"I was captivated by Lady Ok's wisdom and warmth. This is the first time I have played a character I want to emulate."
Actress Lim Ji-yeon has hinted at a breakthrough character in her career. On the 19th, JTBC released an interview with Lim Ji-yeon, the lead in their new weekend drama 'Lady Ok's Story' (written by Park Ji-sook and directed by Jin Hyuk).
'Lady Ok's Story' is a historical drama. It is a survival scam story of Ok Tae-young (played by Lim Ji-yeon), an outsider whose name, status, and husband were all fake, and Choi Seung-hwi (played by Choo Young-woo), an entertainer who risked his life to protect her.
Lim Ji-yeon revealed her reason for joining the drama, stating, "I have always been curious and thirsty for historical dramas. The growth story of a female character was well integrated into both romance and genre work."
She continued, "I was also curious about how I would portray the character of Ok Tae-young, who is one person and at the same time two," discussing the drama's charm.
Lim Ji-yeon plays the fake Ok Tae-young in the drama, a character whose destiny changes from an escaped slave to a noble maiden. She displays her talents that couldn't shine because she was a slave.
She stated, "She is a character that transcends the era where positions and roles were strictly divided based on status. Initially, I was curious about the life of Goodeok as Ok Tae-young."
However, she expressed her affection by saying, "The more I act, the more I am captivated by her wisdom and warmth. It seems like this is the first time I've played a character I want to emulate."
Lim Ji-yeon had to portray both the slave Goodeok and the fake Ok Tae-young simultaneously. "I tried not to differentiate the two characters. Only the environment and status changed," she analyzed.
In conclusion, she summarized, "It is the fierce survival story of a woman who had no choice but to live by stealing another's life, but who did her best for her true self and the person who gifted her life."
She emphasized the message of the work, stating, "Ultimately, wouldn't the goal that Goodeok as Tae-young wanted to achieve be a life of agency?"
'Lady Ok's Story' premieres on the 30th at 10:30 PM.
<Photo courtesy of JTBC>
