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[HanCinema's Actor Spotlight] Nam Gyu-ri

Going from a singing to an acting career is anything but a smooth transition for many. Neither is it always the best decision to begin with or then turn out to be one down the road. But for many who see music as an entrance into acting, it is no doubt seen as a necessary step. For some, it works well, for some it does not. Nam Gyu-ri is still someone whose future in acting seems uncertain, but she has chosen well so far.

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Nam had her first attempt at acting, through a leading role no less, in 2008 horror movie 'Death Bell'. The rest of her film work so far has been cameos and a secondary role, as well as a main role in a segment of 2014 omnibus production "MAD SAD BAD". In dramas, Nam has been a bit more lucky and has landed a leading role twice, in 2011 supernatural melodrama "49 Days" and 2013 crime drama 'Heartless City'.

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The issue when it comes to drama and rookie actors is that the medium does not offer much assistance in developing one's skills when those are just starting to form. Actors have time with a fuller script in movies. They have time to study it, time to test their acting, time to rehearse. But the drama production methods and requirements do not always give the time, guidance and freedom required for many to do their best.

Looking at someone like Nam Gyu-ri, one would say there is not much there. She can do the basics alright, but for every well delivered part there is a ton of shaky ones. Most of her movie roles being cameo ones did not really help with that image a lot. Then 2013 and 'Heartless City' came. While in no way an award winning performance, Nam did a fine job with a character who was quite uneven in her actions and personality throughout.

This was a surprising shift for someone who had plenty of opportunity to show that level before. Nam showed a surprising amount of charisma in comparison to her previous roles and she handled both the more innocent and untainted, but also darker and more tortured sides of the character well. While she has done well in both aspects in the past, it was not a consistent performance within each work, some scenes showing promise, most feeling uninspiring.

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It does make one wonder, is there potential that we are sometimes missing because it was not given the right opportunities? Did Nam and other like her simply get works and characters that did not match their level at the time or did they not get good guidance? Or then are some good performances by certain actors one would not expect them from just a fluke, a random moment of inspiration that has nothing to do with hidden talent?

Nam Gyu-ri is still a mystery when considering those things. A glimpse of potential is not enough to say there is something beyond what we have mostly seen and consistency throughout different works is the only thing which can reveal if there is something there or not. Nam's career does not seem to really be taking off, so whether she has potential or not is something we may never know. But at least the little hints of its existence could make one curious enough to see more of her.

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

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