Actor Yoon Seo-a has received the most attention since her debut through the tvN drama Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, marking a new turning point in her career. It was the first project she took on after experiencing personally difficult incidents, and she left an impression on viewers by perfectly portraying the seemingly fated role Seogil-geum, to which she was urgently cast just 3–4 days before filming.
▲ Kim Yoo-jung watching inspired her dream of becoming an actor, built through "Boni Hani" and a solid acting foundation
Yoon Seo-a said she has nurtured her dream of becoming an actor since she was 5 years old. In fifth grade she watched the drama "The Moon Embracing the Sun" and set the goal of becoming "an actor who conveys deep emotion" after seeing Kim Yoo-jung.
Her experience at an acting academy, started under her mother's educational intentions, led Yoon Seo-a to work as a child model and to serve as an MC on programs such as "Boni Hani" and "Dream Junior." Yoon Seo-a recalled that all of these experiences greatly helped lay the foundation for her acting, saying, "It was a useful time because it was a program aimed at achievement and education, and it helped my self-esteem a lot." Yoon Seo-a quietly pursued the path of an actor, realizing she is happiest when acting rather than seeking glamour.
▲ Met 'Gilgeum' amid personal crisis…"cast three days before, a new opportunity in the crisis"
Joining Bon Appetit, Your Majesty was dramatic for Yoon Seo-a as well. She said she received contact about the project after going through a series of personally difficult incidents and confessed, "It became an opportunity that brought great strength and vitality to my family."
Amazingly, Yoon Seo-a was cast as Seogil-geum, the protagonist's closest aide, just 3–4 days before filming. Though time was tight, Yoon Seo-a said she was motivated by the idea that if a crisis comes she would somehow get through it, and saw it as a new opportunity and challenge. For Seogil-geum, who speaks the Jeolla dialect, she sent an SOS to actor Hong Jin-gi, with whom she had worked previously, and showed dedication by visiting the market in Yeosu where her grandmother lives to learn the intonation. She also practiced knife skills at a cooking academy to assist the palace chef, doing her best to absorb as much as possible in a short time.
▲ "Perfect woomance" with Im Yoon-a was a turning point…a "filial work" dedicated to her family
Through Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, Yoon Seo-a achieved her greatest success by completing a "dazzling woomance" chemistry with Im Yoon-a. A fan of Im Yoon-a since the Girls' Generation days, Yoon Seo-a praised Im Yoon-a as being like "The Giving Tree," fitting her nickname "Yungprodite." From the first shoot, director Jang Tae-yu told them, "Your chemistry is so good it doesn't feel like your first time acting together," and afterward they became the kind of partners who could coordinate with just a look.
Yoon Seo-a also analyzed her supporting role to the protagonist, saying, "A slightly raspy voice can be a good weapon as a supporter," and said she worked to maximize the role of saying what the protagonist wanted to say.
With the drama's success, Yoon Seo-a said her home felt like "a festival atmosphere" thanks to her parents sending screenshots of the ratings, bringing her to tears. In this way, Bon Appetit, Your Majesty became a clear turning point in Yoon Seo-a's acting life.
▲ "An actor who makes people remember history"…big dreams of speaking out in society
Yoon Seo-a expressed firm convictions about her ultimate dream as an actor. She emphasized historical awareness. Saying she likes the phrase, "A nation that forgets its history has no future," Yoon Seo-a said, "I want to put my breath into works that are meaningful in historical and social aspects," expressing her aspiration to become an actor who can spark people's hearts. Along with ambitions for youth-oriented projects, her sincere wish to lend her voice to works that deliver messages that make the world warmer makes her future moves more anticipated.
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