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With just a few days to go before its much-anticipated finale, the drama "The First Night with the Duke" (original title: 남주의 첫날밤을 가져버렸다) raises even more expectations thanks to the confidences of its 5 lead actors. Far from merely playing their roles, they each plunged deep into their characters, painstakingly working out every nuance, every emotion.
A heroine between three identities: Seohyun
Seohyun (Girls' Generation), who plays Cha Sun-chaekspeaks of a multi-dimensional interpretation. She approached her character as three distinct entities: first K, the student wounded by real life; then Sun Chaek before her possession, a rich but empty young woman; finally, Sun Chaek after her possession, determined, fearless, assertive. Seohyun placed particular emphasis on this last version, wanting to show a heroine who grew up freely in a world that was not her own.
An ambivalent hero: Taecyeon
Taecyeon (2PM) embodies Yi Beona character as fascinating as he is baffling. He oscillates between chilling cruelty and sincere romanticism. The actor confides that he had lengthy discussions with the director to understand the darker side of this character with a painful past. "It's sometimes hard to tell whether he's the hero or the antagonist," admits Taecyeon. To give him depth, he concentrated on acting based more on looks and body language than on dialogue.
A subtle antagonist: Kwon Han-sol
Kwon Han-solin the role of Jo Eun-aethe novel's original heroine turned antagonist, delivered a fine performance. Beneath her gentle exterior, Eun Ae hides a ferocious ambition. To make her credible, the actress analyzed every micro-expression, every variation in tone, filming herself over and over again. Meticulous work to create a figure of rivalry both elegant and formidable.
A chameleon character: Seo Bum-june
In the role of Jung Soo-gyeom, Seo Bum-june made a point of adapting his posture and voice according to the person he was talking to. Playful and free with Yi Beon, more reserved with Sun Chaek or Eun Ae, tense in front of his father... He sought to draw a multi-faceted character, credible in every interaction, and deeply human.
A first in historical drama: Chi Hae-won
Finally, Chi Hae-wonwho performs Do Hwa-seonThis is her very first role in a historical drama. And not the least: she plays an intriguing and charismatic "queen" of high society. The actress has deliberately avoided the classic sageuk tone to better suit the drama's atmosphere, where Sun Chaek's modernity upsets convention. Her aim: to make Do Hwa-seon stand out with her elegance and her own emotions, without falling into caricature.
No wonder "The First Night with the Duke captivated fans right up to the final week. The final 2 episodes will be broadcast on July 16 and 17 at 9:50 pm on KBS2 (and in the following hours available on Viki). Have you started watching?
