Actor Uhm Jung-hwa is driving the rising popularity of My Troublesome Star with an astonishing performance that closes the gap of years.
Uhm Jung-hwa plays Bong Cheong-ja (= Im Se-ra) in the Genie TV original drama My Troublesome Star, currently airing, portraying a middle-aged woman in her 50s, Bong Cheong-ja, whose memory is frozen in the 20s top star Im Se-ra after suddenly losing 25 years of memories, and she perfectly brings the character to life, earning praise from viewers.
In the drama, Bong Cheong-ja, confronted with a life completely different from her days as top star Im Se-ra, unfolds denial of reality and an adaptation process, and stages a colorful comeback show to return to the entertainment industry. In this process, Uhm Jung-hwa portrays a complex character — outwardly the 50-something Bong Cheong-ja, but inwardly possessing the identity of 20-something Im Se-ra — with meticulous acting from facial expressions to eyes and speech, highlighting the transparent and pure aspects of a character who has crossed 25 years in an even more appealing way.
To especially bring realism to Bong Cheong-ja, who has been hit hard by the passage of time, she tried various changes including weight gain, permed hair, and facial flushing makeup, striving to increase the character's synchronicity.
She added authenticity by devoting herself not only to visual aspects but also to detailed inner acting through delicate character interpretation. Uhm Jung-hwa said, "Bong Cheong-ja looks like she is in her 50s on the outside, but inside she is stuck in her 20s. Expressing that gap was not easy," and added, "If handled poorly, people might say, 'Isn't she pretending to be too young?' so when acting I tried to focus on the 'emotional line of the 20s lived as Im Se-ra,'" explaining her efforts to fully immerse herself in the character.
She also took part in the My Troublesome Star OST, showing deep affection for the work. The My Troublesome Star OST Part.2 'Again,' released on the 26th of last month, was sung by Uhm Jung-hwa herself, and she also participated in writing lyrics that contain the character's narrative, adding meaning.
Uhm Jung-hwa's activities spread by word of mouth and led to strong viewer responses. The sixth episode of My Troublesome Star, broadcast on the 2nd, recorded its highest ratings of 3.8% nationwide and 3.4% in the Seoul metropolitan area, ranking first in overall cable ratings nationwide and achieving the same figure as this year's highest ratings for ENA Monday-Tuesday dramas.
Such passionate and sincere unified character acting by Uhm Jung-hwa raises the drama's immersion with each episode, drawing viewers in ever more. Meeting viewers' expectations and once again proving her class as an 'anbang queen,' anticipation grows for the narrative of Bong Cheong-ja that Uhm Jung-hwa will portray.
Meanwhile, My Troublesome Star, whose fun is enhanced by Uhm Jung-hwa's passionate acting, airs every Monday and Tuesday at 10 p.m. on ENA. It is exclusively released as free VOD on KT Genie TV immediately after the broadcast, and the OTT is available on TVING.
[Photo] OSEN DB, KT Studio Genie
[OSEN]