"It was an honor to play you."
tvN's "Jeong-nyeon" has come to an end. The three-year journey of Kim Tae-ri with "Jeong-nyeon" has concluded. Since 2021, Kim Tae-ri has built her foundation from basic sound, choreography, to dialect.
As a prepared "Jeong-nyeon," it was explosive from the beginning. The ratings started at 4.8% and soared to 8.2% in the second episode. It maintained over 10%, reaching a peak of 15.5% in the final episode.
Kim Tae-ri shared her thoughts on the conclusion of "Jeong-nyeon." She opened up about character research, the charm of female national theater, iconic scenes, chemistry with fellow actors, and a message to the viewers.
"Jeong-nyeon" is a youth drama about the Mae-ran National Theater. Yoon Jeong-nyeon, a born genius in sound, along with the troupe members, competes and collaborates to grow into genuine women national theater actors.
Kim Tae-ri shared, "The burden of sound and stage performance, four major stages, and even the historical backdrop of the 1950s… it was a close to impossible challenge."
She continued, "Like a miracle, we received love from many viewers in a short time. I want to express endless gratitude to the viewers."
For not only Kim Tae-ri but also the public, "female national theater" is a relatively unfamiliar subject. Its heyday was short. It flourished in the 1950s but quietly faded away in the 1960s.
Kim Tae-ri said, "A play created with our sound, despite its tremendous popularity, had such a short heyday. The stories handed down like legends… the context in which female national theater was born, its history felt valuable."
The best sound chosen by Kim Tae-ri is "Chuwolmanseong (Under the Moonlit Sky)." It's a song sung by her mother, Gong Seon (played by Moon So-ri), on the reddening seashore as the sun rose after the blue dawn.
Kim Tae-ri explained, "It's a scene that completely washes away the conflicts between the mother and the daughter, and also depicts how all of Gong Seon's sorrow melts into Jeong-nyeon's heart and the world filled with grief."
Kim Tae-ri bid farewell to "Jeong-nyeon" by leaving a final note.
"Jeong-nyeon, how much have you grown beyond those stormy days? Thanks to you, I've realized that perhaps the heart matters more than talent and effort. It was an honor to play you!"
<Interview with Kim Tae-ri>
Q. To the current audience, female national theater might be an unfamiliar topic. What attracted actress Kim Tae-ri to the charm of female national theater?
Kim Tae-ri: The world of female national theater depicted in the original was fascinating. A play created with our sound, its tremendous popularity despite the short heyday, stories passed down like legends… I felt the context in which female national theater was born, its history was valuable, and I was very curious about the charm that transcends defined gender roles when women take on male roles.
Q. What is the most memorable scene or line in the drama "Jeong-nyeon" chosen by actress Kim Tae-ri?
Kim Tae-ri: I'd like to choose the scene where Gong Seon (played by Moon So-ri) sings "Chuwolmanseong (Under the Moonlit Sky)" on the reddening seashore as the sun rises past the blue dawn. It's a scene that completely washes away the conflicts between mother and daughter and melts Gong Seon's entire sorrow into Jeong-nyeon's heart, and into the world filled with grief. The sound was full of grief and was the roughest yet most beautiful sound in our drama.
Q. Among the many actors who contributed to both the drama and the national theater, it seems like Shin Ye-eun, Jung Eun-chae, and Woo Da-bi filmed many scenes together. How was your chemistry with them?
Kim Tae-ri: As the atmosphere on set captured in making videos suggests, the chemistry with all the actors was excellent. Joo-ran (played by Woo Da-bi) was too important a character for Jeong-nyeon, and Da-bi relied on me a lot, so we shared many conversations. Throughout all the shootings, Joo-ran always gave me a loving look and indicated with her eyes that she was on Jeong-nyeon's side. It was the same with Da-bi; aside from one or two, I was acting with all the actors for the first time, including Eun-chae unnie.
Kim Tae-ri:
In the case of drama, especially, you slowly get into the role, but Eun-chae unnie was different. She was a prince from the start, and she was a prince till the end. It greatly helped to immerse in the roles and situations in the drama. Really, I thought a lot about how I was feasting my eyes throughout the shoot. As for Ye-eun, I think she was truly admirable. She would practice falling over near exhaustion, saying the goal was too far and unseen, but she always overcame, returning for the next practice. I believe self-objectification is crucial for an actor, and Ye-eun seemed to fight against herself every moment. You could rely on those around you, but she fought and overcame it on her own. It was a great teamwork, and I think Ye-eun created a wonderful Young-seo.
Among others, it was nice working with the Maeran National Theater friends who lived and worked with us in the rehearsal room. They would always smile, joke, and support each other when their eyes met, and after each stage, we would passionately hug each other and whisper encouragement. Seung-hee, who played the role of Chorok, also communicated maximum emotion to me even when it wasn't her scene being shot. I want to say once again to all the actors that I'm thankful, they worked hard, and really did an excellent job.
Q. How was your chemistry with family actors Moon So-ri and Oh Kyung-hwa?
Kim Tae-ri: Both of them felt really like hometown. After the first shoot together, every day I looked forward to and waited for the day we would act together again. Whenever we occasionally met while filming, we would pour out all the things that happened and the worries we had, and receive reassurances. They were the stabilizers of my mind. They gave me incredible strength. As for Kyung-hwa, she is truly a friend you can't help but love. With the career of an actor, I feel like I've gained a steadfast and shining friend to walk the path with.
Kim Tae-ri:
Q. Is there any memorable reaction from your family, close acquaintances, or viewers while watching the drama?
Kim Tae-ri: I heard my grandmother said she couldn't watch the drama "Devil" because it was too scary. While preparing for "Jeong-nyeon," I got more excited while thinking how my grandmother could watch it easily and interestingly. My family, as well as acquaintances who haven't heard me sound to such extent, were watching it more enjoyably as I sang here and there. Hearing them say, "Tae-ri sang this, so it came out here~" From the viewer reactions, I remember ones like, "I like the sound…" or "I don't know why I cry listening to the sound."
Q. The drama "Jeong-nyeon" seems to center around the word 'growth.' What kind of growth did actress Kim Tae-ri experience by meeting the drama "Jeong-nyeon" and the character 'Jeong-nyeon'?
Kim Tae-ri: Even if I claim that I poured out everything I could, there was a sense of regret every week in a corner of my heart, wondering if there was something more I could do. To condense an original webtoon with over 100 episodes into 12 parts was a challenge for everyone, and within that compressed narrative, I had to create a stepping stone to make each scene understandable. Thus, I became the present Jeong-nyeon. During the broadcast, I often wondered whether I should have acted in a direction that maintained loveliness as the protagonist, surpassing all such logic. Although I couldn’t find a specific answer, I just think, ‘I made such a choice and realized that there were such possibilities.’ Even if there’s no answer, I believe it’s sufficiently growth.
Q. Any words you want to leave to 'Jeong-nyeon'?
Kim Tae-ri: Jeong-nyeon. How much have you grown beyond those stormy days? Thanks to you, I’ve realized that perhaps what’s more important than talent and effort is the heart. It was an honor to play you!
Q. Lastly, any words to the viewers who loved the drama "Jeong-nyeon" and 'Jeong-nyeon'?
Kim Tae-ri: Thank you for staying with us till the end. We'll meet again in another story, in another universe next time. Thank you so much to all the viewers!
<Photo provided by tvN weekend drama "Jeong-nyeon">
