Actress Go Ara (35) successfully returned to her work activities after 5 years with 'Chunhwa Love Story'.
The Tving original series 'Chunhwa Love Story' (written by Seo Eun-jung, directed by Lee Kwang-young) is a romantic youth historical drama that unfolds as Princess Hwa-ri (played by Go Ara), who failed in her first love, declares her intention to find a husband herself, getting entangled with the capital's top playboy Hwan (played by Jang Ryul) and the number one groom candidate Jang-won (played by Kang Chan-hee). It consists of a total of 10 episodes and has been released twice a week since February 6.
On the 28th, Go Ara met at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and said, "It's been a while, but every time I do a project, it's natural to have a lot of affection for my work. I think of the set as well. Since it's my first time with OTT, I feel like I need to monitor it calmly, so I'm making sure to catch the live broadcast."
Go Ara plays the role of Princess Hwa-ri, depicting her independent journey as a royal princess. After resuming her work activities after 5 years, Go Ara said, "I've been acting for a long time, and I have a bit of a job-related habit. Even if I don't have a project lined up, I live in a way that helps my acting life. Although it's been a while since my return, I was always mentally prepared, so I hope the viewers will welcome me warmly, and since it's been a long time, I hope they will watch it more."
Originally, the role of Princess Hwa-ri was being filmed by actress Go Ah-sung, but she had to drop out due to an injury, and Go Ara was hastily brought in as a replacement.
Go Ara said, "I received the script very urgently. I was abroad when I first got the script, and I later learned about Go Ah-sung's injury through an article. It seemed like she couldn't move at all, and the situation didn't look good. Since we had to start filming quickly, everything happened in a whirlwind within 1-2 weeks. She was a fellow actress from the same agency, and we would call each other, so I felt very sorry for her. Since it was a good script, I thought it would be a shame not to do it, and I was already prepared to jump in urgently, so I joined with the hope that this project would do well for Go Ah-sung."
'Chunhwa Love Story' is rated 19+, featuring many high-level scenes, similar to other recent original series presented by Tving, such as 'Queen Woo' and 'Won-gyeong'.
Regarding this, Go Ara said, "Those who have seen it will know, but since the title is based on the material 'Chunhwa', there were age restrictions, but the material was secondary. I wanted to convey a love story through the romance collection. I wanted to show that even though we wore hanbok, it was no different from a love story."
Go Ara took on her first princess role through 'Chunhwa Love Story'. Having debuted in the entertainment industry at the age of 14, she expressed that she empathized with the life of a princess trapped in a palace more than anyone else.
Go Ara said, "This is my first time playing a princess role. They made me look very beautiful. They prepared beautiful accessories, and the fabric of the clothes was silk with various colors. I enjoyed filming while thinking, 'Isn't there a Korean princess Anna among Disney princesses?'" She added, "Hwa-ri lived trapped in the palace, but since I have been active in the entertainment industry since I was 14, there were many restrictions on what I could do. I found so many things to relate to when comparing Hwa-ri to my childhood."
How was the chemistry with Jang Ryul, who played the romantic partner? Go Ara said, "I received a lot of help from Jang Ryul. He approached me comfortably from the first shoot. He took the initiative to talk a lot about the project. He showed a caring and protective side on set, which was an honor. I fell for his charm while watching him act."
'Chunhwa Love Story' is one week away from its conclusion. Go Ara said, "I want to do meaningful work, and I feel like I've met a team that can last a long time, so I think it will remain a meaningful project. I have no regrets because I did my best in this role. My mindset is to prepare for what I can do in the next project. I want to prepare well for the role I will take on in my next work."
[Shin Young-eun, Star Today Reporter]
