Song Hye-kyo in “The Glory 1.” Images: Screengrab from YouTube/Netflix K-Content
One of the most heartbreaking scenes in the hit K-drama “The Glory” is when Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo) showed all of her burn scars to Ju Yeo-jeong (Lee Do-hyun), a scene which the actress herself revealed she prepared for by not eating for three days.
The sixth episode featured Dong-eun falling into anxiety attacks after hearing the sound of sizzling meat, which reminded her of a time when her tormentors burned her arms and legs using a curling iron and clothes iron. Soon after, she decided to reveal her plans of revenge to Yeo-jeong, who initially hesitated to help her out.
The doctor, however, changed his mind after seeing her burn scars where he promised to be her “executioner.”
“It took a long time for the makeup artist to bring Dong-eun’s scars to life in the ending of episode six. It took four, five hours,” Hye-kyo said in an interview with a select group of entertainment reporters, including from INQUIRER.net.
One can see Hye-kyo getting pensive as she narrated how she prepared for this scene. “I did not eat for three days and I did not even drink water the day before [filming], so the makeup made me tired even before shooting [the scene itself].”
Despite being tired, the veteran actress admitted that it was one of her most memorable moments during filming.
“But since I was tired, the scene was portrayed even better but we wore that makeup often so it caused trouble to my skin. So for me, those moments were the most memorable,” she added.
While portraying the role of Dong-eun was “tough” for Hye-kyo, she hoped that viewers were able to resonate with her character’s painful story.
“It was tough, but I was really happy. The time that I could express Moon Dong-eun’s character was not long enough. But someone like Moon Dong-eun still has hope, that she is not just a victim [of bullying]. The thought of portraying that with acting made me really happy,” she said.
“The Glory” tells the story of Moon Dong-eun, a victim of school violence and abuse as a teenager. Eighteen years later, she brought her elaborate plan of revenge against former tormentors Park Yeon-jin (Lim Ji-yeon), Jeon Jae-jun (Park Sung-hoon), Lee Sa-ra (Kim Hieo-ra), Choi Hye-jeong (Cha Joo-young), and Son Myeong-o (Kim Gun-woo), as well as her former teacher Kim Jong-moon (Park Yoon-hee). Its first part was released in December 2022, while the second part is set to premiere on March 10.
The K-drama marks the second time that Hye-kyo worked with screenwriter Kim Eun-sook since “Descendants of the Sun” in 2016. Among her most popular works include “Descendants,” “That Winter, The Wind Blows,” “Autumn in my Heart,” and “Full House,” among many others. EDV