the content airs later, so as an actor, you need to sustain your character’s presence for a long time during filming, requiring a different kind of stamina”.
Several members of Apink, including Jung Eun-ji and Yoon Bo-mi, are also acting. In particular, “Family X Melo” garnered attention as the follow-up to Miss Day and Night, which featured Jung Eun-ji.
Regarding this, Son Na-eun said, “The previous project was Eun-ji’s, and while I didn’t watch it all, I tried to catch it bit by bit. The show did so well, and I thought it would be great to follow up on that work. I’m cheering on the member’s activities, even if just from afar”.
Son Na-eun is also open to the possibility of becoming a soloist. When asked if she is postponing her singing career to focus on acting, Son Na-eun said, “It’s not because I’m delaying it or because I want to concentrate on acting. There are fans who are waiting, so if the opportunity arises, I would like to quench their thirst through a fan meeting”.
