Actor Son Ye-jin returns to a historical drama for the first time in 24 years.
On the morning of the 9th, at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, a production press conference was held for Netflix's new series "Scandal." Director Jung Ji-woo attended the press conference along with Son Ye-jin, Ji Changwook and Nana to talk.
"Scandal" tells the story of Lady Jo (played by Son Ye-jin), a woman whose talents are too great to be confined to life as a woman in the Joseon era, and Jo Won (played by Ji Changwook), Joseon's greatest ladykiller, and the audacious and dangerous love wager they engage in, and the story of a woman, Hee-yeon (played by Nana), who becomes entangled in that wager.
Son Ye-jin plays the role of Lady Jo, an exceptional talent who has lived without a name because she is a woman; she upends the status quo by proposing a secret wager to Jo Won, her childhood pen pal and cousin.
In particular, Son Ye-jin appears in the historical drama genre for the first time in 24 years with this work. She said she took the role in "Scandal" because "I really wanted to work with director Jung Ji-woo. When I heard about the remake of 'Scandal' and the role of Lady Jo was offered, I remembered watching the film and was curious about how the story would be told as a series."
She added, "I think Lady Jo's charm stood out in the script. I feel I have reached the age where I can express that kind of emotion. The fact that it is set in the Joseon era with human desire as the backdrop, and the fact that I'm doing a historical drama after a long time, were the reasons I chose it."
Director Jung Ji-woo also praised Son Ye-jin's casting as Lady Jo, saying, "It is more accurate to say she was chosen rather than I chose her. My greatest desire was to work with actor Son Ye-jin on Lady Jo."
He added, "She is a very remarkable person; she can carry the whole story on her shoulders, make the character believable and take responsibility for the entire drama. To me that power is like a superhero. She is an actor who made me feel, 'How can someone do that?' and I felt we had to work together."
Meanwhile, Netflix's "Scandal" will be released on Sept. 18.
[Photo] Reporter Choi Gyu-han
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