'Love Catcher in Bali' cast member Ahn Yoojung debuts as an actor.
On the 28th, at a cafe in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, a press conference for the short drama 'Her dazzling secret' was held, with actors Ahn Yoojung and Cha Yuhyeon attending and speaking.
'Her dazzling secret' is a 78-episode emotional romance short drama that depicts the process of a contractual relationship that began with a sham marriage developing into real love, and it will be released simultaneously through NetShort and ReelShort. In this work, actor Ahn Yoojung, who appeared on 'Love Catcher in Bali', takes on the lead role Jang Yuna and makes her first full-fledged acting challenge, and labelmate Cha Yuhyeon plays Lee Seojin, drawing attention as his first leading role in a short drama.
Coco Media produced the first Korean short drama based on the production experience and know-how it accumulated in China, and 'Her dazzling secret' borrows only the 'design' rather than Chinese-style stimulation, structuring the story to include a hooking point early in episode 1 and clearly reveal the characters' desires and conflicts.
On the day, Ahn Yoojung said of the short drama's filming period, "We filmed for eight days," adding, "I received the script a week before shooting and studied it from then on, and then rehearsed with actor Yuhyeon before filming."
Ahn Yoojung is attempting acting for the first time through 'Her dazzling secret.' He, who appeared on 'Love Catcher in Bali' and drew attention for resembling Han So-hee, said about his move into acting, "I'm embarrassed to call myself an influencer, but I heard that being an actor is a job where you can live as another person, so I wanted to try handling and expressing various emotions, and I started with that challenge in mind."
He went on to explain, "(Acting) seems to be a very different kind of charm. Rather than giving up being an influencer, I wanted to combine various things and show diverse charms, so I decided to try acting."
As the reason for choosing 'Her dazzling secret' as her debut work, Ahn Yoojung confessed, "When I read the script, the character Jang Yuna was a woman who did not rely on or lean on anyone but had her own beliefs and will. I found myself rooting for her as she overcomes things by her own strength. I wanted to play the role of Jang Yuna as a woman, so I chose it as my first work."
On how it differs from existing romances, Ahn Yoojung said, "The sham marriage theme is familiar, but unlike existing sham marriage stories, it was interesting that romance is not preassumed. Because it's a relationship formed by contract, it's a complicated connection, and I thought it would be interesting to watch the subtly changing emotions."
Cha Yuhyeon added, "I had never encountered this kind of romance material before, so it felt fresh, and I thought that might actually have the effect of arousing more curiosity as it goes on."
Ahead of the press conference, a highlight video of 'Her dazzling secret' was released, and the actors watched it themselves. When asked how it felt to see the work, Ahn Yoojung said, "It reminded me of the times we filmed, and I remembered fun moments, so it was nice. The development seemed to progress faster than I expected, so I was excited for the next episode and watched with interest. It was fun."
When asked what they focused on while preparing for the work, Cha Yuhyeon recalled, "I thought chemistry with actor Yoojung would be important, so I tried to get close in a short time. Thanks to that, I think the chemistry turned out well, and we're still close now, so it remains a good memory."
Ahn Yoojung continued, "This was my first work, and I focused on performing properly. As a lead, I tried hard not to break the flow. I also had many conversations on set to bring out reactions and emotions, and tried to take the director's direction well."
Ahn Yoojung also said, "Yuna appears strong on the outside, but I felt she has a lot of loneliness inside. She's someone who doesn't overtly express emotions but seems to express them, so I had to portray her without overdoing it, and because of the short drama format, it couldn't look bland, so finding the right balance in between was difficult."
In particular, Ahn Yoojung's wedding dress photos posted during filming of this work sparked marriage rumors. Moreover, because she is publicly dating broadcaster Yoo Byungjae, the ripple was even greater.
Asked whether she was embarrassed by the marriage rumors, Ahn Yoojung replied, "I didn't think such a story would arise when I posted it, but looking back after some time, I can see how people might think that. I didn't mention the work in the post," adding, "On the contrary, I think it was a good opportunity to show a scene from the drama again through that photo."
Regarding behind-the-scenes of the kiss and other love scenes, Cha Yuhyeon said, "We worked hard to match the same scenes with my nuna (older sister). Rather than worrying too much, the schedule was tight, so we just thought not to make mistakes and filmed," and Ahn Yoojung said, "A sense of camaraderie formed with actor Yuhyeon, so we shot the kiss scenes comfortably. Since it was my first work, I remember practicing a lot so the blocking wouldn't be confusing."
They said they had many NGs as befits their first lead roles. Ahn Yoojung said, "I made a lot of NGs in the first scene. My first shoot was the scene where I enter the banquet hall wearing a dress. That scene was also the first shoot of the work, so I was very nervous, and since my major isn't acting, the environment was unfamiliar and I felt burdened."
When asked about viewing points for 'Her dazzling secret,' Ahn Yoojung said, "If you follow the flow, I think you'll enjoy it, such as the moment Yuna sincerely changes from the contract with Seojin, and Yuna's choices." Cha Yuhyeon emphasized the chemistry with Ahn Yoojung, saying, "I just want people to watch our chemistry, and the chemistry among the other actors as well, since it's a work made with ?X?X, so please look at the chemistry within it."
Finally, when asked what they hope for through this work, the two said, "I just hope to receive feedback, good or bad," and "I think any story becomes flesh and blood for me, so I'm grateful for any descriptor and will work hard going forward."
Meanwhile, the short drama 'Her dazzling secret' will premiere today (the 28th) at 5 p.m.
[Photo] Provided by Coco Media
[OSEN]