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In a recent interview with Elle Korea, Song Hye-kyo spoke about her latest successful drama, The Glory, starring Lee Do-hyun, Lim Ji-yeon, Yeom Hye-ran, and Park Sung-hoon, among others.
She shared her thoughts on the show’s success and a few challenging moments she faced while filming the K-drama. Elaborating, the actress revealed that one of the lines said by one of the offenders in The Glory triggered and upset her on behalf of her character on the show.
She recalled a situation where one of the bullies casually brushed off Moon Dong-eun’s trauma after she showed up again, saying:
"Did she treat her that harshly, was I that harsh?"
This likely referred to the ongoing rivalry between Moon Dong-eun and bully Park Yeon-jin (played by Lim Ji-yeon). Song Hye-kyo recalled feeling triggered on behalf of her character, who has been through so much physical and mental trauma. She said:
“Although they gave them such a big scar and pain, it’s not even left in their memory. It made me mad.”
Song Hye-kyo reveals she has no regrets while filming the drama The Glory
Notably, it is the first time Song Hye-kyo’s character Moon Dong-eun meets Park Yeon-jin, and the bully gang is at their school’s alumni function, where the latter is being awarded.
Moon Dong-eun enthusiastically claps and cheers for Park Yeon-jin, which infuriates her, and she slaps her. However, the now-tough Moon Dong-eun’s desire for revenge and redemption is fuelled further.
In the same Elle Korea interview, Song Hye-kyo reminisced that it was her first time attempting such a genre and it was difficult initially, considering the violent nature of the script:
"It was my first time acting in this genre. All the scenes were hard at the beginning of the filming."
However, once she eased into the character, she performed the character to the best of her capabilities and proudly confessed that she has no regrets now when she looks back at the finished product.
Song Hye-kyo earned praise for her performance as the older version of Moon Dong-eun, a school bully victim who is brutally abused and tortured by a notorious school bully gang headed by Park Yeon-jin (younger: Shin Ye-eun, older: Lim Ji-yeon).
Emotionally and psychologically battered and abused, she decided to leave school. However, she returns 18 years later to wreak havoc in Park Yeon-jin and her cronies’ life by becoming her daughter’s homeroom teacher and plans to seduce her husband, Ha Do-yeong (Jung Sung-il).
Song Hye-kyo earned rave reviews, possibly her career best for The Glory. She dished on how she was prepared for the role and avoided monitoring herself after performing the scenes:
"I didn’t monitor myself when we filmed this time, so I didn’t see how I did on set. I was worried that I might get boxed in if I saw myself in character, so I decided not to monitor myself in this [scene]."
For those unversed, monitoring a scene is when actors check the monitor with the director to see if they have done a good job or not.
The Glory actress confessed that she wanted to perform the scenes naturally without the burden of a camera and director around her and did not want to box herself.
Director Ahn Gil-ho also encouraged her to act crazier and shed all her inhibitions as Moon Dong-eun, who has now been stripped of any fear and nervousness and is all guns blazing against her perpetrators. Song Hye-kyo said:
"When we were filming that, I wasn’t sure how much she was expecting. I wasn’t sure how far I should go, but the script said… I’m not sure if I can say this, but it said I should act like a crazy b****. I had in my mind how crazy I should be, so we did one take of it, but then, Director An came and said, ‘Act even crazier.‘ So I think the intensity kept going up."
Meanwhile, writer Kim Eun-sook chimed in saying that Song Hye-kyo took the prep work for The Glory seriously and began vigorously working out and dieting to look tired and worn out as Moon Dong-eun. This was done to convey fragility both in flesh and emotion.
The Glory season 2 drops on March 10 on Netflix
Earlier this week, Netflix confirmed that the highly awaited second season of The Glory will drop on March 10.
The latest episode of the first season ended with Park Yeon-jin discovering Moon Dong-eun’s apartment, right opposite her spatial bungalow, where she finds her and the bully gang’s pictures pasted on the walls, highlighting her detailed and well-etched-out plan to take them down.
Park Yeon-jin’s husband also manages to reach Moon Dong-eun’s apartment, and the women get into a scuffle. According to Kim Eun-sook’s recent statement, the second part promises more vengeance, drama, and Moon Dong-eun’s deep desire to avenge years of trauma and harassment she went through in high school.
Notably, certain scenes in The Glory are inspired by real-life events or incidents that have actually happened. One such shocking incident occurred in 2006 when the perpetrator burnt the victim’s arm using a hot hair curling iron, scratched her chest with pins, and stole all her money.
A similar incident was incorporated into The Glory as well. Screenwriter Kim Eun-sook also welcomed Netflix’s decision to rate the K-drama with a 19+ (a Mature Adult) TV rating. This was done after considering that Moon Dong-eun’s path towards revenge and redemption is personal and not through law and judiciary. Hence, the show was deemed fit to get an adult certification.
