Actor Park Shinhye has embarked on a new challenge that alternates between age 35 and age 20.
On the afternoon of the 12th at The L.I.N.C Hotel in Sindorim, Guro-gu, Seoul, a press conference was held for tvN's new Saturday-Sunday drama Undercover Miss Hong, attended by director Park Sun-ho, actors Park Shinhye, Ha Yoon-Kyung, Cho Han-gyeol and others to discuss the work.
tvN's new Saturday-Sunday drama Undercover Miss Hong (directed by Park Sun-ho / written by Moon Hyun-kyung / planned by Studio Dragon / produced by Celltrion Entertainment, Studio Dragon) is a retro office comedy drama set at the end of the 1990s about 30-something elite securities regulator Hong Geum-bo (played by Park Shinhye), who disguises herself as a 20-year-old entry-level employee and is hired at a securities firm where suspicious funds have been detected, triggering a series of chaotic events.
Undercover Miss Hong is drawing expectations as the meeting of the undisputed box-office queen Park Shinhye and tvN, and a strong lineup including Ko Kyung-pyo, Ha Yoon-Kyung and Cho Han-gyeol promises near-perfect synergy. Director Park Sun-ho, who directed Greasy Melo, Business Proposal and Suspicious Partner, has joined the project to deliver a fresh take as a fin-de-siècle office comedy drama.
Hong Geum-bo, played by Park Shinhye, is a character who was an ace at the Financial Supervisory Service and even goes so far as to disguise herself as an entry-level employee.
Park Shinhye explained why she chose this project: I think I keep looking for that bittersweet mix. After The Judge from Hell, I wondered what kind of character I could enjoy portraying, and among many scripts the Hong Geum-bo character—described as a fierce friend called the Yeouido witch who infiltrates as a 20-year-old high school graduate entry-level female employee—felt interesting. As I read the script, I thought the situations and synergies that arise from meeting various characters would be good, so I decided to participate.
On why the character's name is Hong Geum-bo, director Park Sun-ho said: As someone who lived through that era, I have nostalgia and fondness as a fan for Hong Kong films of that time, and when I saw the character's name was Hong Geum-bo in the script it really stood out. When I talked with the writer, there were fixed images and gender roles regarding stereotypical femininity, but because this is a story about a progressive female character who boldly subverts that, the Hong Geum-bo character—who embodied a cool, righteous figure of the era while maintaining comedy—fit well. I told the writer I thought they named her very well. I was glad Park Shinhye expressed the details well.
On preparing for the character, Park Shinhye said: Although I was young, I had grown up in environments I didn't have to research, so it wasn't difficult. I think what I had felt is reflected intact. Korea's social atmosphere itself was patriarchal and male-centered, wasn't it. It was something you could feel not only at companies but also at home and school. The discomforts that lived in a corner of me, the feelings I received, could naturally be melted into the role. Although I was young, it was a period that remains very vivid in my memory. I participated with a sense of nostalgia while filming.
Ha Yoon-Kyung, who plays Go Bok-hee, the dedicated personal secretary to the head of Hanmin Securities' executive office, described her character: When I heard that my favorite actor Park Shinhye would be the lead, I immediately said I would do it. Go Bok-hee is a friend with a wide spectrum and charm. I wanted to portray her, so I joined. We chose not to authenticate Seoul dialect. For social life as a secretary, I still created a slightly distinctive speech pattern. Regardless of the era. Bok-hee has her own way of speaking and walking when wearing that social mask and dealing with her boss, she said.
Park Shinhye did not spare praise, saying, I was so impressed that even the makeup and eyebrow shapes perfectly captured the tones of that era to the point I felt I should reflect on myself.
Cho Han-gyeol plays Albet O, a cinephile and the chairman of Hanmin Securities' grandson who lands in Yeouido on a golden parachute. He said, I always wanted to do a period piece once, and the script was so fun that I chose it. Albet is a loafer-like character but thoughtful and ambitious. I think my sync with him is about half and half. For the wardrobe I referred to interviews and footage of the orange tribe from that time and watched a lot of films.
When asked about the difference of Undercover Miss Hong from Typhoon Family, which was also set in the 1990s and drew attention, director Park said, What my production company and writer and I talked about was that the most important thing is the characters' arcs, relationships, the solidarity they can form, and focusing on storytelling. Within the framework of comedy, please focus on how each character's story will change in unpredictable ways.
He added, Actually the 1990s are not that different from the 2000s. We were careful not to make it feel like the 1980s, and because a securities firm is the setting, equipment like the point devices used by securities firms also appears.
The actors all agreed their chemistry was good. Ha Yoon-Kyung said, I think it's a love line with Geum-bo. We spent a lot of time together and our chemistry was so good I wondered if it was allowed to match this well. By the end of filming I wondered how I would act without my sister; our give-and-take was great and we clicked. Cho Han-gyeol said, The chemistry was undoubtedly the best. I was happy to meet the two actors. I learned many things you can't buy with money.
Park Shinhye said of the project, This was a work in which I let go a lot. It was a set where I relaxed and used my body and heart freely. I started working at 14, and in my 20s I kept moving forward without looking back. But in my 30s, as the number of my works accumulated, I formed a family and grew year by year, I began to learn and recognize emotions I hadn't felt before as I aged. As a result the range of emotions I can express broadened. In my 20s I didn't have the chance to experience and express those emotions, but now, perhaps because I'm as old as 35-year-old Hong Geum-bo, the lines make sense and acting follows. So Miss Hong was perhaps more comfortable for me to play. I think as I grow older year by year and meet more people, the emotions I learn and feel will continue to help my acting and its expression.
I want to hear people say you've become a lot more comfortable. She's a character with many comic elements and many changes, so I want to be praised for expressing the character differently and well, and for being 35 yet able to radiate the tomboyish energy of a 20-year-old.
Earlier, Typhoon Family ended after surpassing a 10% viewership rating, and when asked about ratings Park Shinhye said, We would be grateful if it does well, but even if it doesn't we won't worry. I firmly believe many people will love it.
When asked whether they want to beat Typhoon Family, she replied, I don't want to compare someone's effort. Because it was an earlier work, I want to follow it. I want to take away good energy.
Meanwhile, Undercover Miss Hong premieres on the 17th at 9:10 p.m.
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