By Chang May Choon
READY: Actress Jeon Ji Hyun says she will settle down
when the right guy comes along. --PICTURE: FESTIVE FILM SHE may be one of Korea's hottest babes, but Jeon Ji Hyun's criteria for men is surprisingly simple. 'I used to like the strong and macho type of guys when I was younger,' she told Shanghai Times recently. 'But now that I'm older, I prefer guys who are gentle, sentimental, and know how to take care of me.'
The 27-year-old, who shot to fame in Asia in the hit romantic comedy My Sassy Girl, is ready to get hitched when her Prince Charming comes along.
She told the Korean media earlier this year: 'The most important thing to consider is whether I'd be blissful or not. So I'll only marry if I meet the right guy by fate and he can satisfy this criteria.'
Emotional scenes For now, though, Ji Hyun is focusing on her acting career.
She is set to make her Hollywood debut next year with Blood: The Last Vampire, playing a 'beautiful but fearsome' half-vampire, half-human who hunts demons as a living.
But, she does not wish to be stereotyped as a martial arts heroine - a common career path for Asian actresses in the US. 'No matter where I am, I hope to do what I like to do. I haven't thought about what specific roles I want to play... but since I'm turning 30 soon, I hope to be able to do more emotional scenes.' No wonder she decided to do the heartwarming Korean film If I Were Superman, which opened in Singapore cinemas on Thursday.
Never mind that it required her to make several sacrifices - chopping off her signature long fringe, casting aside her cosmetics, and smoking for the first time in her life. She plays a messy-haired, chain-smoking producer who is tired of churning out heartrending human documentaries, until she meets a crazy guy (Hwang Jung Min) who claims he is Superman.
She goes on to film him as he embarks on a mission to help people and save the earth, even though he has no super powers. During the film's media conference in Korea early this year, Ji Hyun said: 'I thought about the smoking part very seriously, but the story was fun. 'I'd get to work with Hwang Jung Min, so I decided to take a gamble on my health.'
Reviews of the film were mixed, and the average box-office result of less than 530,000 admissions in Korea meant that audiences were not so impressed with Ji Hyun's hyped-up transformation from glamour girl to make-up-free human chimney who exploits people for work.
To the actress, though, the unglamorous role was a dream-come-true. 'I've had enough of playing beauties, and it's necessary for every actor to change his image. This is a role that I've been waiting to play.'
She added that this was her most realistic role to date, and like her alter ego, she is also a casual dresser who does not put on much make-up. 'I won't follow fashion trends blindly. I'm just me. If a girl has a certain striking quality, she will stand out from the rest even if she's carrying an ordinary bag.'
Of course, more so if her name is Jeon Ji Hyun.
Source: The Electric New Paper (Singapore)
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story/0,...,180552,00.html 
