Actress Cynthia (27), who made a stunning debut with the movie 'The Witch 2', has found a new life work. She has once again made her presence known to the public with 'Unsung', a project by Shin Won-ho's team.
The tvN weekend drama 'One Day, a Wise Resident's Life' (written by Kim Song-hee, directed by Lee Min-soo, hereafter 'Unsung'), which ended on the 18th, depicts the growth of residents dreaming of a wise medical life. It is a spin-off of 'Hospital Playlist' (hereafter 'Slu's Life'), with PD Shin Won-ho and writer Lee Woo-jung participating as creators.
Cynthia, who played the role of first-year obstetrician Pyo Nam-kyung, recently met with Maeil Business Newspaper's Star Today to discuss the project.
Cynthia expressed her thoughts on the ending, saying, "I was honored to be able to film my first drama in such a precious and warm environment with such good people. I want to say thank you for the love and support from the viewers, which made me feel filled with love until the end."
How did she get involved in this project? Cynthia explained, "Director Shin Won-ho said he wanted to see me once. I only heard that a spin-off was happening and went for a meeting. We talked, and at first, he asked me a lot about myself. He gave me the script on set, and at that time, I read the lines as Lee Young."
She continued, "Later, the director said, 'No one has read Pyo Nam-kyung's lines yet. You were the first, and the moment you read the lines, you were Pyo Nam-kyung.'" She shared her casting story.
Cynthia expressed her affection for the character Pyo Nam-kyung, describing her as 'cute'. She said, "She is a friend with fiery energy, struggling to balance her work, love, and fashion while being busy with hospital life. I thought she was a friend with healthy ambition. On the outside, she seems a bit snobbish, but inside, she is naive and has a lot of kindness. I found her cute."
The chemistry between her character and Oh Lee-young (played by Go Yoon-jung) captured the audience's attention. Regarding this, Cynthia said, "The relationship between Lee Young and Nam-kyung is special. They are classmates and were the top two in school. They are so different that they can't understand each other, but it's an attractive relationship. In a way, they would make great best friends. One is lively and calm, creating a good harmony. We didn't try hard to get close; we just went with the flow. In reality, I became close to Nam-kyung and Lee Young as well."
She added, "I really like older sisters. I even call myself an 'older sister fan' and approached them saying 'sister, sister'. Go Yoon-jung is calm and cool. She is surprisingly caring and looks after me without seeming to. There were many similarities between Nam-kyung and Lee Young."
What about her other co-stars, Kim Sa-bi (played by Han Ye-ji) and Eom Jae-il (played by Kang Yoo-seok)? Cynthia said, "Ye-ji's first drama was also my first drama. Since we both debuted in the drama together, we relied on each other and shared our concerns, which helped us grow." She also mentioned Kang Yoo-seok, saying, "He was the mood maker on set. He is bright and takes good care of the younger ones. Thanks to him, I was able to receive good energy."
Cynthia also mentioned, "Kang Yoo-seok worked really hard to prepare for High Boys. I heard he will appear on 'M Countdown'. Nam-kyung is practically a member of the Hello Girl (fan club). I will be going to support him on the 22nd. It's my first time attending a live music program. I know he has worked really hard and faced many challenges, so I want to support him. If our schedules allow, we plan to go together as a group."
If Oh Lee-young has Professor Seo Jeong-min (played by Lee Bong-ryeon), Pyo Nam-kyung has Professor Gong Gi-seon (played by Son Ji-yoon). When asked about their chemistry, Cynthia said, "In reality, Ji-yoon and I are very similar. I felt a bond when filming with her. I am the 'little Gong Gi-seon'. The director also said, 'If you grow up, you will become like Gi-seon'."
She continued, "We had a phone call during the filming period. She praised me, and I was so relieved that I burst into tears. Every day was a struggle for me acting-wise, and when I cried, she also started crying. After that, we became closer and even went on a theater date," adding, "In the last episode, when Professor Gong Gi-seon said to Nam-kyung, 'You did well,' it was so touching. It felt like seeing my mom after going through tough times, and I got emotional. She was more special to me than other seniors."
In the drama, all the first-year obstetricians are in office romances. Oh Lee-young started dating Koo Do-won (played by Jung Joon-won), and Kim Sa-bi (played by Han Ye-ji) and Eom Jae-il (played by Kang Yoo-seok) are also showing a pink mood. Meanwhile, Pyo Nam-kyung, who was most interested in dating, ended up being a lonely single, struggling with romantic conflicts.
Cynthia said, "After a long relationship, Nam-kyung feels happy seeing the new couples. She is pleased and happy to see her peers discovering love." She added, "Among the couples in the drama, I think a boyfriend like Professor Yang Seok-hyung (played by Kim Dae-myung) would be really nice. A husband who is sweet only to me. He does well at work and always mentions Choo Min-ha (played by Ahn Eun-jin). That means he is always thinking about her," saying, "If I were to have an office romance, I would want it to be like that."
She also said, "In reality, I still don't know much about dating. I feel like I haven't had enough experiences. I should have experienced more dating in my early 20s, but I didn't." She continued, "As Sa-bi said, I think you need to go through all four seasons carefully before you can date, and you should date someone you love. I think the feeling is more important than the external factors when it comes to my ideal type."
Cynthia mentioned the pink atmosphere between intern Tak Gi-on (played by Cha Kang-yoon) and Pyo Nam-kyung in the last episode, saying, "In a situation where emotions were drained, his comfort was very meaningful. When we held hands, not letting go, I think it opened up the feelings of dating again," making the audience even more curious about the characters' stories after the ending. (Continued in Interview ②)
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
