The production team of 'Dazzling' and Kim Hye-ja have come together after six years to create a new masterpiece with 'More Beautiful than Heaven'.
On the afternoon of the 18th, an online press conference for JTBC's new weekend drama 'More Beautiful than Heaven' was held. The event was attended by director Kim Seok-yoon, Kim Hye-ja, Son Seok-koo, Han Ji-min, Lee Jung-eun, Cheon Ho-jin, and Ryu Deok-hwan.
Set to premiere on the 19th at 10:40 PM, 'More Beautiful than Heaven' tells the story of Lee Hae-sook (played by Kim Hye-ja), who arrives in heaven at the age of 80 and reunites with her husband Ko Nak-jun (played by Son Seok-koo), who appears in his 30s, depicting a transcendent romance.
This work is a collaboration between director Kim Seok-yoon, known for numerous well-made dramas such as 'Dazzling', 'The Light in Your Eyes', and 'Misaeng', and writers Lee Nam-kyu and Kim Soo-jin. It marks the first collaboration with Kim Hye-ja in six years since 'Dazzling'.
Director Kim Seok-yoon expressed, "As the release approaches, I feel like I'm being evaluated. Since we put in our best effort, I hope it comes across as a gift."
He added, "This work was created with Kim Hye-ja in mind from the planning stage. Writers Lee Nam-kyu and Kim Soo-jin, who worked on 'Dazzling', paused their own scripts to participate in what we call the 'Kim Hye-ja Project'. We thought about how to create a role that would allow Kim Hye-ja to pour everything into it, aiming to create a work that would provide both fun and emotion. It is a tailor-made piece."
He continued, "I am grateful to the other actors for agreeing to participate without a script. Each character was designed after recognizing the individuals. We provided all the actors with tailored roles rather than ready-made ones. The characters came to life vibrantly."
Kim Hye-ja plays the role of Lee Hae-sook, who goes to heaven at the age of 80 and reunites with her husband who appears in his 30s. She described her character, saying, "Her love for her husband was incredibly deep. Suddenly, her husband had an accident, and she was thrown into a harsh world without any preparation. How difficult must that be?"
She added, "When women go to heaven, they all go at a young age, but Hae-sook goes at the age of 80, which her husband said was beautiful. Believing her husband when he said, 'You are the most beautiful now,' she went to heaven at 80, only to find her husband had become young." This comment about her husband, played by Son Seok-koo, drew laughter. Kim Hye-ja remarked, "She is a character that all viewers can relate to."
Kim Hye-ja also expressed her affection for the project, saying, "I decided to do this because director Kim Seok-yoon was involved. After reading the synopsis, I thought the story would be very interesting. The beautiful connection that continues from this life to heaven resonated with me. I wanted to do it."
This project holds special meaning for Kim Hye-ja. She stated, "Acting is all I want to do, and it's all I care about. I don't know anything else. If asked to do something else, I would fail miserably. I love acting and it makes me happy."
She added, "Thanks to director Kim Seok-yoon and everyone involved, it was easy to act. I am very grateful. I spent a year joyfully thinking about this. Seeing the broadcast made me feel thankful."
Kim Hye-ja has turned 84 this year. Mentioning this, she said, "This could be... realistically, considering my age and everything, my last work. So I am even more grateful," expressing, "I spent a truly happy year, and it seems to have concluded satisfactorily, so I am just thankful."
Son Seok-koo plays the role of Ko Nak-jun, a devoted husband and a postman in heaven. He was the 'pick' of Kim Hye-ja. She remarked, "I felt he was a great actor while watching 'My Liberation Notes'. When the director mentioned the husband, I suggested, 'It would be good to work with Son Seok-koo.' After acting together, he was just as I imagined. Although he is younger, he led well. I am grateful for his support as a husband." They showcased their couple chemistry by smiling at each other while talking.
Son Seok-koo recalled receiving the casting offer, saying, "The director contacted me and said, 'The teacher personally chose you.'" He continued, "I still remember it; I was in a situation where I had to catch a taxi on the street. I said, 'Kim Hye-ja? I will definitely do it,' and 'A melodrama? I will do it.'"
He added, "From the first time I met the teacher, it didn't feel difficult. I had some pressure about acting as a couple, but it didn't feel awkward because it was the teacher."
Son Seok-koo further described Nak-jun, saying, "Describing Nak-jun as a devoted husband is the most appropriate and fitting word. He is a devoted husband who only looks at Hae-sook. He is kind as a devoted husband. So he has the heart that 'I hope others live well in heaven too.' The space of heaven is not much different from this world. That is very nice. If I go to heaven later, I hope for such a heaven."
Han Ji-min and Lee Jung-eun play the roles of Somi and Lee Young-ae, which were not originally part of the director's concept. Director Kim stated, "Han Ji-min and Lee Jung-eun were not originally planned to appear in the work," adding, "When Kim Hye-ja was cast, they said, 'I will protect the teacher on set,' so we created roles that didn't exist. It couldn't be made carelessly, but it was possible during the process of creating the script. Their participation enriched the work. The characters were so well-developed that they didn't feel like an accidental case."
Han Ji-min humorously said, "We insisted on being included," which drew laughter. She added, "When director Kim Seok-yoon said he was working with Kim Hye-ja, I felt greedy and asked if I could be a staff member if there were no roles. The director's set is always happy, and I want to continue working with him. I hope he doesn't retire."
Finally, director Kim stated, "This work is based on the premise that death is not the end of life. It depicts the continuation of life through death, the beginning of another life. I wanted to portray the connections between people that are formed over multiple lives." He emphasized, "The relationships between people are the most important. I want to tell the story of how their connections begin and how they unfold, whether they are good or bad, and the preciousness of those connections."
'More Beautiful than Heaven' airs every Saturday at 10:40 PM and Sunday at 10:30 PM.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
