Actress Kim Tae-hee appeared on tvN’s variety show “You Quiz on the Block”, where she candidly shared her thoughts on parenting, family, and her career as an actress. Recently, Kim made headlines for her new challenge—entering Hollywood through the Amazon Prime Video series “Butterfly.”
When asked by host Yoo Jae-suk whether she ever raises her voice at her children, Kim replied, “I try not to.” She added with a laugh, “Because it’s emotional labor, sometimes the stress goes to my mom or my husband. But my two daughters always call only for me.”
On the topic of her looks, she said, “I liked my appearance the most in my thirties. As I get older, there will naturally be things I don’t like, but I have to accept that. I hope people will see the wrinkles that come from smiling as something beautiful.”
Kim also spoke about her husband Rain (Jung Ji-hoon) and their different parenting styles. “My husband is the type to maintain a nice-dad image. He gives the girls presents and even lets them have junk food. I, on the other hand, want them to eat healthily and get full from nutritious meals so that they don’t crave snacks,” she explained.
She then revealed that she has been going through a so-called “midlife puberty” in her forties. “My mom has always been devoted, but at some point, everything she said started to sound like nagging. I wanted to rebel, even though I never went through that in my school years. It came to me in my forties,” she confessed. Kim went on, “After my first daughter was born, I poured all of myself into parenting. Raising her was harder than giving birth. Then my second child came along, and I ended up taking nearly five years off work. That long break made me long for acting even more.” She recalled how difficult the stress of parenting had been, tearing up as she admitted, “I don’t think I treated my mom as well as I should have during those times.”
When asked what she would do if given time just for herself, Kim answered, “Just being alone would be wonderful. On a 15-hour flight from New York to Incheon, the time passed in a flash—it showed me how precious time to myself really is.”
Finally, Kim expressed her renewed passion for acting, saying, “I couldn’t take on many projects because of parenting, but now I want to throw myself completely into my work and burn with passion again.”
