Actor Son Ye-jin, who returned to the screen in "The Scandal," shared glimpses of her everyday life with husband Hyun Bin.
During a round interview for the Netflix original series "The Scandal" held at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on September 29, Son Ye-jin greeted reporters with her trademark candor and wit.
With her husband Hyun Bin's Disney+ series "Made in Korea 2" being released around the same time, public attention naturally focused on the couple's friendly showdown. Addressing this, Son Ye-jin confessed, "Honestly, neither of us has watched each other's work yet. I fall asleep every day with our child, completely passed out. To binge-watch a series, you really have to set aside an entire day. We keep checking the clock wondering when we'll ever find the time."
Regarding the overlapping release dates, she added, "That is not something actors have control over. We followed Netflix's schedule, and they followed Disney+'s schedule, so hearing about the release timings later was quite fascinating. Since they are streaming releases rather than linear broadcast dramas airing in the exact same time slot, I just viewed it as an interesting and fun situation."
When asked how it feels to headline the major lineups of the two streaming giants as South Korea's representative actor couple, Son Ye-jin smiled and said, "It is truly a blessing that our projects can meet viewers during such a major holiday like Chuseok."
In "The Scandal," Son Ye-jin portrays Lady Cho, a woman gifted with extraordinary talent who refuses to be confined by the rigid expectations placed on women in the Joseon era. The series follows the daring and dangerous wager of seduction between Lady Cho and Joseon's greatest playboy, Cho Won (played by Ji Changwook), and the story of Hee-yeon (played by Nana), a woman entangled in their bet.
Based on French author Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's classic novel "Dangerous Liaisons," the timeless narrative has been adapted numerous times, inspiring films such as "Valmont," "Cruel Intentions," and the acclaimed Korean feature "Untold Scandal" starring Bae Yong-joon, Jeon Do-yeon, and Lee Mi-sook.
Returning to the historical drama genre for the first time in 24 years, Son Ye-jin plays Lady Cho, who defies Confucian taboos by proposing a game of temptation. Despite her brilliant intellect, Lady Cho lived without a proper identity simply because she was a woman, until she shakes the social order by proposing a secret bet to Cho Won, her childhood study partner and cousin.
Given that "The Scandal" is an intense narrative confronting Confucian taboos in the Joseon era, it features bold premises and provocative scenes. When asked how her husband Hyun Bin reacted to her decision to join such a project, Son Ye-jin replied, "He doesn't really express things like that out loud. In that regard, he respects me deeply as an actor. We don't usually talk much about those details to begin with."
She also shared a behind-the-scenes story about the high-end honey that recently drew buzz during her appearance on the variety show "Chef & My Fridge." The honey Son Ye-jin revealed on the show, which had originally been gifted to Hyun Bin, made headlines when it was reported to cost around 2.5 million won.
"I didn't know the price either. When I found out how much it cost afterward, I thought, 'Did I make a mistake?'" Son Ye-jin said. "I had simply told my husband, 'I'm taking this with me,' and packed it. He told me I had tried a spoonful of it in the past, but I guess I didn't remember. I really had no idea it was that expensive. If I had known, I might not have brought it," she added, making everyone laugh.
Meanwhile, all eight episodes of the Netflix series "The Scandal," featuring Son Ye-jin's bold transformation, were released on September 18.
[Photo = SBS Entertainment News DB, Netflix]
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)
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