'Brave New World' Chae Seo-an: "Expected 10%+ viewership and box office success" [Interview ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Interview with actress Chae Seo-an, who played Mo Tae-hee in the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Brave New World'

Actress Chae Seo-an revealed the commonalities between Mo Tae-hee, whom she portrayed in 'Brave New World', and herself.

Recently, StarNews conducted an interview with actress Chae Seo-an at its Seoul Jongno-gu headquarters regarding the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Brave New World' (directed by Han Tae-seop and Kim Hyun-woo, written by Kang Hyun-ju), which concluded on the 20th.

'Brave New World' is a romance drama depicting a tense, explosive war between Shin Seo-ri (played by Im Ji-yeon), a nameless actress possessed by the soul of a notorious Joseon-era villainess and turned into a 'villain', and Cha Se-gye (played by Heo Nam-jun), a vicious chaebol known as a monster of capitalism.

Chae Seo-an took on the role of Mo Tae-hee, the third-generation heir of the Mo Chang Group, who possesses a strong competitive spirit, expressing the character's dual nature in a three-dimensional manner. She was particularly praised for naturally weaving in the tenacity hidden behind a gentle smile, injecting tension into the drama.

Chae Seo-an expressed her closing remarks, saying, "I am grateful to everyone who watched 'Brave New World'. Thanks to the writer, director, and senior actors, I was able to be loved and felt happy."

According to viewership survey firm Nielsen Korea, the 13th episode of 'Brave New World', broadcast on the 19th, received warm reception, recording a national household viewership rating of 10.7% and a peak of 11.9%.

Regarding this, Chae Seo-an stated, "I thought the writer wrote the script so delicately and densely that it was a work requiring a lot of study. Rather than focusing on box office elements, I wondered how I should blend in, but after attending the production press conference with the senior actors, I had a gut feeling that the drama would be successful."

Mo Tae-hee is a character who rarely yields. Chae Seo-an shared, "During the reading session, the writer said, 'I hope Mo Tae-hee is like the sunlight of a spring day.' Upon hearing that, I thought she should appear bright but also have a hidden side behind the sunlight, and I needed to express her in a three-dimensional way. I wanted to portray the sunlight of a spring day shrouded in dark clouds."

She continued, "I also wanted to clearly reveal Mo Tae-hee's dark-clouded side in the latter half. It was important to show that she is a chaebol, so I worked harder on self-care. I also looked up the SNS of chaebols of my age for reference and lost weight. Among the roles I have played so far, Mo Tae-hee is the character that was styled the prettiest," she added with a smile.

Mo Tae-hee, portrayed by Chae Seo-an, first appeared in episode 5 and shook the relationship between Shin Seo-ri and Cha Se-gye. Some viewers even referred to Mo Tae-hee as a 'catfish girl'.

Regarding the descriptor 'catfish girl', Chae Seo-an said, "I like it. From the viewers' perspective, Mo Tae-hee is an obstacle that hinders the protagonist's love, isn't she? I thought my role was to make viewers feel uncomfortable and resentful, so I consider 'catfish girl' a good descriptor. Although I appeared from episode 5, I approached the role with the pleasant burden of making a strong impression upon my debut and ending with a strong impression."

Chae Seo-an further explained, "As revealed by Mo Tae-hee's family environment in the latter half, her strength—such as being someone who achieved things through her own efforts and not understanding her mother—was already expressed in the synopsis. Therefore, I never thought, 'I need to show an even more villainous side for the role of the villain.'"

She continued, "Mo Tae-hee is a character with clear goals. She achieves what she wants to achieve until the end, and that part is similar to me. I think our drive and proactive nature to accomplish things through our own efforts are alike. When I am struggling, I wish I could rely on and receive help from my friends, but that is really difficult. My friends sometimes even ask me, 'Aren't you lonely?'" she said with a smile.

She then revealed her affection for the character, saying, "I saw my own reflection in Mo Tae-hee. While sharing energy when together is good, perhaps you could say she has independence. Mo Tae-hee seemed like a lonely character."

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*This content was translated by AI.