What Next for Korea’s Sweetheart?
May 18, 2007SHE is oh so beautiful, but age is not on her side.
And she can be as stubborn as a mule when it comes to sticking to her acting style.
But Korean sweetheart Lee Young Ae’s biggest hurdle yet in her 17-year showbiz career is the lack of a suitable TV script.
No doubt she is already a household name in Asia, after starring in the hugely-popular historical drama Jewel In The Palace. The serial is still making rounds on TV around the world, the latest being Russia.
Her name is synonymous with Jang Geum, the never-say-die heroine of the period drama, who rises from a lowly palace maid to become a cook and eventually, the first female imperial physician in Korea’s history.
But this signature role has turned into a double-edged sword for her.
The screen image has become so deeply entrenched in everyone’s mind (hands up if you can name another famous TV role of hers), that fans find it hard to imagine her as anyone else.
No wonder Korean director Lee Byung Hoon, who helmed Jewel In The Palace in 2003, said that Young Ae, 36, must be feeling ‘troubled’ over her next showbiz move.
It has been two years since her last project, Sympathy For Lady Vengeance, hit the silver screen and three years since Jewel In The Palace ended its run in Korea.
Instead of striking her next TV deal, the fiercely-private actress chose to stay out of the public eye, except to grace major award ceremonies like the recent 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards and fashion designer Andre Kim’s Best Star Awards.
From time to time, Young Ae, who debuted in a TV commercial in 1990, endorsed top brands like LG or embarked on promotional tours around the region.
Some might scoff that she is being picky or just plain unambitious, but Byung Hoon, who is in his 60s, revealed that it is necessary for her to be careful.
Speaking to The New Paper through an interpreter in Seoul recently, he said: ‘She will feel troubled trying to decide on her next project. She has built such a good image since Jewel In The Palace, but if she chooses the wrong script and suffers a bad image, it will impact her career.’
TV producer Shin Hyun Taik, who owns Samhwa Network Production, which made Young Ae’s drama Fireworks years ago and Jang Nara’s Wedding recently, added that it is time for Young Ae to shake off her Jang Geum image and take up a range of roles so that she can ‘become a world-class actress in the near future’.
While Young Ae made a stunning transformation into the cold-blooded murderer Geum Ja in the critically-acclaimed black comedy Sympathy For Lady Vengeance, lukewarm box-office figures outside Korea suggested that most fans still associate her with the kind and gentle Jang Geum.
Public mindset aside, it seems age is also a stumbling block for the beauty.
Young Ae’s manager recently lamented that good roles are hard to come by for actresses in their 30s and most scripts tend to place greater emphasis on the male leads.
But he maintained that they will wait for a suitable script, instead of ‘jumping into a decision’.
AGE IS A NEGATIVE FACTOR
Even Byung Hoon cited age as a negative factor when asked if he intends to produce a sequel to Jewel In The Palace.
Many fans had hoped that Young Ae would reprise the Jang Geum role, but the director’s response was a firm ‘impossible’.
Shaking his head in mock resignation, he said: ‘We’ve already explored all possible story angles in 54 episodes, and what’s more, Lee Young Ae is now too old (to play Jang Geum).
‘MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation) did ask me two years ago if I intended to do a sequel, but I’ve already told them many times it is impossible.’
Inevitably, the mid-30s is an awkward age for many actresses, and not just in Korea.
Someone like Young Ae, for instance, would be too old to play a young woman and too young to be a mother or ajuma (auntie in Korean).
So, what can she be?
Byung Hoon said: ‘She can play a woman in her late 20s or early 30s, maybe a working professional like lawyer, teacher, doctor or business journalist.
‘She can’t be a kid’s mother, that would be too old for her. I think she should be a professional career woman instead. But I wonder if she agrees with me?’
There was talk that Young Ae was to be cast as a female president in a new Korean drama, but there have been no updates.
Perhaps, another obstacle is that she probably commands a sky-high fee that makes many producers think twice before offering her a role.
She and fellow Hallyu stars like BaeYong Joon and Choi Ji Woo are known to command up to 50million won ($80,000) per episode, which could work out to be half of the production budget of any major serial.
But more of this sticky problem in next Monday’s installment.
Whatever her decision, Byung Hun believes that Young Ae will shine.
To him, she is a versatile actress who is like a piece of white paper.
‘You apply the colours and she’ll become them. She can play Geum Ja or Jang Geum or anyone else.
‘She can appear intelligent on one side and cold on the other.’
He said that she is hardworking, sincere and dedicated in her work, and impeccably polite with everyone.
Producer Hyun Taik added that she is ‘taciturn, cool-headed, staid and dependable’, and one of her biggest virtues is her ability to concentrate fully on her role.
But the seemingly-perfect Young Ae is not without flaws.
During filming, Byung Hoon said sometimes she was unrelentingly stubborn and placed logic above everything else.
‘Every scene must be logical to her, otherwise she won’t be able to devote herself into the scene.
