The stewardess Hye-jung from 'The Glory' has been completely erased. Actress Cha Joo-young (34) has successfully completed her first historical drama, first lead role, and first title role in 'Wongyeong'.
The tvN and Tving original drama 'Wongyeong' centers around Queen Wongyeong (played by Cha Joo-young), who seized power alongside her husband King Taejong Lee Bang-won (played by Lee Hyun-wook), depicting the intense stories hidden between the king and queen, husband and wife. It concluded on the 11th with a nationwide average rating of 6.6% (according to Nielsen Korea) and high topicality.
In an interview held at a cafe in Gangnam, Seoul on the 13th, Cha Joo-young expressed her feelings about the conclusion, saying, "I couldn't feel that it was over, and I'm nervous. I think I'll understand it better with time. Just talking about it feels burdensome. There are many things that are not organized, so I have various thoughts about expressing my feelings."
Cha Joo-young, from the Yeongheung Min clan, one of the 15 prominent families of Goryeo, portrayed Queen Wongyeong, the mother of King Sejong, who made her husband Lee Bang-won the third king of Joseon. It was her first historical drama and first title role.
Cha Joo-young admitted, "Since it was my first title role and first lead in a historical drama, the pressure was immense," adding, "I couldn't relieve it. I often wanted to run away on set. It was difficult to be shameless. I felt that if I showed a weak side, this work would lose its way. I tried to endure by casting a spell that what I was doing was the answer."
Regarding portraying a real historical figure, she said, "Acting was very difficult. Compared to King Taejong Lee Bang-won and King Taejo Lee Seong-gye, there are not many historical records about Queen Wongyeong. I had to create the empty parts and fill them with my feelings through my performance. History sometimes felt unkind. I didn't ignore references, but I felt that my attempts might be limited, so I tried to express based on my emotions."
She continued, "I studied by watching works that dealt with King Taejong Lee Bang-won. I also watched works of those who played Queen Wongyeong, including senior Choi Myung-gil, for reference. I looked at how others, like Jeon In-hwa, portrayed the queen. I wanted to create my own character, so I only used them as references."
'Wongyeong' is a historical drama based on facts, so it is not free from the issue of historical distortion. The production team explained through the logline that they "creatively interpreted the narrative of this couple, known as political partners, from Wongyeong's perspective," but ultimately faced criticism for historical distortion.
Cha Joo-young said, "Since it's historical, I couldn't help but pay attention to creating each scene. I think there were definitely viewers who felt uncomfortable watching. I tried to act sincerely so that it wouldn't be a burden. That's why it was difficult. I couldn't make excuses or reasons, so there were frustrating and regrettable parts."
'Wongyeong' also faced controversy over its R-rated direction and exposure demands. Regarding the level of exposure, the actress's agency cautiously requested edits of the scenes before airing, but it was claimed that they were not accepted due to being deemed necessary. It was reported that scenes filmed by a fully exposed body double were re-edited with CGI, leading to criticism that it reduced the female body to mere spectacle.
In response, Cha Joo-young stated, "I tend to be bold. As an actress, I have no hesitation. However, I was cautious about attempting it with well-known figures. A lot of consensus was needed." She added, "There might have been people who thought, 'Do we really need this?', but the focus was on 'the love story of the Joseon royal couple.' So, some might have said, 'That was a good attempt,' while others might have thought, 'Was it really necessary?' There were many misunderstandings and various issues, but ultimately, we did our best and made efforts to the end."
Cha Joo-young debuted in 2016 with the tvN drama 'Cheese in the Trap' and has now become a 10-year veteran actress. What kind of work will 'Wongyeong', her first main lead role in her 10th year, remain as for her?
“It’s a truly meaningful work. A lot has happened, so I don’t know how it will be made, but it’s a work that evokes a sense of affection and pity. During filming, I felt like I couldn’t let it go. Now, I feel like I’m starting to understand what acting is, but since I dealt with someone’s entire life, I felt exhausted by the end. I wonder what kind of acting I can do in the future. Whether it was my best or not, I feel like I poured out everything I could. So, I’ve been thinking about whether I can put this much energy into my next project, but in the meantime, I’ve filmed a new project. It seems inevitable. Even if I think I can’t pour all my energy into it, if I see something interesting, I’ll try it again.”
[Shin Young-eun, Star Today Reporter]
