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Promoting The Old Woman With the Knife, Lee Hye-young reflects on her early acting years: "When I first entered the film industry, female characters existed only passively as counterparts to male leads," she said. "I focused on overcoming that and surviving as a human being, beyond gender." / Courtesy of Next Entertainment World (NEW) and Soo Film

Veteran actress Lee Hye-young, now in her 45th year in the industry, admitted that even with decades of experience, some moments still leave her feeling nervous. Speaking to reporters at a café in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, as part of promotions for her latest film The Old Woman With the Knife, Lee confessed, “I was bold and confident when the film premiered at the 79th Berlin International Film Festival in February. But now, I’m just anxious and uneasy.” She added, “Whether it’s because I’ve become a star or the world has changed, I’ve never sat down with so many reporters at once.”

Released on April 30, The Old Woman With the Knife has been described as a film made by, for, and about Lee. Adapted from the bestselling novel by Gu Byeong-mo, the film follows Jo-gak, a legendary contract killer who works for an assassination ring operating under the guise of a pest control company. Despite her reputation for eliminating society’s worst in silence, Jo-gak begins to crumble under the weight of time. Lee’s portrayal of the aging hitwoman was so physically demanding that she fractured three ribs during filming.

As of May 5, the film has drawn approximately 225,000 viewers. While it trails behind Ma Dong-seok’s The Holy Night: Demon Hunters and Marvel’s Thunderbolts in box office numbers, The Old Woman With the Knife stands out for its critical acclaim and strong word-of-mouth.

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In The Old Woman With the Knife, Lee Hye-young plays Jo-gak, a veteran contract killer working for an assassination agency disguised as a pest control company. Though she once eliminated society’s darkest elements without leaving a trace, she now finds herself slowly succumbing to the passage of time. / Courtesy of Next Entertainment World (NEW)

This project marks Lee’s return to the action genre after 23 years, following her role in Ryoo Seung-wan’s No Blood No Tears. “I still remember the intensive training I underwent with martial arts director Jung Doo-hong back then. My body must have retained some of that memory,” she said. “But I’ve always been slow by nature, and with age, every action scene was a challenge. I imagine my stunt double had a hard time adjusting to my slower reflexes.”

Jo-gak is a far-from-ordinary character—an assassin who disposes of “useless” people like pests. Yet, for Lee, who continues to defy typecasting as a woman in her 60s, the role fit like a glove. Despite this, she was initially hesitant. “Something about the character felt incompatible with me. I didn’t think I could pull it off,” she said. “But as time passed, I became intrigued by Jo-gak’s surreal qualities. I was also curious about working with director Min Kyu-dong, whose earlier film Antique made me think he’d be perfect for directing a musical—a lifelong dream of mine. I wanted to see what kind of action film he would create.”

Having completed this physically and emotionally demanding role, Lee hinted that she may finally accept long-standing offers from actors Choi Min-sik and Han Seok-kyu to star in a melodrama. Choi, a fellow 1962-born actor, is a former stage colleague, while Han is a close neighbor. “They’ve both recommended me for projects over the years, and I’m sincerely grateful,” she said. “I’ve avoided melodramas with them because it felt awkward for some reason. But now, I think I should seriously consider it.”