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| ▲ Actress Kim Nam-joo and actor-singer Cha Eun-woo pose during a photo session of MBC's new TV series "Wonderful World" in Seoul on Feb. 29, 2024. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- "I'm very nervous and excited to return after six years. (Laughs) The reason I came back for this project is because I was persuaded by a strong maternal instinct."
Actor Kim Nam-joo, who returned to the small screen after six years, revealed at the drama 'Wonderful World' production presentation held at the MBC headquarters in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 29th, that "the most attractive aspect was being able to represent a mother's heart" in choosing the project.
He said, "For the past six years, after 'Misty,' I've been living not as an actor but as a mother," and added, "Now that my children are grown up, I met a piece of work that resonated with my heart when I was considering, 'Should I try what a mother does?'" He also expressed confidence, saying, "I chose a work that I thought, 'I can do well,' 'I can express well.'"
'Wonderful World' deals with the story of Eun Su-hyun, the protagonist who lost her young son unfairly, taking revenge directly on the perpetrator beyond the reach of the law.
The character Eun Su-hyun, played by Kim Nam-joo, is a psychology professor and a famous writer whose life changes 180 degrees as she punishes the perpetrator who killed her young son.
Kim Nam-joo said, "Because I am also a mother of two children, I challenged this work thinking that if I could represent mothers' hearts in the world well, this work could succeed," and emphasized, "I tried to separate the emotions of Kim Nam-joo and Eun Su-hyun while playing a character who experiences tragedies that are hard to imagine."
In this project, Kim Nam-joo costars with singer and actor Cha Eun-woo, who is 26 years younger than her.
Kim Nam-joo laughed and said, "Even I found the combination of Cha Eun-woo and Kim Nam-joo interesting," and added, "At first, he felt like a prince from the star, which was burdensome, but as time went by, he felt like a good younger brother. On set, Cha Eun-woo was a good actor with flexibility and approached the work with an open mind."
Cha Eun-woo plays Kwon Seon-yool, who chooses a rough life. He is a character who meets Eun Su-hyun, who barely survives in the sadness of loss, healing each other's wounds and deeply intertwining with her life.
Challenging the transformation of acting, Cha Eun-woo said, "Seon-yool is a friend with many pains and scars, and various secrets in Pandora's box are gradually revealed," and added, "I chose the work because I wanted to portray Seon-yool's process of overcoming his wounds. If you imagine the emotions Seon-yool would have felt, you can enjoy watching it more."
Director Lee Seung-young described the drama as "a drama that beautifully captures the process of people living in the era of large and small losses trying to preserve their 'humanity.'"
He said, "To be honest, I cast the actor with the thought, 'This is what actress Kim Nam-joo would be like,' but after starting filming, every moment was a series of surprises," and added, "Seeing the depth of interpretation of the script and showing unexpected acting each time, I couldn't help but admire it."
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