‘But when it comes to love, sometimes there’s no logic.’
To convince Young Ae to see things from his perspective was no easy feat.
He recalled a scene in Jewel In The Palace, when Jang Geum first confesses her feelings to her beloved (played by Ji Jin Hee) on a beach during sunset.
He said Young Ae insisted that her character would not declare her love so openly, and he spent a long time changing her mind.
‘One can afford to be honest in the face of love, but she said it’s not logical,’ he recalled.
To convince her, he quoted a scene from an ’80s Korean novel, about a
woman who returns to the man whom she earlier betrayed.
The woman wants him to forgive her, but he says he loves her and explains that saying ‘I love you’ is equivalent to saying ‘I forgive you’ 1,000 times.
‘That’s how I finally managed to convince her that anything is possible when you’re in love,’ he said with a laugh.
‘But that’s how Lee Young Ae is. If she can’t understand a concept fully, she cannot proceed to act it out.
‘So every time something like this happened, I had to talk it out with her and convince her.
‘But it became easier during the later phase of the filming, because by then she had learnt to trust me and she would listen to me.’
REFUSED TO LISTEN
But, there were also times when she simply refused to listen.
Byung Hoon said he was touched when she insisted on standing in the freezing cold for an hour just to watch other actors film outdoors, even though she had no scenes with them until much later.
‘I told her to go inside and wait for me to call her, but she wouldn’t listen.
‘She insisted that she can only devote herself into her scene if she stayed and watched. She can be so stubborn.’
Perhaps, that stubborn streak and the pursuit for perfection is what makes her one of Korea’s top stars today.
But it remains to be seen if she can lift herself out of the Jewel box and outdo her most laudable TV performance to date.
RSS 2.0
To the best actress of the world, Lady Lee young ae
Hi, when I start to write this letter, I thought very much about what I must write .First I want to express my interest to your really beautiful acting , I first saw you on ‘ Dae Jang Geum ‘ and I really attract to your acting and so I decide to know more about you and your films then I search about you on internet , for the first time I saw your pictures in web pages I really astonished .I am sure that you ask why this person become astonished when saw me in the internet , you know I said that I’m attract by your acting but what was I saw in the internet was your ( I’m really sorry ) body and your apparent form not your beautiful acting that I love it very much . Please let me expand my meaning, your apparent beauty will be fall by time run and your body become old as your apparent beauty but what is remain in the minds and souls is your acting and what you said in your dialog’s to guide people to welfare , I read a sentence in a book that I think it may be useful here , the sentence is : The people whom just proud because of their body will be forgotten when their body goes under the soil but the people whom proud because of their minds and souls will not be forgotten because their souls and words will not be goes under soil . I hopeful that my words don’t bother you , but I send this words for you ( just for you , not any other actress or actors ) because I saw something different in your eyes that I think is not from this world …
I will be glad if you send your opinion about my letter and maybe if we can talk about this issue that I think is very important.
I am Iranian.my city is Masshad
My Gmail E_mail: r.hz5711@gmail.com
I wait for replay this letter
I write this letter at April 27, 2007
5:50 to time Iran
Comment by Reza Hassan Zadeh — May 18, 2007 @ 8:47 pm
I LOVE YOU
Comment by hossein — May 21, 2007 @ 2:35 pm
thanks
Comment by mahdi — May 28, 2007 @ 12:28 am
Dear Mam,
I am telling Chet Ram Maurya. I am telling you that Your are 36 years old but people called your are next Korean sweet hearts.
Chet Ram Maurya
AOVPM9087J
Comment by Chet Ram Maurya — May 29, 2007 @ 2:03 pm
News story about Camp LeJune in North Carolina about Marines getting cancer from “toxic water”. They scapegoat a local dry cleaner.
It came from the camp, and I suspect some of those stationed there did the actual dumping. We’ve seen this type of behavior in Concord, causing an inordinantly high mental retardation rate within select neighborhoods.
They were careful to cover this dumping with the dry cleaner issue because they want them continuing with their current behavior. A major scandal like this among the red state’s military meatheads would shake their confidence to the core and initiate permanent changes.
Comment by News story about Camp LeJune in North Carolina about Marines getting cancer from "toxic water". They scapegoat a local dry cleaner. — June 14, 2007 @ 1:08 am
hi dear lee
I hope that you are very well.
thanks with best hopes
Comment by Constantine — June 14, 2007 @ 3:51 pm
Hi, Lady Lee, I think you are an excellent actress, so you can become very very young girl or become adult woman in your film. You can express something naturally. I love you, I miss you, I want to meet you. It is from Yogyakarta (Central Java), Indonesia. Please, visit Yogyakarta, if in “Jewel in The Palace” you can enter to palace, but in Yogyakarta you can enter into Sultan’Palace.
Comment by Miss. Eko Suryanti — July 11, 2007 @ 11:55 am
Lady Lee, how do you do for caring your face, so that you have bright face, I like your face, beatiful, but seem natural.
