From fans to partners: Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Ji-won’s bond in ‘Queen of Tears’

(From left) Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won during the press conference for their new K-drama “Queen of Tears.”

Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won have been fans of each other’s work, with the actress even citing “My Love from the Star” as one of her favorite K-dramas at some point. So it’s no surprise they were nervous about portraying a married couple in “Queen of Tears.”

The romantic-comedy K-drama centers on Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun) and Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won) whose marriage is close to its breaking point where they must decide whether they should rekindle their romance or end in a divorce.

As a viewer of the actress’ work, Soo-hyun confessed that his excitement turned into “a lot of nervousness” and even ended up “stuttering in front of her” during filming.

“To be working with someone you only see onscreen, it’s very exciting. But it’s also something that induces a lot of nervousness,” he said in a roundtable interview. “At times, I was stuttering in front of her. Personality-wise, we’re both introverted and reserved so we did take time getting closer.”

But the nerves turned out to be a blessing in disguise for him, as they were able to pull off without a hitch the role of a couple whose marriage is in crisis.

“The time it took to become friends, we were able to not be overly expressive with our feelings and to know what each other felt and what the other was thinking,” recalled Soo-hyun.

Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun in a new series.

The South Korean actress was “extremely excited” about working with her leading man as well. “I had butterflies in my stomach and I was nervous too,” she said while shyly laughing during the roundtable.

“I’ve seen all of his works and I’m always a huge fan of his. You can even find an interview of back in the day where I said I love ‘My Love from the Star’ and one day, I hope to work on something like that,” she further added.

One of Soo-hyun’s notable works is “My Love from the Star,” where he starred as an alien who had three months left on Earth before falling in love with Jun Ji-hyun’s character Cheon Song-yi.

The interview she was referring to seemed to be a manifestation for Ji-won since the screenwriter of the hit K-drama is the writer behind their new series as well.

“But as you can tell, he’s very humorous, really funny, and he lights up the mood [on set] with his bubbly personality so people could feel at ease,” Ji-won said. At some point, Soo-hyun’s loud laughter can be heard in the background whenever their castmates would give funny answers.

(From left) Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won star as a couple whose marriage is on the rocks in the K-drama “Queen of Tears.”

Soo-hyun and Ji-won’s chemistry

The Hallyu icon had nothing but good things to say about his leading lady, especially when it comes to her professionalism and her unique “aura” which “helps [him] focus” in pulling off his character.

“When we were shooting in Germany, it was my first time shooting outside of the country after a long time so I was unfamiliar,” he said. “I was having difficulty, but when Kim Ji-won is in character, she exudes this kind of aura that helps me focus.”

From their characters’ honeymoon stage until their crash to the bottom, Soo-hyun also noted that Ji-won’s “strong presence” was what helped him gain composure in giving justice to his role of Baek Hyun-woo.

“Her being there with her strong presence and being the center of the set, helped me get grounded, concentrate, and be in character again,” he said.

Ji-won, on the other hand, credited Soo-hyun for her “strong focus” when portraying her role in the drama. She pointed out that working with someone like the actor is a reminder for her to “really step up [her] game.”

“It is due to him being the one who comes on set extremely well-prepared. When I’m working alongside him, I need to really step up my game. I need to do even more,” said Ji-won while recalling some of her memorable moments while filming. “I studied the script more and I think the chemistry allowed us to have great scenes together.”

(From left) Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won during the press conference for their new K-drama “Queen of Tears.”

Ji-won also said that Soo-hyun’s “amazing performance” was one of the qualities that made him a “great partner” onscreen. But when the cameras are off, the actor transforms into a “bubbly” co-star with a personality that brings light to everyone around him.

“Soo-hyun has a bubbly and energetic energy that helps me when I’m nervous or tense. In the beginning, I was nervous so we became closer slowly and took our time,” she said. “But as we developed our relationship, I think the chemistry organically came about. It then became smooth sailing since then.”

The K-drama also stars Park Sung-hoon, Kwak Dong-yeon, and Lee Joo-bin.