Actress Jo Bo-ah (34) expressed her feelings about appearing in the melodrama historical drama 'Tangeum'.
The Netflix series 'Tangeum', based on the novel of the same name, tells the story of Hong-rang, the son of Joseon's largest merchant, who returns after 12 years with no memory, while his half-sister Jae-i doubts his true identity, depicting the mysterious and budding emotions between them.
Director Kim Hong-sun, known for the Netflix series 'Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area', the occult drama 'The Guest', and the fresh setting of 'Voice', collaborated with writer Kim Jin-ah from Apple TV+'s thriller 'Dr. Brain'.
Lee Jae-wook plays Hong-rang, the son of the merchant who returns after 12 years, Jo Bo-ah plays his sister Jae-i, who suspects Hong-rang is a fake, and Jung Ga-ram plays the adopted son Mu-jin of the Min merchant group. Um Ji-won plays Min Yeon-i, the mistress of the Min merchant group, and Park Byung-eun plays the head of the Min merchant group, Shim Yeol-guk.
When asked about her public feelings, Jo Bo-ah said, "Since it was released last week, perhaps because of the weather, many people have watched it and contacted me, so I feel a bit of reality. We filmed quite a while ago, and it took time until the release, so the character 'Tangeum' has settled in my heart. So it didn't feel real. We finished filming around May last year. Since the ending is tragic, many viewers have watched it with deep emotions. Some said they were sad, and others said they cried together or that Lee Jae-wook was cool."
Having read the original novel, she said, "I tried to express that Jae-i lives with longing for her brother and the determination to find him. She is a softer character than in the original. Since many characters appear, I think Jae-i shows a bit more diverse aspects depending on the relationships. I did my best at that time, but when I see the results, I feel regret about how I could have expressed it differently. The director enriched the work, so I enjoyed watching it as a viewer."
Jo Bo-ah also mentioned, "I had to deeply convey Jae-i's emotions, and while it might seem passive, I think I led each incident with determination. I approached it emotionally rather than portraying Jae-i as a strong and independent character. I tried to understand the sadness she carries, having lost her brother Hong-rang, whom she thought was her only family, and her difficult emotions afterward."
She added, "I immersed myself in the mindset of wanting to find my brother. I had to express emotions in detail, so from the middle of the filming, I had many discussions about Jae-i's emotions with director Kim Hong-sun and Lee Jae-wook."
Regarding her co-star Lee Jae-wook, she said, "Lee Jae-wook is incredibly passionate and has a strong desire to act. His attitude towards other actors and staff on set is great, and he led a lot during filming, so I relied on him. Our work had to be filmed in dangerous places, so we had to prioritize safety, and Lee Jae-wook helped a lot. He also made considerations to create synergy while acting," expressing her gratitude.
She continued, "He has such a good personality. He approached me first, and we quickly became close. At first, I called him Hong-rang or Jae-wook, but by the end, I called him an angel. He is kind and good-hearted."
When asked about memorable filming moments, Jo Bo-ah said, "I remember the underwater shooting and when I was riding a horse."
She continued, "About 10 years ago, I prepared to ride a horse while filming the historical drama 'Ma-ui', so I learned horseback riding. At that time, there were no horse-riding scenes. After that, I went horseback riding occasionally to keep my skills, and 10 years later, I finally had my first horse-riding scene in this project. I was excited to see such an opportunity come my way."
Jo Bo-ah expressed, "If given the chance, I would love to do another historical drama. I really immersed myself in filming for 8 months," adding, "The historical drama genre is not easy at all. But it is so attractive that I want to challenge it again. I enjoyed the locations and wearing hanbok. Once I put on the hanbok and got into character, it was fun to focus."
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
