Disguising yourself as a boy can be considered a rite of passage for a k-drama actress. And Jo Yoon Hee is the latest k-drama actress to have a man makeover for a drama role.
Following in the footsteps of actresses Park Shin Hye, Park Min Young. Yoon Eun Hye and Ha Ji Won, Jo Yoon Hee will dress up as a boy for her role in the upcoming historical drama "The King's Face."
"This is my first man make-over and I am excited. I think the costume fits me very well," said Jo Yoon Hee.
Her character Kim Ga Hee pretends to be a male scholar. The story takes place during the rule of Prince Gwanghae in the late 16th century. At that time girls could not study at university the way men did. Dressing up as a boy in the wrong circumstances could earn you a death sentence.
But the male makeover is not a death sentence for k-drama romance. Dressing like a boy does not mean you miss out on being in the middle of a love triangle. Kim Ga Hee manages to attract the attention of both the prince, played by Seo In Guk, and the king, played by Lee Sung Jae. This creates a dangerous love triangle in a father-son relationship that is already fraught with political tension. The prince uses a face reader to ascend the throne, and that face reader, played by Shin Sung Rok, also falls for Kim Ga Hee.
Being disguised as a boy has not ruled out romance in previous dramas. Dressing up as a boy did not stop Park Shin Hye's character from attracting the attentions of her Anjell bandmates in "You're Beautiful." Despite her disguise, the characters played by Jang Geun Suk, Lee Hongki and Jung Yong Hwa recognized her charms and fell for her. Nor did it slow down Park Min Young's character in "Sungkyunkwan Scandal." Her character also pretended to be a boy so she could study. And yet she won the affections of fellow scholars played by Park Yoochun, Song Joong Ki and Yoo Ah in.
Jo Yoon Hee recently appeared in the dramas "Scandal: A Shocking and Wrongful Incident" and "Nine: Nine Time Travels," as well as the film "The Con Artists." She won a Best Supporting Actress and Best Couple award for her performance in the 2012 drama "My Husband Got A Family."
