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| yna@yna.co.kr 2025-02-14 09:22:12
SEOUL, Feb. 14 (Yonhap) -- “I don’t think I can do it again anytime soon. (Laughs) I gave it my all to the point that I ended up with a neck disc injury.”
Cha Joo-young, who gained recognition for her role as the cunning and ambitious flight attendant Hye-jeong in The Glory, has successfully shed her previous image to portray a dignified Joseon queen in Won-gyeong.
In an interview on Thursday in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, to mark the conclusion of TVING and tvN’s Won-gyeong, Cha Joo-young reflected, “This was the boldest and most challenging project I’ve ever taken on.”
“I cried when the show ended because I felt such a deep sense of emptiness,” she confessed.
Cha Joo-young played Queen Wongyeong, the wife of King Taejong (Yi Bang-won), the fifth son of Joseon’s founding monarch, King Taejo, and the mother of King Sejong.
“I’ve always wanted to do a traditional historical drama,” she said. “Among the scripts I received at the time, Won-gyeong felt the most daring, so I chose it.”
“The idea of portraying a character’s entire life, from her teenage years to her death, was incredibly appealing. I thought, ‘When will I ever get a role like this again?’ That’s what pushed me to take on the challenge.”
“I had a feeling that I could bring to life the kind of performance I’d always wanted to try. I wasn’t confident that I’d do well, but I just knew I had to do it.”
In her first foray into historical dramas, Cha Joo-young earned praise for her stable vocal delivery and wide emotional range, successfully bringing depth to her character.
Portraying a real historical figure required quick thinking, she noted. “I researched various historical documents and documentaries, but there wasn’t much information about Queen Wongyeong,” she explained. “So I had to embody her myself and focus on the emotions I felt while acting.”
“I tried to stay true to historical facts while filling in the gaps left by history books and scripts with my own interpretation. I had to be bold in deciding what to leave out and what to emphasize, which was particularly challenging.”
The drama focused on the complex, love-hate relationship between Taejong and Queen Wongyeong, highlighting their emotional conflicts.
Cha Joo-young compellingly portrayed the queen’s internal struggles as she clashed with her husband, who both resented and envied her.
“I believe the core message of the drama was love,” she reflected. “At the end of the day, everything began and ended with love.”
However, she admitted feeling a sense of responsibility in portraying real historical figures.
“Because Queen Wongyeong and King Taejong were real people, I worried that the drama might misrepresent them. I carried a sense of guilt and concern throughout filming.”
Having studied in Malaysia and later in the United States, Cha Joo-young entered the acting industry relatively late, debuting at 26.
Since her 2016 debut in Cheese in the Trap, she has appeared in dramas such as Love in the Moonlight, The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop, and Again My Life. However, her breakout role came in 2023 with The Glory, where she left a strong impression.
Now, having completed her first historical drama, she feels invincible.
“After doing a historical drama, I feel like there’s nothing I can’t do,” she said with a smile.
Reflecting on her personal growth, she added, “I realized that I’m a responsible and courageous person.”
Determined to continue pushing her limits, she expressed her ambition to take on diverse roles.
“I want to explore the full spectrum of human experiences. My goal is to allow viewers to live through my characters and experience their lives vicariously.”
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