On the morning of January 6, Chae Soo-bin met with Star News at King Kong at the Starship Building in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul for an interview regarding MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama “When the Phone Rings” (written by Kim Ji-woon, directed by Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-gyu).
“When the Phone Rings” is a story that unfolds when a Show Window couple, who have lived without speaking to each other for three years in an arranged marriage, receive a threatening phone call from a kidnapper. In the drama, Baek Sa-eon (played by Yoo Yeon-seok) and Hong Hee-joo (played by Chae Soo-bin) initially have no communication but eventually experience emotional changes that bring them closer.
– How do you feel now that “When the Phone Rings” is over?
▶ I received so much love this time. Seeing videos of foreign fans watching together as a group was amazing. I was grateful.
– You have prepared sign language for the role of Hee-joo.
▶ It wasn’t easy. Sign language is not something you use in everyday life, so learning to use it was a challenge. Even though we usually express ourselves with many words, this role limited my ability to communicate and this limitation was evident during filming. I wanted my sign language to flow naturally, so after I was chosen, I worked consistently with a teacher. I also discovered the differences between Korean Sign Language, International Sign Language, and Interpreter Sign Language. Two months before filming, I practiced every day, staying up every night, to match my sign language to my co-stars’ lines.
– At the 2024 MBC Drama Awards, your sign language acceptance speech became a hot topic.
▶ Through the role of Hee-joo, I learned sign language for the first time and found it really wonderful. At the same time, I realized how marginalized he is. Although many people know how to say “hello” in Japanese or English, most don’t know how to say it in sign language. Watching my family and even younger relatives try to learn after seeing my role was heartwarming. I’m happy to have inspired such a positive influence. That’s why I wanted to use sign language during my speech: it seemed appropriate since I was accepting the award through Hee-joo.
– There was some controversy over the sign language parody in the early episodes.
▶ Even if there was no such intention, I regret that it may have been perceived this way. We should have been more sensitive. I sincerely apologize.
– What was it like working with actor Yoo Yeon-seok?
▶ I wonder if the production could have gone so well without him. As a senior actor, he guided us well. While filming on location, he often provided meals to the staff. Even though I belonged to the same agency, I had never had the chance to approach him before. Initially he maintained a professional distance, probably due to the nature of the characters we played. Over time, like our characters, we gradually grew closer, especially during shared meals while filming scenes in Sangju.
– Many fans hoped that you and Yoo Yeon-seok would become a couple in real life.
▶ As someone who often wishes dramatic characters would end up together, I’m grateful for these reactions.
– You gained many fans overseas thanks to “When the Phone Rings”.
▶ I saw a video of international fans watching it together in a group, and they squealed when they saw the kiss scene between Sa-eon and Hee-joo.
– What do you think international fans liked most about “When the Phone Rings”?
▶ I think the slightly cheesy lines resonated surprisingly well. (LAUGH)
– The cast is said to have watched Sa-eon and Hee-joo’s bed scene together.
▶ I couldn’t attend due to scheduling conflicts, but I watched it with my breath held.
– Sa-eon had many gem-like lines. Was it difficult to stay serious while acting?
▶ Lines like “How should I correct your bad habits?” (Laughs) There were a lot of fantasy lines, and when I read the script, I asked myself, “How am I going to play this?” But once filming started, everything was fine.
– You and Yoo Yeon-seok won the Best Couple award at the 2024 MBC Drama Awards.
▶ I expected it. (Laughs) While I was hosting the event, I went around the waiting room saying, “Looks like we’re going to win the best couple award!” Receiving it was amazing. Since our drama aired later in the year, I think netizens have given us generous support.
