Veteran actress indulges in renewed popularity for first foray into a cable show
SEOUL: Kim Hee- sun is enjoying renewed popularity for her role in the drama ‘Women of Dignity’, that aired on JTBC from June. While it started out at around 2 per cent in ratings, it ended at 12 per cent.
Asked about the renewed attention she has been receiving since her debut in the late 1990s, Kim said, “On a good day, it feels good to hear that. But on a bad day, sometimes I wonder if my past roles or former years were lacking in some way,” Kim said.
The drama revolved around an elegant upper- class housewife in the posh district of Cheongdamdong, Woo Ah-jin, played by Kim, who married a quasi- chaebol son. Park Bok-ja, played by Kim Sun- a, admires such a life and is hired by Kim’s character to attend to Woo’s rich father-in-law. Park then succeeds in seducing the father-in-law, becoming a chaebol family member herself.
The drama featured a talented array of main and supporting stars. With its persuasive story, it quickly became the talk of the town. Culture critics have noted the drama takes a jab at the rigid line between the haves and the have-nots. The drama took a personal look into various behaviour that envy towards the “haves” can encourage.
Kim has starred in several dramas after getting married and giving birth to a daughter, including ‘Angry Mom’ ( 2015), which have achieved high ratings, attesting to her star power. But ‘Woman of Dignity’ was her first foray into a cable show.
“I have to admit, I was worried about the ratings initially. But now I try to see it only as a number,” Kim said. She spoke highly of her costars, the writer and affection poured towards actor/ comedian Jung Sang-hoon, who plays her flirting husband in the drama.
Kim is a veteran actor, like her co- star Kim Sun- a. Thus, there was no denying the pressure on the two working on a new drama on a cable channel, with a storyline full of affairs and betrayals rather than the popular romance content.
“It is however so much easier for actors when the story is knit so that every character has a context, a connectedness to the whole scheme of things,” Kim said.
She added that the success of the ‘Woman of Dignity’ has given her confidence and a broader range of choice for her next work.