[TF Interview] Son Ye-jin, a new chapter with 'The Roundup'

A complex character completed with restrained emotions... a historical drama challenge after 24 yearsThe next project is also a new transformation... Netflix 'Variety' to be released in 2027Actress Son Ye-jin met with and conducted an interview regarding the release of the Netflix original series 'Scandal'. /Netflix[THE FACT|Reporter Kim Saet-byul] Actress Son Ye-jin has returned to a historical drama after a long time. She was not a simple villainess, nor a woman clinging to love. Through Madam Jo, who couldn't unfold her talents due to the era, Son Ye-jin delicately portrayed complex emotions mixed with desire, love, jealousy, and regret. For her, 'Scandal' was a work that showed another transformation as an actress and the beginning of a new chapter.Actress Son Ye-jin recently met with at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and conducted an interview regarding the release of the Netflix original series 'Scandal' (written by Kim Min-kyung, directed by Jung Ji-woo). In the role of Madam Jo, a brilliant strategist who starts a secret bet, she shared various stories about the work and the character.'Scandal,' which was fully released on the 18th with all 8 episodes, depicts the story of Madam Jo (played by Son Ye-jin), a woman with outstanding talent who couldn't live confined as a Joseon-era woman, the greatest love player of Joseon, Jo Won (played by Ji Chang-wook), and Hee-yeon (played by Nana), who gets entangled in their bet.Based on the classic French novel 'Les Liaisons dangereuses,' it is set in the Joseon era and depicts the intertwined love and betrayal of characters who had to suppress their talents and desires within the Confucian order.When asked about her feelings on the release, Son Ye-jin said, "I was curious how viewers would perceive it, as there are many subtle psychological aspects that are difficult to explain clearly," adding, "There will be people who enjoy it and those who don't, but I am happy that it has been released, and I am grateful that it was first shown during the Chuseok holiday, a good time."She smiled with relief at the praise poured out for her return to historical dramas after about 24 years. Son Ye-jin confessed, "I had memories of historical dramas being physically very difficult when I was young, so I avoided historical dramas, thinking it was a genre I couldn't do well."The beautiful hanbok and art sets unique to historical dramas were a new experience. However, the physical limitations of hanbok remained. Son Ye-jin laughed, "Hanbok looks pretty when the chest is tightened, but sometimes I can't breathe when filming intense scenes." Nevertheless, Madam Jo's inner and outer appearance fit well."Madam Jo feels like a bird trapped in a cage, and she looks dignified and noble, but her inner feelings are not like that. I felt that those aspects actually suited me well in portraying Madam Jo. It was difficult, but it was helpful. Above all, it was a good experience to wear beautiful hanbok."What Son Ye-jin focused on in this work was that Madam Jo was not consumed as a simple villainess. While 'Scandal' is based on a classic French novel and its film adaptations, it expands the characters' relationships and narratives through the series format. Son Ye-jin explained, "It's not simply a story of a man and a woman realizing true love and heading towards ruin, but more of a narrative between the characters."She also saw the historical background as the reason Madam Jo proposed the love bet. The life of a woman who had to compromise with reality without being able to unfold her outstanding talents created Madam Jo's desires. Son Ye-jin said, "Madam Jo was attractive because she is not a character expressed with a single emotion."Actress Son Ye-jin revealed that Madam Jo in the Netflix original series 'Scandal' is a complex character and that she put a lot of effort into layering her emotions. /NetflixAs Son Ye-jin said, Madam Jo is a complex character who cannot be defined in a single dimension. She had to portray diverse layers, from her cynical side to her dignity, and the desire for self-realization and jealousy hidden behind it. Son Ye-jin explained, "My words, expressions, and actions changed every moment, so it felt like riding a roller coaster. I filmed each scene with deep consideration for every detail of my expression and tone, as it could become strange if it was too much."Madam Jo does not show the same face when she is with Jo Won as she does when she is with Lady Kyung (played by Kang Ji-eun), Hee-yeon, and So-ok (played by Shin Yoon-ha). Son Ye-jin also said that throughout the filming, she followed the question, "What are this woman's true feelings, what is her true face?"Jealousy was also not simple. Although she decided to bring in a concubine herself, unexpected emotions arose when So-ok actually entered the house. Son Ye-jin said, "Even so, when you directly face it, you think, 'Oh, there's this aspect?' Madam Jo seems to have a lot of that," adding, "When looking at So-ok, it's not just jealousy, but