On January 15, Kim Ji-woon sat down for an interview with Star News at the Bon Factory office in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul to discuss MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama “When the Phone Rings ” (written by Kim Ji-woon woon, directed by Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-gyu).
– How did you decide to choose Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin as the protagonists?
▶ Yoo Yeon-seok’s melodramatic acting in “The Interest of Love” deeply affected me. As a female viewer, I wanted to see more of his melodramatic acting. I can’t imagine anyone but Yoo Yeon-seok as Baek Sa-eon. Chae Soo-bin was incredibly adorable. Hee-joo’s character had to be convincing and I thought Chae Soo-bin’s beauty and subtle vulnerability matched Hee-joo perfectly.
– What was your impression when you met Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin in person?
▶ I saw them individually and together and their chemistry was extraordinary. They were so good together. Even the director said he could see my mood improve in real time.
– The bed scene between Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin received significant attention.
▶ In the script, I simply wrote “thin paper” to describe it, and they portrayed it beautifully. I felt that Yoo Yeon-seok prepared a lot of references and the director captured the scene beautifully. At the closing party we all watched that scene together. Everyone applauded loudly and someone even shook a tambourine. The reaction reflected the enthusiasm of the Brazilian fans! (LAUGH)
– The original novel had intense scenes. How did you adapt them for drama?
▶ I thought it was necessary to adjust the intensity for the TV. I decided to turn the mature scenes into romantic scenes. After episode six, I focused on showing Sa-eon’s unwavering love for Hee-joo and their genuine commitment to protecting each other.
