Actress Hong Hwa-yeon took on her first terrestrial lead role in "Buried Hearts" and expressed her feelings about proudly securing the lead female role despite a competition rate of 100:1.
On the 12th, Hong Hwa-yeon, an actress from the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Buried Hearts," recently conducted an interview at the OSEN office located in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Hong Hwa-yeon takes on the role of Ye Eun-nam, the granddaughter of Chairman Cha Gang-cheon of Daesan Group (played by Woo Hyun), in "Buried Hearts," expressing the complex inner psychological changes with restrained emotional depth, revealing a significant presence until the end.
That day, when asked about her feelings upon the end of the show, Hong Hwa-yeon said, "This is my first time participating in a 16-episode drama. At first, I was really worried about whether I could do well during the long filming period. However, the atmosphere on set was really good, and I was able to have many new experiences as an actress while playing Eun-nam. I also got along well with the staff I worked with," and added, "I filmed without really realizing how tough it was. Eight weeks passed so quickly that I'm disappointed. I think I can look back at this work positively as it has many good memories."
Hong Hwa-yeon was selected as the female lead in "Buried Hearts" after overcoming a high competition rate of 100:1. This work was particularly meaningful as it marked her first terrestrial lead role. Given that she was cast through a fierce audition, it must have also come with pressure.
In this regard, Hong Hwa-yeon stated, "I actually learned about the competition rate of 100:1 for the first time through an article. I didn't know during the initial filming, but after the article came out, I was surprised, thinking, 'Oh, so that was the case.' Once it was made public, I was amazed at myself, and as time passed and my initial enthusiasm faded, this article served as a stimulus to refocus. I promised myself, 'I really need to concentrate and work hard.' It was a good stimulus."
When specifically asked about the audition process, she recalled, "I took the audition four times in total. Normally, it ends with a simple interview after the acting, but during some auditions, there can be in-depth conversations. "Buried Hearts" was precisely such a work."
Hong Hwa-yeon shared, "After performing a few scenes from the excerpted script, I had a deep conversation with the director. The director asked me how he felt about the work and the character Eun-nam, and I also heard his thoughts. I felt a lot of collaboration in creating the character together during the audition process. Even while filming, I was able to gradually build the character Eun-nam through such processes."
Additionally, she said, "The director explained Eun-nam's past in detail during the first reading. Eun-nam would have thought that, regardless of her own will, as a granddaughter of the family, she would not be able to marry the person she wanted from a young age. This likely allowed her to make the bold decision to betray Dong-joo and marry. I also heard details about how her father passed away and when Heo Il-do entered the house. Therefore, I didn't find any significant difficulty or challenge in early performances."
She continued, "Eun-nam is an independent and autonomous character. From a young age, she realized that her family does not support her, leading her to protect herself more firmly. I didn't see her as merely a passive character." (To be continued in Interview ②.)
[Photo] BH Entertainment
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