confronting her own childhood."Son Ye-jin pointed to the ending as the scene where Madam Jo's true desires and sincerity emerged. The ending, initially conceived as Madam Jo waiting for Jo Won in the snow, was later adjusted to conclude with a scene of her writing a letter.Son Ye-jin pointed out, "Her shabby appearance, sitting alone with a brush after Jo Won left, is Madam Jo's true face, her sincerity mixed with regret, love, and obsession." She added, "The part where she writes a letter to the King and smiles broadly is the essence of the character. It was truly poignant because it expressed the desire of a woman who couldn't unfold her suppressed talents to finally live as 'myself'.""What Madam Jo wanted was to live as myself, to do what I'm good at, and to live the way I want to express myself. And she probably wanted to show that to many people. However, the pain and self-loathing for what she couldn't reveal seem to have manifested in a broken form."Actress Son Ye-jin looked back at the past filming set, mentioning Ji Chang-wook and Nana, with whom she worked together. /NetflixShe also mentioned her relationships with the actors she worked with. Regarding Nana, who played Hee-yeon, she recalled, "Nana was Hee-yeon herself. She was so pure that I felt pity and a sense of kinship without realizing it." As a result, she was able to step back from the image of Madam Jo she had pre-designed. Son Ye-jin explained, "Madam Jo is an unknowable selfish person, but the feeling of 'I want to be Hee-yeon' was real. I experienced my defenses being disarmed while watching Nana, who expressed with her whole body the courage to live authentically, even if only for a moment."Regarding her chemistry with Jo Won, with whom she shared understanding yet exchanged dangerous emotions, she touched upon the intense rehearsal process. As the lines were immense, scenes with the other actor were always carried out with high tension."The scenes with Jo Won were long, with several pages of dialogue from the end of episode 1, and the emotional range was also vast. Since we had to sit in one place and maintain the character's mood until the end, it felt like we were performing a one-act play. Every time we met, we meticulously matched our movements and expressions to the point of exhaustion. It was important to highlight the unique tension that comes from provoking each other while knowing each other well."When she had difficulty grasping her emotions, director Jung Ji-woo's unique directing served as a guide. Son Ye-jin said, "The director doesn't give detailed acting directions like 'get angry' or 'suppress your emotions.' Instead, he throws out a big picture, like 'Madam Jo is a large vessel, but how would it spill out when it's suppressed without being unfolded?'" She explained that it was a process of finding emotions together with the actors.Actress Son Ye-jin expressed her desire to continue showing transformations, even if she doesn't act as much as before. /Netflix'Scandal' holds more meaning for Son Ye-jin than just a return to historical dramas. She said, "It feels like it can be divided into before and after marriage, and as I pass forty, the chapters of what I can show as a middle-aged actress seem to be closing one by one."She added, "At the same time as a new chapter opens, Madam Jo also seems to be the beginning of a chapter. Someone told me, 'You've reached an age where you can play Madam Jo, not Hee-yeon.' It truly feels like the start of moving into a new chapter. That's why it will be a precious work."The next chapter Son Ye-jin is looking at is 'transformation.' She actually foreshadowed another transformation and revealed that she still has a desire to show new sides rather than repeating what she has already done. However, her perspective on her desires as an actress has also changed. In the past, she constantly tried to prove herself through her work with the desire to do better, but now she also considers work-life balance."Unlike before, I now have a mindset of taking it step by step, finding roles that I can do well and want to challenge myself with. Rather than just wanting to do many projects, I want to unleash my accumulated energy in good works."Son Ye-jin's next project is Netflix's 'Variety.' The work depicts the collision of human figures and desires surrounding the K-pop industry, and Son Ye-jin will play the CEO of an agency that produced Korea's top idol group, showing a character who risks everything for contract renewal.Son Ye-jin said, "My next project is also a transformation upon transformation. It will be another transformation different from Madam Jo, and perhaps many transformations, so please watch.""I like to keep changing. Every time I show a new character, the thrill I feel when the viewers enjoy seeing it is immense. That's why I always look for new roles, and if there are aspects I haven't shown yet, I want to maximize and show them even a little. If works that allow me to transform continue to come in, I want to keep showing different sides."sstar1204@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]