IU and Moon So-Ri Hope 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' Inspires You to Live Differently

As a lifetime passes between a mother and daughter, countless sacrifices and parallel experiences often go unnoticed day-to-day. Netflix’s K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines highlights these sentimental moments while unfurling 70 years of one woman’s life.

In the 16-episode series written by Lim Sang-choon and directed by Kim Won-seok, two of Korea’s most acclaimed actresses play Oh Ae-sun, a woman born on Korea’s Jeju Island, over the decades: superstar singer-songwriter IU, 31, and internationally-renowned thespian Moon So-ri, 50. Viewers watch Ae-sun go from a neglected child to a loving wife and mother to an eventual grandmother and widow. Once Tangerines’s first four episodes premiered on March 7, the full scope of IU’s role was revealed: She plays not only Ae-sun in her younger years but also Ae-sun’s first-born daughter Geum-myeong, adding another layer of interlinked storytelling between mother and daughter.

“I distinguished them through their voices, manner of speaking, hairstyles, skin tones, and even the way they cried,” IU tells Marie Claire of her dual roles. “However, since they are mother and daughter, I refrained from making overly drastic differences. Following the director’s guidance, I portrayed them as two individuals who are alike and unique in their own way.”

While a large part of the series centers on Ae-sun’s lifelong marriage to Yang Gwan-sik (played by Park Bo-gum and Park Hae-joon), Tangerines is most powerful when the show flashes between past and present to show how inherently similar Ae-sun and Geum-myeong truly are. Even as the modernization of South Korea led to the two women living vastly different lives, they still faced mirror struggles relatable to mothers and daughters across the globe.

Both actresses tell Marie Claire over email that they hope the show reminds viewers to focus on the joys of living, from treasured relationships to fleeting moments of beauty. “I hope that after laughing and crying alongside Ae-sun and Gwan-sik, even if it’s just in the smallest way, viewers find themselves feeling a renewed sense of hope for life,” IU says.

Now that the series’ finale aired on March 28, IU and Moon So-ri chat with Marie Claire about the ways When Life Gives You Tangerines reminded them of their own families, how they juggled storylines spanning multiple generations, and why the drama has had such a large impact on viewers from all cultures.

Marie Claire: What led you to join When Life Gives You Tangerines, a large-scale story that spans multiple generations?

Moon So-ri: In the story, Ae-sun was born in 1951, and my mother was born in 1952. Seeing Ae-sun, once a young girl filled with dreams, marry early and dedicate her entire life to raising her children reminded me so much of my mother. I remember bursting into tears as soon as I read the script. This project brought to mind not just my mom but also my [grandmothers]. It felt like a story that would deeply resonate with everyone and offer warmth.

MC: How did you two work together to shape the character of Ae-sun? How did you express the similarities between young and elderly Ae-sun?

IU: I have always thought that I bore some resemblance to [Moon So-ri] in appearance. So when I heard the casting news, I was genuinely excited. My natural voice tends to be lower, while hers is softer and warmer. I kept that in mind and intentionally used a slightly higher pitch than my usual tone. I also observed and incorporated her affectionate way of speaking and how she ends her sentences. She was incredibly considerate toward me, even putting a beauty mark on her left cheek to match mine.

MS: The script provided detailed descriptions of Ae-sun’s signature gestures and way of speaking. For instance, when she says, ‘I love this so much,’ she clasps her hands together. It even outlined her facial expressions and tone of voice in great precision, so I felt that these elements would naturally blend into my performance. While working with IU, we would swap lines and read them in each other’s tones, discussing facial expressions and movements based on the situation. Visually, we aimed to express their resemblance through eyebrow positioning and shape, and even a signature beauty mark.

MC: Both of you filmed beautiful dream sequences with actress Yeom Hye-ran, who plays Ae-sun’s mother, Gwang-rye. What significance do these scenes hold in Ae-sun’s story?

IU: To Ae-sun, [her mother] is her first love—someone she will never forget, someone she longs for even in her dreams. The fact that Gwang-rye only appears in Ae-sun’s dreams during pivotal moments—when she faces danger or when she has to leave the home she holds dear—symbolizes the profound, inseparable connection between them, one bound by a mysterious force.

