Actress Lee Idam (real name Baek Hye-won, 28) made her presence known to the public through '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. The show concluded on the 11th, recording a nationwide average viewership rating of 6.6% (according to Nielsen Korea) and high popularity.
In an interview held on the 14th at a cafe in Gangnam, Seoul, Lee Idam expressed her thoughts on the conclusion, saying, "I watched it while keeping up with the broadcast. I felt good to be part of such an interesting drama. I was honored to work with the seniors whose performances in many scenes I couldn't participate in were so good. I felt a lot of love, and my parents also enjoyed it very much, so I think it was meaningful just to be part of it. I felt that while watching the broadcast."
Lee Idam played Chae-ryeong, who transitions from being a court lady to a concubine. Selected for 'Wongyeong' through auditions, Lee Idam said, "When I read the script, I felt that I could show various aspects as the character Chae-ryeong. She starts as a simple court lady, then becomes a lady-in-waiting, and later plots to protect herself after receiving royal favor. I think she is a character anyone would envy," adding, "I haven't heard why I was cast, but I think the director might have thought I had similar eyes to Chae-ryeong while getting to know me as an actress."
Lee Idam stated, "Preparing for the character was very difficult. I had a lot of thoughts on how to clearly show Chae-ryeong's emotional changes as her position changes. I was drawn to that aspect and wanted to do it, but it was also challenging. I think Chae-ryeong has different objectives in each scene. I wanted to be faithful to the script."
What was the chemistry like with Cha Joo-young, who plays Wongyeong and is from the same agency? Lee Idam said, "I had a desire to rely on her internally. Not as Chae-ryeong, but as a fellow actress. There were hints thrown by the seniors, and I received a lot of help from that," adding, "When we filmed together later, emotions naturally came up. I was grateful to my senior and realized that there are things to gain from this experience."
'Wongyeong' was also embroiled in controversy over its 19+ direction and exposure demands. Regarding the level of exposure, the actress's agency cautiously requested edits of the relevant scenes before the broadcast, but it was claimed that it was not accepted due to the necessity of the scenes. It was reported that scenes filmed by a fully exposed body double were re-edited with CGI, facing criticism for reducing women's bodies to mere spectacle.
Lee Idam admitted, "There was 100% pressure. It was a challenge I hadn't tried before. I just want to say that I received a lot of help and that it was well-directed. The scene was created through many discussions," adding, "While the focus was on exposure, I wasn't worried because there were many episodes to be broadcast afterward. I had faith that it would blend in well and pass by."
Lee Idam, who debuted in the 2017 film 'Two Lights: Relumino', proved her potential with 'Wongyeong'. What kind of work will 'Wongyeong' remain for Lee Idam?
She said, "I learned a lot. There were many challenging moments acting during filming, and I felt loneliness as a character, but I also had a lot of fun. I experienced various emotions, but since it's a historical drama, it was more difficult than other works. The costumes and preparation process required a lot of adaptation time. Experiencing a historical drama felt like a study for me. I feel like I'm gaining depth. Just saying thank you is not enough."
Lee Idam will return to the public in the second half of this year through the Netflix original series 'Is This Love Translatable?', written by the Hong Sisters. He said, "It's a really bright character that I've never played before. It's a character with leadership and a confident personality that matches my age. I think I can show a completely different side, so I'm looking forward to it."
Finally, Lee Idam stated, "I want to be someone who excels at her main job. I think I would have thought that someone who excels at their job, regardless of the profession, is cool," adding, "All the seniors who appear in the current work are my role models. There are times when I can feel emotions just by looking into the eyes of truly skilled senior actors, even without them saying anything. I felt that both as a viewer and when I acted. I want to become that kind of actor. I want to reach that point."
[Shin Young-eun, Star Today Reporter]
