To portray her character as accurately as possible, veteran actress Kim Hye-soo went the extra mile.
Set in Seoul, the upcoming K-drama Unmasked follows a team of investigative journalists who are fighting for their careers after broadcasting a controversial story.
Hye-soo plays the main character Oh So-ryong, an unconventional and free-spirited reporter.
At the press conference for the series on Jan 8, the 54-year-old shared that she sought external help to accurately portray So-ryong.
“I tried to pull as many strings as I could to get advice from actual investigative news journalists. I tried to learn how they would investigate and research, what they have in their cars, the kind of clothing they should wear,” she said.
“I also borrowed their clothes, so in the drama, l wore the clothes from actual producers of investigative news programmes.”
The show has action sequences, and one led to the thigh injury she endured on set.
“It’s very interesting how in real life, I feel I’m getting older and weaker, and I tend to get scared at times, but once I’m in front of the camera, somehow I become very brave and courageous,” she said.
And what aspects of the script drew Hye-soo in?
“I’ve worked on a lot of dark stories but what I really like about Unmasked is that it deals with crimes but the tone and manner of the entire story is very quirky, fun, exciting and lighthearted,” she said.
“It’s so witty, but also very grounded too. It has a message and gives that sense of catharsis. It’s the perfect balance.”
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‘Acting alongside her was overwhelming’
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Co-star Jung Sung-il, who plays rookie producer Han Do, said at the same press conference that he was nervous to star alongside Hye-soo.
“She’s the biggest name in the field, and just acting alongside her was overwhelming in itself,” said the 44-year-old.
“But she was so down-to-earth… She guided me throughout the filming process, from start to end. She’s the best partner I could ever ask for.”
Comparing his character in Unmasked to his role in the hit 2022 drama The Glory, Sung-il said Han Do is the “polar opposite”.
According to him, Han Do is socially inept and “has zero faith in humanity”.
“He’s really got nothing and lacks a lot of things. So I think I could really understand him, because he’s someone who has a lot of similarities with me.”
Sung-il also shared what he wants viewers to take away from the show. “The drama deals with issues that we see in Korean society. But not only can we Korean people relate to these events, global viewers will also be able to as well.”
Unmasked, which also stars Joo Jong-hyuk, premieres Jan 15 on Disney+.
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