Actress Uhm Jung-hwa shared her thoughts on her second acting collaboration with Song Seung-heon through "My Precious Star."
The Genie TV original drama "My Precious Star," which concluded on the 23rd, is a romantic comedy that unfolds after South Korea's top star suddenly becomes an ordinary middle-aged woman. Directed by Choi Young-hoon, written by Park Ji-ha, planned by KT Studio Genie, and produced by Jumbo Film and Studio Bomb, the series tells a story of time-skip romance.
Uhm Jung-hwa played the role of Bong Cheong-ja, who has been edited out of 25 years from being the "National Goddess" of the entertainment industry to just an ordinary citizen. She showcased a variety of performances, from a fresh and cute middle-aged romance to delightful comedic acting, playing a central role in the drama.
In a round interview commemorating the series finale, Uhm Jung-hwa expressed, "It felt like it went by too quickly since it was a 12-episode series," adding, "I feel a bit regretful that Bong Cheong-ja's story wasn't fully explained due to its short length."
"My Precious Star," which aired on ENA, started with a viewership rating of 1.35% (based on Nielsen Korea's nationwide paid households) and gained momentum through word of mouth, ultimately recording its highest viewership rating of 4.3% in the final episode.
Uhm Jung-hwa, who expressed her joy over the rising viewership ratings through social media, revealed, "I was quite nervous before the first broadcast since it wasn't an easily accessible channel."
“While filming, we had fun, and we heard in the editing room that it turned out well, so I had some expectations. However, I was worried when the first broadcast's viewership rating was so low. But after that, the ratings rose significantly, and I was really happy.”
When asked what aspects resonated with the viewers, she pointed to the fresh and cute "middle-aged romance" and her co-star Song Seung-heon.
“The characters were somewhat cute, and Song Seung-heon is such a handsome actor. When I looked at the real-time viewer reactions, there were more comments about Song Seung-heon's looks than about the acting. His performance was so natural, and he matched well with the character, which I think contributed to the rise in viewership ratings.”
Through this project, Uhm Jung-hwa collaborated with Song Seung-heon for the second time in 10 years since the movie "Miss Wife." The actor she met in two projects is the first since Hwang Jung-min.
“I had fun during 'Miss Wife,' but since this drama had a longer duration, I felt that every moment was precious. We wanted to help each other as much as possible.”
Bong Cheong-ja's revenge also played a significant role in the drama, and there were comments that the romance was "teasingly" portrayed. When asked about her thoughts on a potential season 2, Uhm Jung-hwa said, “I’m greedy for it,” and joked, “How about ‘My Precious Boyfriend’ or ‘My Precious Husband’ for season 2?”
“It was fascinating, enjoyable, and precious to encounter such a story at this time. I thought I should enjoy the emotions as much as possible while acting, as I don’t know when I’ll get this opportunity again.” (Continued in [Interview②])
