"The Glory" Star Kim Hieora Dishes On Her 1st Impression Of The Drama, Working With Song Hye Kyo, And More

“The Glory” star Kim Hieora has talked about the hit drama in a new interview!

Penned by hit writer Kim Eun Sook, Netflix’s “The Glory” tells the story of a former victim of brutal school violence who swears revenge on her bullies after becoming the elementary school homeroom teacher of her bully’s kid. Song Hye Kyo stars as the vengeful protagonist Moon Dong Eun, while Kim Hieora plays Lee Sa Ra, an addict and one of Moon Dong Eun’s bullies.

Following the release of Part 2 on March 10, “The Glory” skyrocketed to success, quickly reaching No. 1 on Netflix’s global charts.

Thinking back to her first impression of the drama, Kim Hieora recalled, “When I first saw the script, what was charming was that from the start, it begins with [Lee Sa Ra saying] ‘Yeon Jin [Lim Ji Yeon], it’s going to be rough from now on.'” She added, “All of the script was filmed according to the writer and director’s plans without any improvisations. Since I knew of the revenge from the beginning, I think I ended up watching with a supportive heart. The actors I didn’t meet also did so well, which I believe added to the fun of watching.”

On playing the complicated role of a bully, Kim Hieora explained, “No matter what role I’m trying to take in, I try not to think of it as difficult. Since characters I cannot understand exist in this world, I thought that I didn’t have to understand. So it wasn’t too hard. Determining the level of expression I had to add for each scene was difficult.” Adding on to this, Kim Hieora spoke about working on regulating her emotions to not incur resentment from viewers.

Kim Hieora touched on her collaboration with Song Hye Kyo, revealing that they did their church scene in one take at their first filming. She explained that as a fan of Song Hye Kyo, she was so nervous to go to set and added, “After rehearsals, we were waiting so I told her ‘I’m a fan.’ [Song Hye Kyo] said, ‘Your colleagues praised you saying you’re good on stage. I’m nervous too. I’m going to act diligently too.’ She kindly told me that since Dong Eun is the one accepting it, to [act] comfortably as I pleased. Because she said that, I thought that I had to do it without being nervous.”

The actress continued, “[Once filming began], I looked at her eyes and couldn’t start right away because she looked so pretty. That’s how filming began but I could sense Song Hye Kyo’s slight nerves. That felt like Dong Eun herself. That’s exactly when I became Sa Ra. I fell in love after that so I’d always talk to [Song Hye Kyo] about that particular filming. I figured that’s why writer Kim Eun Sook had to use Song Hye Kyo [for the role of Moon Dong Eun]. She was so similar to Dong Eun.”

Regarding the popularity of “The Glory,” Kim Hieora remarked, “I didn’t imagine it would be to this extent. However, I thought that I’d gain courage. While reading the script as a viewer, there were things I had never thought of. The change I am most anticipating through this project is that while things from the past will come out, from now on, I believe it may be possible that children, youth, and also adults may never repeat these mistakes again. I especially think that if you’ve watched ‘The Glory,’ I anticipate that you will be able to help [those in situations of school bullying].”

Kim Hieora also gave her personal thoughts on the drama’s ending, saying, “Just in terms of punishment, I of course have some regrets. It can appear inadequate. You could think that there needed to be a final blow like Jae Joon [Park Sung Hoon]. However, what I really liked was that we ruined ourselves, rather than Dong Eun doing it. After Sa Ra’s release was prison, I think she would’ve found it painful to deal with all that by herself. I liked that because it felt more cruel and realistic.”

After making a brief appearance in ENA’s hit drama “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” last year, Kim Hieora has hit it big once again with “The Glory.” On her continued success and impressive transition from musical theater to dramas, the actress commented, “Thanks to ‘The Glory,’ I’m able to make my name known and do interviews. This is a picture I couldn’t have predicted just last year. I didn’t know ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ would do so well and since it was just one episode, I didn’t think I’d receive love. While resting [from musicals], I went around telling people I wanted to try out media. That’s when ‘Beyond Evil‘ worked out and came as a good opportunity. That’s why I wasn’t able to rest, but I believe I did well for having that courage.”

Start watching Kim Hieora in “Beyond Evil” with subtitles below!

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