A super virus with 100% fatality rate hits Korea. The government and the health administration quarantine the infected area and isolate the people to stop the spread of the virus. It is the story of the KRW 9.9 billion-worth medical disaster film “The Flu” (director Kim Seong-soo, production I Love Cinema). Soo Ae, 34, stars as a contagious diseases specialist and a mother of a young daughter. Her fixed image as the delicate and righteous woman is nowhere to be found in the movie. The film is definitely different from her previous works that relied on her emotional expressions.

- You chose a disaster blockbuster. That was somewhat unexpected.

▶ It was my first disaster movie. My previous movies told the story through the actor’s emotions, but in this movie, cooperation was the key. I wanted to experience that, the chemistry with other actors. 

- Was it what you expected?

▶ Yes, it was what I had expected. I learned a lot. I kept on reaching a dead end while working, especially when I had to express maternal love. I was concerned that people would notice when I expressed things that I had not experienced. But whenever I lost confidence, I received a lot of support and motivation. I was also the most enthusiastic one about attending gatherings at the end of the day. I’m not much of a drinker, but I stayed right till the end. I’d just drink beer and listen to music and engage in conversations.

- Wasn’t the schedule tight?

▶ We started filming in May and ended in October. It was hot and the schedule was demanding. Everyone asks me if I had problems with the heat, but when I got too exhausted from the heat, Jang Hyuk would take over (laugh). In all my previous works, I appeared from the beginning to the end, but in “The Flu,” I could take a break here and there because the cast was so large.

- Are there any similarities between Jang Hyuk, director Kim Seong-soo, and Yoo Hae-jin?

▶ They all have a strong masculine traits, so I had it easier. Jang Hyuk is the type who does not say “no.” He is very responsible. Yoo Hae-jin may seem a little picky, but below that is seriousness and sensitivity. The director is someone you can depend on. Everyone is also active. Jang Hyuk works out every day as a hobby, and Hae-jin enjoys hiking. I am also pretty active myself, and I enjoy cycling, inline skating, swimming, and tennis. Surprisingly, we have similar tendencies. Everyone is quite chatty too. Jang Hyuk doesn’t hide that he’s talkative, and the director is like that too. Yoo Hae-jin seems talkative because he has a loud voice. I’m also pretty talkative (laugh).

- Apparently Kim Seong-soo said that when he first met you in person, you were different from what he had expected. He liked it and asked you to be as natural as you can be.

▶ Yes, that’s true. I think he had a fixed image of me in his mind. But when he saw me behind the camera, he asked me, “Are you really like this? Are you this easy to get along with?” He wanted to capture that kind of laid-back image of me. I wanted to do that too, but it wasn’t easy.  

- So is the first half of “The Flu” the laid-back Soo Ae?

▶ Yes. It’s a disaster movie, but we didn’t want to approach it too solemnly at the beginning. We wanted to start with a relaxed, sweet image. I talked about it a lot with the director too. When I appear with my daughter Mi-reu (Park Min-ha), I’m completely relaxed.

- Tell us a bit more about acting as a mother. It wasn’t your first time, but you must have been worried this time because maternal love is such a big part of the story.

▶A story needs a drive, be it love, maternal love, or self-love. In “The Flu,” it was maternal love for the child. I was under a lot of pressure then. I think there are things that you can only know through experience. I don’t know what it feels like to carry a baby inside or anything like that, so I was really worried. People say that the world looks different after you have a baby. I was worried that I would not to be able to express those details.