"Queen of romantic comedy" Gong Hyo Jin looked back on her hit drama "When the Camellia Blooms" in her recent interview and photoshoot for Dazed.
Gong Hyo Jin celebrated her 40th birthday last April 4, 2020. The actress, with her different roles in rom-coms, black comedies, mystery films, and indie productions, initially turned down "When The Camellia Blooms" because of her movie, titled "The Most Ordinary Romance." But upon reading the drama's script, she fell in love with it. And to her surprise, it was a big hit.
If you'd like to explore the simplicity of romance, plain, heartwarming plot about family, bitterness, and suspense, "When the Camellia Blooms" is for you. Also, the bittersweet feeling, which makes viewers think deeply of reality, is all wrapped up in this drama.
The series tells the life of single mom Dong Baek running her resto-bar, Camellia. Men frequently go to her restaurant, making her the talk of the town in Ongsan. Local police officer Hwang Yong-Sik, played by Kang Ha Neul, is deeply in love with her, not minding what people gossip about her.
The situation got a little bit chaotic when her famous baseball player, ex-boyfriend, Kang Jong-Ryeol, played by Kim Ji Suk, suddenly reappears in her life. Also, the series became suspenseful when a serial killer goes around Ongsan, and she was a potential target.
Going back, the actress said that the line "No, I believe in myself" has deeply touched her. She said she found it "so cool and admirable," and she also recounted a point in her life that she started believing in herself above all else.
"Actors have to act as other people. But I started having faith that no matter how unappealingly I presented myself within a role, the people who support me would still unchangingly support me," she explained.
"That made me so much freer than before," she added.
Although she was already a free-spirited person, doing the role of Dong Baek made her realize what true freedom is like.
Meanwhile, Gong Hyo Jin shared she bases her sense of style on her desire to be huggable. She wants her style to be of the highest standards. She likes the textures of her outfit that are either soft or crinkly, so when people hug her, they will feel nice.
The actress went on and said that the vibe of being huggable isn't apparent if one's clothes look uncomfortable. And most importantly, for the overall look of her style, they must be achieved with the right mix of color and texture.
KBS2's "When The Camellia Blooms" had to total of 40 episodes and was broadcasted from September 18 to November 21 in 2019. It can also be streamed on Netflix. The drama had two back-to-back episodes during their air time every Wednesday and Thursday at 10:00 p.m.
Cha Young Hoon directed the series, and Im Sang Choon was the screenwriter.