MS: Because Ae-sun was always so busy living her life, [Gwang-rye] rarely appeared in her dreams, even though she missed her mother deeply. But when the time came for her to leave home, her mother finally appeared. In that moment, part of her longs to open up—to share the hardships she has endured, to vent and be vulnerable. Yet, at the same time, she doesn’t want to burden her mother. She wants to show that she is doing well, that she is strong and thriving. Navigating between these complex emotions—how much to express and how much to hold back—was a real challenge. It was a difficult scene to portray, but I believe that, for Ae-sun, simply having her mother there in that moment was the greatest source of comfort and strength.

MC: IU, how challenging was it to switch between the two time periods—Ae-sun in the 1960s and Geum-myeong in the 1980s? Which era was more difficult to portray?

IU: I found acting in the 1980s more challenging. It wasn’t just the historical setting that made it challenging; it also took me time to grasp Geum-myeong’s emotions fully. The scenes where she speaks harshly to her parents, despite her true feelings, were particularly difficult for me to perform.

MC: So-ri, you are known for your dedication to preparing for roles, such as learning Japanese for The Handmaiden. How did you prepare for When Life Gives You Tangerines

MS: To portray elderly Ae-sun, I underwent special effects makeup and spent time studying the movements, speech patterns, breathing, and mannerisms of older individuals by watching videos on YouTube. I paid close attention to how their gaze shifts when their eyesight starts to blur and the pace at which they speak. When it came time to film, the strong, piercing winds of Jeju Island made it even more challenging. I focused on maintaining my composure and delivering a performance that didn’t reveal how freezing I was.

MC: You mentioned that Ae-sun’s life was similar to your mother’s past. Was there a particular scene that made you reflect on your own childhood or past from a new perspective?

MS: There are so many scenes that have stayed with me. For example, watching Gwan-sik pick out beans and squid for Geum-myeong reminded me of my father. He used to carefully take the plumpest part of a fish and place it on top of my rice. One perspective that was [new to me] was Ae-sun’s belief that life moves through the seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter. Looking at my mother, who has lived her life with such passion and intensity, I realized that if you live with excitement and joy, you can return to summer. If you fill your life with things that make your heart flutter, it can be spring again. That’s the kind of life I want to grow old into as well.

MC: With When Life Gives You Tangerines ending, what message do you both hope global audiences take away from this series?

MS: There’s a line in the show: ‘Live and carry on.’ But I believe this doesn’t mean enduring everything alone. Ae-sun’s strength comes from the people around her—her mother, her grandmother, her husband Gwan-sik, her children, the female [haenyeo] divers, and the elderly landlords. It is because of these cherished relationships that she is able to experience both joy and sorrow, find resilience, and keep moving forward in life. I hope this message resonates with audiences worldwide—that we endure and live not in isolation, but through the support and shared experiences with others.

IU: Our show isn’t [solely] dark—it’s infused with a sense of humor throughout. But at the same time, every episode touches on emotions that bring tears to your eyes. If you look at Ae-sun and Gwan-sik’s lives, they were certainly not the most conventionally ‘successful’ couple. However, depending on how you define happiness, you could say their life together was as fragrant as a flower field, like a precious outing the two of them took together.

Hardships are an inevitable part of life. We all face setbacks and moments of despair. But our show doesn’t say, ‘Life is full of disappointments, so it must be bad.’ Instead, it gently tells us, ‘Pause. Lean on a friend, on love, on time itself. Don’t just keep running. When flowers bloom, take a picture in the flower field. When summer comes, enjoy some fresh croaker fish and go for a bike ride. When autumn arrives, pick some persimmons and have a cup of tea. And in winter, roast tangerines over the fire, blow on them, and savor every bite. Live each day as it comes, one by one. And when you regain a little strength, take another step forward—this time, maybe you're heading toward something joyful. Who knows where life will take you next? Stay open to the surprises life has in store.’

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.