Oh my secret to it…what should I do.
I am so embarrassed now.
Please don’t miss it.
It was your first time playing the role of crown prince. How was it?
I have done many historical dramas,
but it was my first time playing a woman in man’s disguise.
I don’t think I will ever get to play a crown prince or a king in the future.
I had fresh new experiences every day.
What was the hardest part playing Lee Hwi in ?
In the situation that everybody can suspect that the prince
may be a woman from the looks of his appearance.
He had to excel in everything to remove everybody’s doubt,
and to make them think like ‘He can’t be a woman’.
So she had to excel in both literary and martial arts.
It would have been easier if I knew how to do those things
Like riding horses or fencing.
So it was physically very tough.
Because we started filming in a very hot summer,
breaking through the hot summer.
And I tried to manage my physical strength
Since it got harder for me as the story became more tragic towards the end.
But I want to compliment myself for finishing the shooting without any troubles.
If you could pick the best scene from , what would it be?
In the scene where she talks with her father King Hyejong for the last time when she got dethroned,
It was very sad to me when she said “I have never had my own life”.
I thought that line encompasses Hwi’s past, present and unknown future,
And represents the character’s identity,
so it was very sad.
Out of all the characters you played, who has the most similar personality with you in real life?
I have never played a role of myself.
I am not sure because it’s also me playing the characters.
So I think I am showing a part of me playing each characters, without knowing it.
And some part of me changes as I get influenced by the characters.
So I am somewhere in between.
That’s why I think it is a very difficult for me
to say that a certain character resembles me the most.
What was the most extreme thing you ever tried to play a character?
What would there be?
Personally I think every actors do their best for their characters
and it goes same for me too.
So I don’t think I have done anything that huge to say ‘I even tried this’
Let me come back to you again.
What’s your criteria when choosing a project to work on?
I tend to keep thinking about what it wants to tell.
It’s usually indicated in the synopsis and
I think it shows the message the show wants to deliver.
So I put a lot of importance on those frameworks.
And there are projects which I feel that it can be very meaningful to me.
I think I choose projects that knocks my heart.
Have you ever thought about playing a villain as well?
I played some characters who are slightly like villains,
but these days people think of me as very righteous person…
But villains are also humans,
so I want to try many different characters.
It has been already 26 years since you started your career. What’s your secret to have such a long run?
I think patience and responsibility made me be where I am today.
What does ‘acting’ mean to you?
I think it has been my own way of communication
that has helped me express myself.
So I am very grateful that I am able to do this right now.
How do you express your emotions through your eyes so well? Please show it to us like you did from the show.
Oh my secret to it…what should I do.
I am so embarrassed now.
(pulling herself together)
Please don’t miss it.
Do you still have your sparkly wheeled bag?
Yes I have them in various sizes.
I already had several other bags like that
when I showed you the bag in the video.
They were all my personal purchases,
and then thankfully the brand of the bag sent me
more bags after seeing that video.
As I had so many things to carry when we were shooting the series,
I have been using each of them very well.
Everybody wants it when they see it.
How do you keep your energy up?
Actually I have not been able to keep my energy up.
Frankly I have no energy now.
I usually lie down in bed whenever I have free time. It’s very relaxing.
What’s your favorite flower?
I like all kinds of flowers,
and I think I like the ones that smell good.
I get flowers a lot as a gift,
and I found out that roses last longer than other kinds.
I love flowers that last longer and smell nice.
Do you still like instant noodles?
I wonder how they made it to taste so good.
I thought I would get sick of it if I have them too much,
but I don’t think I am getting tired of it.
I don’t eat them as often as I used to,
but whenever I eat them, I think it as a reward for myself.
Isn’t it so delicious…?
Have you not tried chicken feet yet?
Yes I have not tried them.
Since I don’t drink alcohol,
It’s not easy to eat them sober,
and I cannot stop thinking about how they look like,
so I don’t think I can try them.
What’s the food you fall in love with?
Should I have to be that extreme?
I would just like to enjoy it.
“However what is there to do? We should make it work!” Like your saying, how do you get yourself motivated?
Sometimes there are too many thoughts in my head
but then I think ‘what is there to do, I should do what I can do,
I should make it work’, and it brings out some kind of energy inside me.
That’s how I get motivated.
If you could go on a travel, where would you want to go?
These days I really want to just rest,
so what’s coming to my mind is
I just want to sit by the sea and
listen to the sound of the waves.
This is what I felt when I was shooting the final episode of .
Because Hwi really wanted to go to the sea.
Until then I didn’t think much about the sea or mountain.
Just the sea…sparkling
There is a lake sparkling in front of me.
I think it can be very relaxing to see the water
without thinking anything else.
I don’t wish for anything big,
I just want to spend some quiet time.
Were you happy in 2021?
Yes I have been working without rest this year.
After shooting the movie early this year,
and I went straight into .
And I will also start to work on the next project right away,
so I think I have been very busy.
I am happy that I feel like I lived every second of my life.
We finished shooting the January issue of .
Have you enjoyed this video?
I am not sure if I answered all your questions properly.
Please send your love for until the end.
I enjoyed shooting with .
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