After finishing filming the tvN·Tving drama ‘Wonkyung’ last year, actor Cha Joo-young left for the Sahara Desert. Although he had no specific plan or goal, he chose this trip to the desert because he believed in the spell that resonated deep in his heart: “I have to go fill my days”. After passing through several countries and going through many twists and turns, Cha Joo-young is said to have slapped his knee in front of the desert horizon and said, “Yes, this was it.”.

‘Wonkyung’, which ended on the 11th, was no different from that desert trip to him. Some shook their heads, saying that the drama, which deals with the life of Queen Wongyeong, who is well known as the mother of King Sejong, was ‘reckless’, or ‘it would be difficult to succeed’. However, Cha Joo-young thought, “When will I be able to meet a historical drama like this again?” and jumped into “Wonkyung,” which was an “unknown world” for him, who had no experience in historical dramas or as a leading role.

“After making a name for myself with Netflix’s “The Glory” in 2022, I received several offers for historical dramas. I really wanted to do a historical drama, and I chose “Wonkyung” because I thought it best matched the historical drama I had dreamed of. In fact, my agency was also taken aback. It was the first time they had a well-known real-life figure, Queen Wongyeong, as the main character, so they had to be careful and it was a difficult project. I also needed to be more determined every day. Still, I think it was a good thing that I did ‘Wonkyung’ now that I have more passion and courage.”

The filming process of wearing a crown and hat weighing over 4 kg on my head for over 20 hours was by no means easy. There were continuous crises, such as controversies surrounding the racy bed scene during the broadcast. Despite various difficulties, he firmly delved into the turbulent life of Queen Wongyeong, who founded the Joseon Dynasty together with Taejong Yi Bang-won (Lee Hyun-wook), and gained the support of viewers, eventually leading to favorable reviews calling it a ‘well-made historical drama’.

“I’ve never been married, I don’t have children, and I’m far from power. I didn’t have anything in common with Queen Wongyeong. However, the fact that she was both a conservative and an enterprising person, a ‘two-faced’ person, was the same. I acted while thinking of my two grandmothers in particular. My paternal grandmother, who was also Min, like Queen Won-gyeong, and my maternal grandmother, who passed away during the filming of the drama, were the adults who led the household. I imagined what my grandmothers would have done in this situation and acted, and I even gained groundless confidence.”

She quickly changed the modifier ‘The Glory Choi Hye-jeong’ to ‘Won-gyeong’ and said, “I plan to continue to “take on any role I want to play without hesitation.” Cha Joo-young, who is “not afraid of anything” in the face of challenges, was the very definition of an ‘adventurer’.

“Actually, I don’t want fame or recognition. It’s just that if I’m recognized, I can choose a wider range of things I want to do, so I just embrace it. I get a lot of strength from the ‘Kuku’ (fandom) who promote me on SNS. How can I give them such blind love? I have so many blessings. I am just grateful for everything.”


Reporter Yoo Ji-hye yjh0304@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.