SBS "Jang Ok Jung, Lives for Love" It will be a challenge for Kim Tae Hee and fate for Jong Soo Hyun.
Two respected actresses appeared in the room wearing two beautiful traditional Hanbok dresses. The room instantly lit up. They were dressed for the first scene of the new upcoming drama, "Jang Ok Jung, Lives for Love" by SBS.
They had only filmed one scene but their expressions had changed. "Jang Ok Jung, Lives for Love" is Kim Tae Hee's first attempt at a historical drama. She commented, "I had to wake up at 3:30 in the morning today but I couldn't sleep at all because of the pressure." On the contrary, Hong Soo Hyun, who has multiple experiences working on historical dramas, expressed, "I'm nervous but we filmed the first scene in a good atmosphere" and seemed very composed.
On March 11, the two actresses expressed their thoughts at the press release of "Jang Ok Jung, Lives for Love" at the SBS Il San Production Center located in Il San.
** Kim Tae Hee's New Challenge "The Climax of My Career has Not Yet Come"
"Personally, historical dramas are not my favorite so I've never watched any historical dramas until the end. Historical dramas are very new to me. I've received casting requests in the past but I couldn't understand anything in the script and there were so many terms I didn't know. I thought I wasn't ready for a historical drama so I just gave up without even trying. This time however, I can read through the whole script very easily. I thought this was an historical drama that I could challenge."
After debuting through a TV commercial back in 2000, it is the first time in 13 years. Although Kim Tae Hee appeared in the historical-fantasy movie "Joongcheon" in 2006, it is her first time being featured in a classic historical drama. After deciding to work on "Jang Ok Jung, Lives for Love", Kim Tae Hee reported that she has watched various historical dramas to get familiar with the speech and body language. As big as her role is, she is feeling just as much pressure on her shoulders.
Jang Ok Jung (Jang Hee Bin) is an actual person who exists in the Korean history and Kim Tae Hee will be the 9th actress to portray this character after various respected actresses. Kim Tae Hee stated, "I read the original book and was able to find out about the side of Jang Ok Jung who truly loved one man. Even in the hardships that come her way as a result of her status in society, she doesn't lose hope or her passion. He pursues her dream of becoming a designer and meets Lee Soon (Yoo Ah In) out of fate and falls in love. She is willing to put her life on the line in order to protect their love."
"I feel so much pressure because many actresses before me were all so impressive in their role as Jang Ok Jung. If I had to portray the same side of Jang Ok Jung as they have, I wouldn't have been able to challenge this role. The side of Jang Ok Jung that is portrayed in this drama will be featured as a woman who is treated differently because of her identity. Regardless of the scars she receives throughout her life, she becomes stronger and more mature instead of developing a negative outlook of life. If I can portray another side of her that nobody has seen before, wouldn't I be able to avoid being compared?"
As Kim Ta Hee described, Jang Ok Jung has always been portrayed as an infamous villain. She may be described as an alpha-girl from the 17th century. Also, she created clothes for the royal family because of her unique talent. This characteristic is similar to Kim Tae Hee, who majored in clothing design in college. Regarding this similarity, Kim Tae Hee stated, "I was familiar with all the needle work and sketching."
Lastly, she added, "Honestly, I am not a young actress and at this point I should have had a climax of my acting career but I don't think I've had that yet. I think this is why this role is such a big pressure on me. I am very determined. It will be a project that I can approach differently. I still want to grow and make progress."
** Hong Soo Hyun's Fate "For Some Reason, I Had a Feeling I Would Play Queen In Hyun One Day"
Unlike Kim Tae Hee, the role of Queen In Hyun was like fate to Hong Soo Hyun. She stated, "For some reason, I had a feeling I would play queen In Hyun one day. Something about her character was very familiar. Without any specific reason, I just had that feeling. So when the casting request came in, I gladly accepted without hesitating."
Previously, Hong Soo Hyun appeared in the KBS drama "The Princess's Man" in 2011 as Princess Kyung Hae and left a lasting impression. She was successful in portraying the role of Princess Kyung Hae with detailed acting and gained more respect in the industry.
Queen In Hyun will be very different from Princess Kyung Hye. Queen In Hyun will be portrayed as a strong character who becomes seriously jealous of Jang Ok Jung who becomes the center of Lee Soon's love.
Hong Soo Hyun stated, "I believe that the Queen In Hyun was very weak but strong at the same time. Queen In Hyun seems very strong on the inside but is associated with a very soft image on the outside. Princess Kyung Hye was a character who seemed very strong on the outside but really weak on the inside. That is the biggest difference between the two characters."
Hong Soo Hyun added, "Queen In Hyun becomes queen because of her family background, not for love. I personally wouldn't make the same decision for success."
Hong Soo Hyun continued, "The Queen In Hyun in this drama is very different from the past roles that portrayed her so I was actually very worried. I was even thinking about it last night so I didn't get much sleep. I always worry about this when I film a historical drama. I feel more pressure because they are actual historical figures. I am confident but I will have to work hard and think a lot about Queen In Hyun in order to provide the viewers a new side of her."
