‘My Troublesome Star’ reunites Uhm Jung-hwa, Song Seung-heon after a decade
Uhm Jung-hwa, left, and Song Seung-heon pose at a press conference for “My Troublesome Star.” Newsis
Actors Uhm Jung-hwa and Song Seung-heon are teaming up again for the first time in 10 years since the film “Wonderful Nightmare” with new ENA series “My Troublesome Star.”
The pair said they had a great time working together, while director Choi Young-hoon called the casting “miraculous.” Song even predicted the drama could surpass the network’s biggest hit, “Extraordinary Attorney Woo.”
At the show’s press conference held Aug. 12 at D-Cube City in Seoul’s Guro District, Uhm, Song, Lee El, Oh Dae-hwan and director Choi gathered to introduce the Genie TV original series.
“My Troublesome Star” follows Korea’s top celebrity who suddenly returns as an ordinary middle-aged woman. Choi, known for “One the Woman” and “Good Casting,” teamed up with writer Park Ji-ha, who penned “Miss Night and Day.”
Uhm said she was drawn to the script from the start. “Filming was pure joy. I’m waiting for the broadcast with excitement,” she said, adding that she often imagined herself in the shoes of her character, Bong Cheong-ja.
Song echoed the sentiment, calling it “an honor” to work with Uhm again and expressing confidence in the drama’s success.
Lee El described her role as actress Go Hee-young as a fun departure from her previous work, saying she chose the project to work with Uhm. Oh Dae-hwan, who plays entertainment company head Kang Doo-won, said he immediately accepted the role upon hearing Uhm and Song were attached.
Uhm also spoke about transforming her appearance for the role, opting for a frizzy hairstyle and visible blemishes to portray Bong Cheong-ja’s unkempt look.
“Actors usually check their appearance a lot during filming, but this time I checked to make sure I looked messy,” she said.
Reflecting on their reunion, Uhm recalled, “When we took a couple photo, Seung-heon said, ‘It’s been 10 years.’ I was so happy to work with him again.”
Song added, “It feels like yesterday that ‘Wonderful Nightmare’ came out. Back then, it was just one episode in a two-hour film, but now we have 12 episodes to experience all kinds of events together.”
Uhm, who earned acclaim for JTBC’s 2023 hit “Doctor Cha,” said she hopes “My Troublesome Star” can resonate just as strongly.
“We don’t live in an era where everyone watches TV at the same time, so I’m nervous. But I believe our drama is both entertaining and touching, so many will relate,” she said.
“My Troublesome Star” premieres at 10 p.m. on Aug. 18 on ENA and will be available for free on KT Genie TV VOD immediately after each Monday and Tuesday broadcast.
Poster for "My Troublesome Star" / Courtesy of ENA
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.