Comment by Miss. Eko Suryanti — July 11, 2007 @ 11:59 am
Lady Lee, I like history, ancient story. Yogyakarta have palace, kingdom story. If I watch Jewel in The Palace, I can feel how Korea in last last years, some women work in the palace, cooking, prepare food for the king. You and your film are so charming, with best director, artistic, very very interesting. Tric ….I can do comparation with Java History.
Comment by Miss. Eko Suryanti — July 11, 2007 @ 12:08 pm
Hi,I like history like others and in this poist no one can’t play such Lee young ae ..
in the night in iran milions of peoples see Deajanggeum
and Offisial movie site about daejanggeum in iran is http://www.Daejanggeum.org
Comment by Amin — July 22, 2007 @ 5:38 am
Wow, that’s a great article, and very straightforward.
I miss JiTP and the cast.
Any updates on Ri-Na?
Comment by EG — July 22, 2007 @ 7:50 am
I like your likly face and you are the best acter i know, have good time in your life
Comment by noosha — September 5, 2007 @ 5:21 am
hi jong jon how are you i’m from Cambodia.i like you like your drama thans you i hope you can make friend with me okok
Comment by chen chen — September 16, 2007 @ 5:26 pm
hi youn jon how are you i like your drama (KYOR OUL YORNG KA)i’m from CAMBODIA i hope i can see you in Korean.i wnt to make friend with you i love Korean………My name Chen Chen i have many many friend in Korean ……..this my mail in the world can make friend with me:who_lovechen@yahoo.com
Comment by chen chen — September 16, 2007 @ 5:32 pm
I am enjoying watch this fine series a lot! I am currently watching episode 25. BTW, today while flipping through the channels, I happene upon the first episode of Dae Jang Geum being shown on Dubai TV (16:30 local time) with an Arabic dub. I was pleasantly surprised
Comment by Musouka — October 14, 2007 @ 9:42 pm
my co-worker told me that this show was really popular in iran. i guess i can see that from all of the iranian fans. i wonder how the show is doing in dubai.
Comment by mimi318 — November 7, 2007 @ 8:01 am
hello my sister lee yong ae i love you forever you very beautifuly girl and sweet.
Comment by nanda ae — November 17, 2007 @ 9:32 pm
I love you lee yong ae
Comment by hassan shams — December 4, 2007 @ 4:56 pm
hiiiiiiiiii miss lee young aee . i love you very very much. iam mila from iran
Comment by mila arab — December 21, 2007 @ 4:57 am
Hi, sister Lee, why..why I can’t forget you. I want to watch Lee Young Ae, again, again. I want to see “Lee Young Ae, forever young” and Dae Jang Geum always be aired on TV. Why I am no bored about Jang Geum and Lee Young Ae………………………Sister, Miss Lee, may be forever young. I always want to tell about this to everyone.
Comment by ekosuryanti — January 24, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
Age is not reason to reach many idea. If age become reason to someone to career, I think it’s unfair. Professional win everythings. Miss Lee Young Ae do professional things. She can become 20 years old girl or become in her age. I think she also become a handsome man. May be. Be spirit and professional in our life. Don’t become age as negative factors.
Comment by ekosuryanti — February 9, 2008 @ 11:06 am
only dae janggeum
Comment by mostafa — April 18, 2008 @ 7:11 am
Hi lee young ae or as I have come to know you these past 3 months Jang Geum. I think your acting was the best ( AWESOME) that I have seen in such a long time. You came across as sincere and true. Your strong charator in the movie and resolution to succeed has basically taught me not give up on my dreams no matter what adversty or road blocks that may stand in my way . And even If I have read that you are know 36 and age has become a limiting factor in your future in the movie industry, I believe that your beauty and charm and charator have touch me and millions of people arround the world who have watched jewel in the palace. And trust me that in us ( okay atleast me) the beauty will never go away. you will forever be the JEWEL IN THE PALACE in our hearts.
All the best wishes Jang Geum
Comment by allan kagwisagye — April 18, 2008 @ 4:29 pm
Hi lee young ae or as I have come to know you these past 3 months Jang Geum. I think your acting was the best (AWESOME) that I have seen in such a long time. You came across as sincere and true. Your strong character in the movie and resolution to succeed has basically taught me not give up on my dreams no matter what adversity or road blocks that may stand in my way. And even If I have read that you are know 36 and age has become a limiting factor in your future in the movie industry, I believe that your beauty and charm and character have touched me and millions of people around the world who have watched jewel in the palace. And trust me that in us (okay at least me) the beauty will never go away. You will forever be the JEWEL IN THE PALACE in our hearts.
All the best wishes Jang Geum
Allan Kagwisagye
Kampala
Uganda
Comment by allan kagwisagye — April 18, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
i love tha korean artsi
Comment by tanakwagu — May 7, 2008 @ 10:26 pm
i love tha korean artst
Comment by tanakwagu — May 7, 2008 @ 10:27 pm