Jung Il Woo And Girls' Generation's Yuri Talk About Their Casting In "Bossam: Steal The Fate" And Why They Were Drawn To The Drama

On April 30, MBN’s upcoming drama “Bossam: Steal the Fate” held an online press conference with actors Jung Il Woo, Girls’ Generation’s Yuri, and Shin Hyun Soo.

“Bossam: Steal the Fate” is a historical drama about the fateful romance that occurs when a mysterious rogue named Ba Woo (Jung Il Woo) accidentally kidnaps Princess Soo Kyung (Yuri), the widowed daughter of King Gwanghae.

Director Kwon Suk Jang was not in attendance at the event, but he shared his thoughts through a video message. The director made his name with hit dramas like “Pasta,” “Golden Time,” “Miss Korea,” and “Avengers Social Club,” but this is his first historical drama.

“I cast Jung Il Woo because he had done a lot of historical dramas and I felt like I could depend on him,” the director explained. “I spoke to him beforehand and he had a lot of conflict about his ambitions and the kind of acting he wanted to pursue. I thought that that was an amazing attitude to take. When he said that he felt that working with me would help him improve on what he had done in the past, I was hooked.”

About casting Yuri and Shin Hyun Soo, he said, “The character of a princess has a native sense of grace and elegance, but I also wanted Yuri to give off a natural, unpolished vibe. Shin Hyun Soo is a very stable actor. From his diction to his gaze, he gives off a sense of stability, so I felt like he would be a strong focal point for the love triangle in the drama.”

Jung Il Woo said, “It felt fresh to take on the subject of bossam, which is a Joseon-era practice that hasn’t been done in dramas often. I also thought it would be interesting to participate in director Kwon Suk Jang’s first historical drama. I was curious about what a historical project from him would be like.”

He continued, “I did a lot of research into bossam, but there wasn’t a lot of documentation. The director and I spoke often about bossam and what it would have been like. We talked a lot about the kind of stories that could evolve from the concept of bossam.”

Bossam refers to the practice of kidnapping a widow in the middle of the night in order to be remarried to another man. In the Joseon dynasty, widows could not be remarried through normal means.

Jung Il Woo added, “In the past, I did a lot of king roles, so this time felt more comfortable. I put on a fake beard and wig for the first time. It took over two hours to do the makeup and hair, and that was a bit difficult. I started off with the idea of giving a rough-and-tough image on the outside, and revealing his hidden warmth inside.”

Yuri said, “This is my first historical drama, but when I read the script, I could see that Soo Kyung had a wide spectrum of emotions that I could relate to. I decided to take on the challenge because of that. I also enjoyed director Kwon Suk Jang’s projects and was excited for the chance to work with him. I found the concept of bossam really entertaining. I didn’t know a lot about it, but I researched more into the times while preparing for this project.”

She added, “As this was my first historical drama, everything was so unfamiliar. Things like the ‘historical drama tone,’ and even the pronunciation, felt new and strange to me. Only after filming began and I was surrounded by costumes and sets did I feel like I could immerse myself into that world. At first, I thought I would wear a lot of pretty and elaborate hanbok as a princess, but from the very first filming, I was tied up in cloth and kidnapped.”

Jung Il Woo shared that he had been excited to work with Yuri as a Girls’ Generation fan. “I was curious about what kind of side she would show in her first historical drama,” he said. “I’ve been a fan of Girls’ Generation for a while, so I was happy to be able to work with her.” Shin Hyun Soo added that he was a fan of Girls’ Generation and Yuri as well.

“Bossam: Steal the Fate” premieres on May 1 and will be available on Viki.

Check out a trailer below!

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