Park Min-young’s leadership in ‘Marry My Husband’ earns cast’s respect

The hit K-drama “Marry My Husband” is led by (from left) Na In-woo and Park Min-young. Image: Instagram/@tvn_drama

It might have taken Kang Ji-won, portrayed by South Korean star Park Min-young, a while to reclaim justice in the hit K-drama “Marry My Husband,” but the same role earned for the actress the respect of her co-stars, especially her leading man Na In-woo.

The 16-episode series revolves around Ji-won, who wakes up 10 years earlier after she was murdered by her husband Park Min-hwan (Lee Yi-kyung) who was having an affair with her best friend Jung Su-min (Song Ha-yoon).

Stronger and more assertive, Ji-won takes it upon herself to ensure that either Min-hwan or Su-min gets her destiny. She is accompanied by her boss Yoo Ji-hyuk (Na In-woo) who has always been in love with her.

Apart from the series’ revenge theme, Na praised Park for “leading everyone” while filming during an interview with Cosmopolitan Korea.

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“The director made the atmosphere very comfortable and Min-young has really strong leadership skills,” he said via a Soompi translation. “Because she led everyone on set, I think we were able to shoot with a sense of trust and mutual support.”

Na also shared that the actress is a “standout” with her “sense of responsibility,” which inspired him to develop his skills as an actor.

“Min-young herself is a standout. It’s to the point where I feel it’s regrettable to only talk about this simply. She has a strong sense of responsibility and leadership. Yet, she’s also very cute and adorable. She listens well to others, yet, is assertive and articulate in expressing her thoughts. That’s something I want to learn from,” he said.

Park, on the other hand, credited Na for being a leading man who is “sincere” with his work which became a “strong pillar” for her while filming.

“If it weren’t for In-woo, I don’t think we could have wrapped up this drama so well. An actor who brings sincerity in his acting and depth to his gaze is really special. He came to be a strong pillar to me that was always by my side, to the extent that I even felt guilty for having doubts like, ‘Can we do well,’” she was quoted as saying.

But when it comes to their behind-the-scenes dynamic, Na said while Park became a “leader” behind the scenes, Lee was the “mood maker” who made an effort to break the ice between the cast.

“Min-young tends to be reserved around unfamiliar faces, while Lee Yi-kyung is a mood maker who can make people laugh,” said Na. “After the script reading, he took the initiative to organize a gathering to break the awkward atmosphere. It was there that we truly got to know each other more.”

Intriguing plot

Both actors were intrigued by the show’s theme from the beginning, with Na having the urge to do his role justice. “I was planning to take a break, but then I came across the script and was immediately captivated.”

“The story is simple, but I felt that the characters were alive,” he continued. “Imagining myself being with those characters made the script even more interesting. So I thought I had to do it somehow.”

For her part, Park admitted that she initially found “Marry My Husband’s” title to be “funny” until she became captivated by the script and her character. She then shared that she wasn’t “in a mentally good place” during filming, but she was able to break out of her shell with the help of the director and writer.

“‘Marry My Husband’ struck me as particularly funny. Unfamiliar with the original web novel, I was like, ‘What does that mean?’ when I read the title. Yet, as I delved into the writing, I found it enjoyable,” she said. “I wasn’t in a good place mentally at that time, so I didn’t think I could give it my all. Then we had a meeting where the director and writer instilled confidence in me.”