Hwang Jung Eum is gearing up for a role as a once pretty girl in the drama "She Was Pretty." And her role in the film "My Sister, The Pig Lady" may have helped her prepare for that character.
Between her drama roles in "Kill Me, Heal Me" with Ji Sung and Park Seo Joon and her role in "She Was Pretty" with Park Seo Joon and Choi Si Won, the singer-turned-actress appeared in a film titled "Piggy Lady."
In the romantic comedy, also known as "My Sister, The Pig Lady," Hwang plays Jae Hwa, a tough, hardworking but occasionally messy woman. Jae Hwa lives in a fishing village that has seen better times. She decides to raise pigs to support her family. It's a good plan but the pigs keep wandering away. Joon Sub, played by Lee Jong Hyuk, is the only single man left in the village. Jae Hwa and he begin to date but two other village women, played by Choi Yeo Jin and Park Jin Joo, continue compete for his attention.
The posters for the film show Hwang Jung Eum looking muddy, as if she perhaps fell in the mud while chasing some roaming pigs. But according to the Korean zodiac, the pig is not just a dirty animal; it's also one that brings luck.
The film will be released on Sept. 10. The film was screened at the 39th Montreal World Film Festival.
At the press conference for the film Hwang Jung Eum confessed that she gained some weight for the film role, but she thought her character was beautiful.
"The title just hit me. A pig has a lot of good meanings too. The title is important in that I ate a lot while filming in the countryside and gained weight."
In "She Was Pretty," the very pretty Hwang Jung Eum plays Kim Hye Jin, a woman whose family used to be wealthy. Once the family lost their money it was harder for Kim Hye Jin to hold her head up and act with confidence. It was also harder for her to look and dress her best.
In an interview with the Korean media outlet TV Report, the actress described her drama character as a woman who started out feeling as if she was the star of her own life but later felt more like an extra. But despite her second rate exterior and lack of confidence, her personality is still pleasing. She's good-hearted and positive.
Since Kim Hye Jin works as a junior editor, at least she won't be covered in mud.
"She Was Pretty" begins Sept. 16.
