'First Man' Oh Hyun-kyung: "Ham Eun-jung played the lead role well, just like an idol leader" [Interview ②]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Oh Hyun-kyung praised Ham Eun-jung after reuniting with her for a second acting collaboration in the drama "First Man."

Oh Hyun-kyung recently sat down for an interview with StarNews regarding MBC's daily drama "First Man" (directed by Kang Tae-heum, written by Seo Hyun-ju, and produced by Ahn Jin-young).

"First Man" is a drama depicting the fatal confrontation between a woman who lives another person's life to seek revenge and a woman who steals another person's life for desire. It is part of writer Seo Hyun-ju's "Number Series," following "Second Husband" and "Third Marriage." Director Kang Tae-heum, known for "Kindly Mr. Seonju," "Third Marriage," and "The Witch's Game," reunited for this project.

In the drama, Oh Hyun-kyung plays Chae Hwa-young, a former top star who is now the daughter-in-law of Dream Group chairman and president of Dream Hotel. She harbors ambitions to push aside Ma (Chairman) (played by Lee Hyo-jung) and take over Dream Group. She is the central figure in all conflicts, described as the "ultimate villain" and main antagonist.

Chae Hwa-young once abandoned her biological son, Kang Jun-ho (played by Park Geon-il), to an orphanage in order to marry into the Dream Group heir family. She then stole one of the twin daughters born to Jung Suk-hee (played by Jeong So-young), the true lover of Ma Dong-seok (played by Kim Young-pil), who is Ma (Chairman)'s son, and passed her off as her own daughter, Ma Seo-rin (played by Ham Eun-jung). Over time, Chae Hwa-young's evil deeds were exposed by Ma Seo-rin's twin older sister, Oh Jang-mi (also played by Ham Eun-jung). After learning that Kang Jun-ho, a chef working at her hotel, was the biological son she had abandoned, Chae Hwa-young tried to flee from the police but accidentally hit Oh Jang-mi with her car. However, Kang Jun-ho threw himself in front of the car and died, leaving Chae Hwa-young facing the cruel fate of having killed her own son.

Oh Hyun-kyung shared that she received numerous viewer reactions while filming as the villainous Chae Hwa-young. "I was exercising at Han River when people approached me with strong feedback," she said. "Most asked, 'Why did you do that?' Some even said, 'Make it worse,' while others remarked, 'You weren't that bad, but I still can't help but hate you.'"

Chae Hwa-young ultimately faced a tragic ending: sentenced to life imprisonment and incarcerated after being convicted of numerous criminal charges, including the murder of Oh Bok-gil, attempted murder and instigation in Ma Seo-rin's case, attempted murder of Ma Dae-chang (Chairman), embezzlement and breach of trust, fraudulent marriage, and manipulation of genetic test results.

When asked if it was difficult to understand Chae Hwa-young despite her heinous crimes, Oh Hyun-kyung replied, "I think this character goes beyond what can be understood. In reality, there are many people even worse than her. There are also many structures that cannot be explained by logic of power and money. As an actor, I simply portrayed this character."

Oh Hyun-kyung and actress Ham Eun-jung reunited for the second time, following their collaboration in the 2024 drama "Suji-majun Uri," with this project being "First Man." Oh praised Ham, saying, "Ham Eun-jung is an excellent actor. She never complains and fully commits to her lead role on set. Having experienced life as a leader during her idol career, she showed natural leadership qualities. Even though it must have been tough for her as the lead, she always tried to move forward together with everyone."

Oh Hyun-kyung acted opposite several actors at the center of evil in the drama, including Lee Hyo-jung, Lee Jae-hwang, Park Geon-il, Jeong Chan, and Kim Min-seol. In particular, when Chae Hwa-young was imprisoned, her situation turned around when she was grabbed by the hair and slapped back by Jin Hong-ju (played by Kim Min-seol), who had previously grabbed her hair and slapped her in the past.

She said, "I'm grateful that all the actors didn't make a fuss and followed my lead. Senior actress Lee Hyo-jung even gave me some good tea and Gongjindan when she thought I was unwell. Actors Lee Jae-hwang and Jeong Chan also matched well with my rhythm."

She continued, "Min-seol was so cute. She practiced hard for the scene where she grabs my hair at the end in prison. Seeing her effort, I told her, 'Min-seol, don't overthink it—just grab my hair.'"

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*This content was translated by AI.