Actor Lee Seyoung is set to captivate viewers by transforming into Rashta, an icon of survival and ambition, in "The Remarried Empress."
On the morning of November 3, a press conference for the Disney+ original series "The Remarried Empress" (written by Yeo Ji-na and Hyun Choong-yeol, directed by Jo Soo-won) was held at Conrad Seoul in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Actors Shin Mina, Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk, and Lee Seyoung, along with director Jo Soo-won, attended the event to share their anticipation for the upcoming series.
"The Remarried Empress" is an epic romance fantasy following Navier (played by Shin Mina), the perfect empress of the Eastern Empire, who is notified of a divorce by Emperor Sovieshu (played by Ju Ji-hoon) after he falls for runaway slave Rashta (played by Lee Seyoung). Accepting the divorce, she demands approval to remarry Prince Heinrey (played by Lee Jong-suk) of the Western Kingdom.
On this day, Lee Seyoung explained her reason for joining the production: "She is a lovely villain whom you dislike but can't completely hate—a kind of role I haven't shown in a while—so she felt very charming to me. I thought I could showcase a new side of myself through Rashta, and I happily joined because I felt I could learn a lot on set from my senior co-stars."
Describing the character of Rashta, she introduced, "She is a former runaway slave whose life is turned upside down after a chance meeting with Sovieshu. Beneath her pure and innocent facade, her survival instinct and desires intertwine, causing conflict within the imperial palace."
Regarding the tone of her acting, she added, "Just as a baby instinctively cries when hungry, I thought Rashta is someone who fiercely desires things in order to survive, so I tried to portray 'pure evil.'"
In particular, Lee Seyoung shared her honest reaction to the line Rashta delivers to Empress Navier after winning over the emperor—"Would it be all right if I called you 'unnie'?"—saying, "I thought, 'She really doesn't think.'" She also revealed behind-the-scenes details, adding, "I practiced constantly in everyday life so that Rashta's distinctive third-person speech would roll off my tongue naturally."
She also mentioned her efforts to enhance her synchronization with the character. Lee Seyoung shared, "I thought that for Rashta to remain impossible to purely hate despite doing things that invite criticism, she needed to look pristine and beautiful. So, I took care of my appearance more diligently than for any other project," adding, "I approached the role hoping viewers would react by thinking, 'I want to kill her, but I also feel a bit sorry for her and can understand her.'"
Bringing to life the legendary intellectual property that has accumulated 2.97 billion global views, the Disney+ original series "The Remarried Empress" releases Episodes 1 to 4 today, Tuesday, November 3, in the afternoon. Afterward, two episodes will be released every Wednesday, for a total of 10 episodes.
[Photo = Reporter Baek Seung-cheol]
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)
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