Chae Seo-an: "Is the 'Catfish Woman' Trying to Hinder Heo Nam-jun and Im Ji-yeon? A Pleasant Burden" [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

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

Actress Chae Seo-an expressed deep gratitude toward Heo Nam-jun and Im Ji-yeon, with whom she shared acting chemistry in "Beautiful World."

Recently, StarNews conducted an interview with actress Chae Seo-an at its Seoul Jongno-gu headquarters on the 20th, following the conclusion of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Beautiful World" (directed by Han Tae-seop and Kim Hyun-woo, written by Kang Hyun-ju), which ended on the 20th.

"Beautiful 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 heir known as a monster of capitalism.

Chae Seo-an portrayed Mo Tae-hee, the third-generation chaebol 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 shared her thoughts on the conclusion, stating, "I am grateful to everyone who watched 'Beautiful World.' Thanks to the writer, director, and senior actors, I was able to be loved and felt happy."

According to ratings research firm Nielsen Korea, the 13th episode of "Beautiful World," broadcast on the 19th, received warm reception, recording a national household viewership rating of 10.7% and peaking at 11.9%.

Regarding this, Chae Seo-an said, "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 succeed."

Mo Tae-hee is a character who never easily gives in. Chae Seo-an shared, "During the reading, the writer said, 'I hope Mo Tae-hee is like the sunlight of a spring day.' 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 with 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 even lost weight. Among all 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, shaking the relationship between Shin Seo-ri and Cha Se-gye. Some viewers even referred to Mo Tae-hee as the "Catfish Woman."

Regarding the epithet "Catfish Woman," Chae Seo-an said, "I like it. From the viewers' perspective, isn't Mo Tae-hee an obstacle hindering the protagonist's love? I thought my role was to make viewers feel uncomfortable and resentful, so I consider 'Catfish Woman' a good epithet. Although I appeared from episode 5, I approached the role with a pleasant burden, aiming to make a strong impression when I appeared and to end 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 achieving 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 sake of the villain role.'"

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 somewhat similar to me. I think our proactive nature and the ability 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 she is independent. Mo Tae-hee seemed like a lonely character."

Regarding Heo Nam-jun, with whom she acted, Chae Seo-an said, "We became very close." She added, "Senior Heo Nam-jun is very playful and talks a lot. It seems he watches a lot of dating shows. He interacts with actors and staff in the same way. I thought he was a truly charming person and was impressed many times," she said with a smile.

He also revealed, "On the last day of filming, I jokingly said confidently, 'Cha Se-gye will probably get a lot of comments because he dislikes Mo Tae-hee so much.' Senior Heo Nam-jun then complained, 'Am I not a sunflower (for Shin Seo-ri)? On the contrary, I am a true man.' But his words were right," he said, bringing laughter.

Regarding Im Ji-yeon, who played Shin Seo-ri in opposition, Chae Seo-an said, "Since I am quiet and introverted, I couldn't initiate conversation on set. Later, Senior Im Ji-yeon mentioned at a dinner that she thought I didn't approach her because I had immersed myself in Mo Tae-hee. I think I was actually quite nervous. I was nervous because I enjoyed working with her and wanted to do well. Although Senior Im Ji-yeon often took on strong roles in her previous works, in reality, she was like a really cute puppy. Senior Im Ji-yeon also treated me like a puppy," she shared.

Chae Seo-an, who debuted in the 2021 drama "Police University," has steadily built her acting career by appearing in dramas such as "Hellbound," "When the Camellia Blooms," "Bad Girlfriend," "Paper Moon," "Hierarchy," "My Liberation Notes," "21st Century Grand Duchess," and films including "Double Patty," "The Witch: Part 2," "Carter," and "Mun-gyeong."

Chae Seo-an said, "The past year passed like a flash. Perhaps because I focused only on the characters I had to portray, I didn't expect the box office success of the works. It was a grateful time to be able to encounter good works. I acted with only the thought, 'I must blend well into the work,' while acting alongside such amazing lead senior actors. I think I had good fortune with the works," showing a humble demeanor.

Notably, she also drew attention by reuniting with singer and actress IU, with whom she acted in last year's "My Liberation Notes," in the MBC drama "21st Century Grand Duchess," which concluded last month.

Regarding her reunion with IU, Chae Seo-an teased, "It has been about three years since the filming of 'My Liberation Notes' ended, and we met again. It was nice to see each other on the sofa again."

She then expressed her affection for IU, saying, "Senior IU is still warm and still possesses good energy on set. The thing I want to emulate from her is exactly that energy she uses on set. Doesn't she have incredible energy on stage too? It is energy on a different level from mine. (Reuniting after 'My Liberation Notes') It felt like a reincarnation. Although we didn't have many conversations, I felt the gratitude and joy exchanged through our eyes."

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*This content was translated by AI.