Kim Hye Soo Describes What Differentiates Her Role In "The Queen's Umbrella," Working With Kim Hae Sook Again, And More

Oct 03, 2022

Kim Hye Soo has introduced her role in “The Queen’s Umbrella”!

tvN’s upcoming historical drama “The Queen’s Umbrella” centers on the special palace education system of the Joseon Dynasty. The drama will follow the conflict within the palace over trying to make proper princes out of its five troublemaking princes, who cause nothing but headaches for the royal family. Kim Hye Soo will star in the drama as queen Im Hwa Ryung, the wife of a great king and the long-suffering mother of five troublemaking sons.

This will be Kim Hye Soo’s first historical project in almost 10 years, after starring in the 2013 film “The Face Reader,” and her first historical drama in two decades, after appearing in the 2002 drama “Jang Hee Bin.” The actress shared, “Although she was not a real-life figure or [a role] typically seen in historical dramas, Hwa Ryung instantly captured my heart. The reason I chose ‘The Queen’s Umbrella’ is clear. I chose the project ‘The Queen’s Umbrella’ because it is a new historical drama, has an interesting story, and because of my character’s strength.”

Introducing Im Hwa Ryung, Kim Hye Soo commented, “Hwa Ryung is a woman with the strong power of love and is a character who gladly blocks and gets hit by rain and wind in order to protect those she loves.” She elaborated, “Unlike other queens we’ve seen in typical historical dramas, she is a character who behaves actively and clearly conveys her intentions and emotions. To the point where she’s considered ‘the person with the quickest feet in the palace.'”

Continuing to describe her character, Kim Hye Soo remarked, “Hwa Ryung, who follows rules without being old-fashioned, is more awake than anyone in her generation and is incredibly intuitive yet careful. Also, she’s more bold and moves quicker than anyone else. On top of that, she even has wit. This image of Hwa Ryung comes out in various scenarios in each episode.” She added proudly with a laugh, “There has never been a queen like this until now! The busiest mother of a nation and the fastest queen that everyone will meet for the first time.”

Kim Hye Soo shared, “I believe that the greatest strength in acting is sincerity. It’s no different while I perform the role of Hwa Ryung. I’m acting while focusing on the direction her sincerity must draw out as a queen, a mother, and as a woman.” She then shared, “As it is a historical drama, there’s a limit to the visual differentiation that can be made. However, there’s a golden hairpin with a powerful dragon pattern that represents Hwa Ryung.”

A big part of Kim Hye Soo’s role will be her battle with Queen Dowager (Kim Hae Sook), who is also her mother-in-law. “This is my first meeting in awhile with Kim Hae Sook, after the film ‘The Thieves.’ While it’s a confrontation between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, the simple description of conflict does not suit our drama. Just from the script, the collision and mental fight between these two women were incredibly strong and interesting.”

She explained, “There are huge universes that exist underneath both the queen’s umbrella, and the Queen Dowager’s umbrella. While [Kim Hae Sook] is always warm and sweet, meeting actress Kim Hae Sook as Queen Dowager in ‘The Queen’s Umbrella’ is new. Her acting never gets old. With many moments of admiration, I’m filming while feeling thankful for my encounter with Kim Hae Sook.”

As a final comment to viewers, Kim Hye Soo confidently shared, “You just have to comfortably be in front of your TV in time for the broadcast. Within five minutes, ‘The Queen’s Umbrella’ will become yours.”