Jo Hyun Jae

More NG scenes are shown. That of Seo Dong as a slave being savagely horse-whipped by the guard breaks my heart, until the director screams at him: “Why are you hitting him so hard?”

Then there are other NG scenes involving minor characters. The abduction scene of Princess Sunhwa and her maid is bungled when the maid could not be put into the bag (the other bad guys have already carried off the princess.)

In the scene of the stabbing of the Crown Prince in the cave, the assassin cannot find the dagger. And when he is supposed to escape, he takes his time running out of the cave (complaining the tunnel is too long.)

Even minor characters don’t know how to die from being shot. The director himself has to demonstrate.

After all these NG scenes, the actors are asked if anyone has been hurt during filming. Heo Young Ran (who plays Princess Woo Young) says she received 8 stitches from a wound incurred from being dragged by her on-screen brother Buyusun (actor Kim Young Ho) after he discovers her betrayal. The actor says he feels very bad, especially since it happens to a girl and a younger actress. He is so remorseful he takes up smoking again (but has since quit.) The actor who plays his aide-de-camp Heuk Chi Pyeong (Lee Hee Do) says after that scene with Princess Woo Young, Buyusun is going to turn on him. Before the shooting they have come to an understanding and Buyusun is only going to playact. But once shooting commences, Buyusun kicks him in the chin real hard. Good thing he manages to get out of range in time. Princess Woo Young says Buyusun does not realize his own strength. Once he bangs on a table and breaks it in two.

SECOND question — Who thinks his/her part should be expanded or amended? 7 people press their buttons. Lee Bo Young says she is not very happy with her character in the later part of the drama. Princess Sunhwa is at first very vivacious but becomes a rather pitiable figure towards the end. She wants to play her in a more spirited way.

Another actress who plays a minor member of Taehaksa says she’d rather play an empress.

Then the actor who plays Bumro says he’s the only one who can play Bumro, but he really wants to play Giroo, especially the death scene. He re-enacts that death scene as Giroo on the spot.

The actor who plays the King (Seo Dong’s father) says he and Jo Hyun Jae twice play father and son, here in SDY and before that in “Only You”. He feels like they are father and son, but in SDY he is not able to take care of his on-screen son. If they ever have the chance to play father and son again, he promises to take good care of his “son”.

(TO BE CONTINUED)