Seo Ji Hye sat down for an interview following the Red Balloon‘s wrap and revealed that she joined the drama without knowing about its adultery plot.
Red Balloon is a story about a woman named Jo Eun Kang (played by Seo Ji Hye) who envies her 20-year friend Han Ba Da (Hong Soo Hyun) and struggles to quench her thirst by stealing her husband, Go Cha Won (Lee Sang Woo), after getting dumped by her boyfriend who she has been supporting over four years while he was preparing for a civil service exam. The drama was well-received by middle-aged viewers.
Seo Ji Hye said, “At the beginning of the drama, I didn’t know about how popular it was, but recently, during outdoor shoots, many people would come up to me and say, ‘I’m really enjoying watching Red Balloon.’ That’s when I realized how popular the drama was.”
As Jo Eun-kang’s character steals her best friend’s husband, she couldn’t avoid criticism from viewers. Seo Ji Hye said, “We joked, saying things like, ‘I bet we’re going to get hit in the back of the head while passing by.’ However, nowadays, viewers are able to distinguish between drama and reality. I was surprised by the number of people who cheered us on.”
Seo Ji Hye revealed that she was drawn to the complexity of the character when she decided to take on the role. She recalled, “I received the script at the last minute and had to make a quick decision after reading the character description. I was intrigued by the character’s hidden stories, and that’s what led me to star in the series.”
Seo Ji Hye also mentioned that she wasn’t aware of the show’s exact storyline when she agreed to take on the role. “Initially, the character description only hinted at her having a crush on her friend’s husband in the past, but it didn’t mention anything about adultery. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I received the script and discovered the plot. Regardless of the storyline, I was eager to see how the story would unfold,” she explained.
As she played the character, Seo Ji Hye contemplated whether Jo Eun Kang truly loved her friend’s husband or simply desired him out of envy. “It was a very intriguing experience to have while filming,” she said.
Seo Ji Hye also mentioned some challenges she faced in bringing her character to life. “Normally, I have a good idea of where the story will lead when I take on a role, but this drama was different. It was both new and difficult for me to play a character with so many complex emotions,” she said.
Seo Ji Hye admitted that she had difficulty trying to understand her character due to their stark personality differences. “Eun Kang and I have completely different personalities, so I experienced a lot of stress while trying to understand her character,” she said.
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