“The Glory” star Song Hye-kyo gave her thoughts on looking older, her nude scene and a line from the show that angered her the most in a recent interview.
Song talks about her role as Moon Dong-eun on the Netflix K-drama in Elle Korea’s February issue, whose cover she also graces.
Unlike the previous romantic melodramas she’s starred in, “The Glory” has a much darker theme. When asked about relating to her character appearance-wise, Song gave an honest answer:
I didn’t apply any makeup and certain lighting helped me achieve the haggard appearance. Dong-eun is someone who has only suffered, so it wouldn’t make sense for me to take care of myself when portraying her. I’ve heard comments about how old I look, but obviously I have gotten older with time.
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A stand-out scene from “The Glory” is Dong-eun’s moment of vulnerability while nude in front of her romantic interest Joo Yeo-jung, played by Lee Do-hyun.
Bathing in moonlight, Dong-eun strips away her clothes to reveal scars covering nearly every inch of her body.
“I wanted to give viewers an impression that this character was someone who was broken and needed protection,” Song explains. “I had already lost weight for the drama, but I made sure to control my meals to give Dong-eun an emaciated appearance. She needed to be small and underestimated.”
As a critical scene, Song explained that writer Kim Eun-sook (“Descendants of the Sun,” “Guardian,” “Mr. Sunshine,” etc.) first made sure to ask for her consent before confirming the role, even going as far as suggesting a body double.
“I immediately responded, ‘Yes, I’ll do it,’” Song stated, which she said surprised Kim.
It’s an important scene. It’s not sensual, but it shows who Moon Dong-eun is, exposing why she is so determined for revenge. It would be weird and uncomfortable for me to use someone else’s body for my character.
Looking back on filming the show, Song also mentioned one line in particular that infuriated her.
When Dong-eun reappears in her bullies’ lives, their immediate response is “did we even treat her that harshly?”
“They weren’t saying that because they were sorry, but because it was simply a memory that wasn’t important enough to them,” she explained. “Although they had inflicted so much pain and suffering, the perpetrators felt nothing.”
