Choi Hee-jin Reveals How She Guessed Hong Hye-ju’s Twist in ‘Idol I’

Actress Choi Hee-jin shared her thoughts on her twist performance as Hong Hye-ju in the Genie TV original drama ‘Idol I’. Playing the true culprit who murdered Ahn Woo-yeon in the series, she said she intuitively sensed her role from the script meeting.

The twist behind ‘Idol I’s Hong Hye-ju

In an interview held on the 28th at the Saram Entertainment building in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Choi Hee-jin expressed her feelings at the time, saying, “‘Idol I’ was the project I entered immediately after finishing ‘Motel California.’ The role was so different from my previous work that I felt great tension and pressure.”

Regarding Hong Hye-ju's identity, she recalled, “While discussing the character with the director, as soon as I saw the director's eyes, I felt that my character was the culprit.” She added, “When I first asked if Hye-ju was the culprit, the director was surprised and asked how I knew.”

After finishing the work, Choi Hee-jin sent a message to director Lee Kwang-young saying, “I am truly grateful to be able to take on such a role.” The next morning, she laughed, saying, “I did a bit of a blanket kick,” while director Lee Kwang-young offered encouragement, saying, “Hye-ju did a great job in episode 11. There were many scenes she had to carry alone, and she worked very hard.”

‘Motel California’s Yoon Nan-woo and live filming

Choi Hee-jin also spoke about the innocent veterinarian Yoon Nan-woo she played in the recently concluded MBC Friday-Saturday drama ‘Motel California.’ In this work, based on the novel ‘Home, Bitter Home’ by writer Shim Yoon-seo, she played a character who became a veterinarian out of love for animals.

She described ‘Motel California’ as “a drama that was not provocative but soft.” For Choi Hee-jin, who has portrayed various characters through ‘Behind Your Touch’, ‘Strong Girl Nam-soon’, and ‘The Impossible Heir’, a clear character like Nan-woo was a first.

Choi Hee-jin said, “I gained strength from the writer's advice to ‘draw a Yoon Nan-woo that is uniquely Choi Hee-jin’ and built my own character.” Regarding the set, which was conducted in a rare ‘live filming’ style, she shared, “It was my first time filming with a live feeling, so it was a good experience.”

Time spent holding onto the character and recent news from Paris

While preparing for Yoon Nan-woo, Choi Hee-jin tried to meticulously grasp the nuances of the character. She explained the process of understanding the character, saying, “Nan-woo is a friend with clear convictions, so I felt her emotions wouldn't change easily.” The time spent trying to realize the character according to the director's direction remained as growth as an actress.

Having finished her consecutive project activities, Choi Hee-jin shared her recent status with photos taken in Paris, France. She recorded her travel moments by posting photos set against the tranquil streets of Paris on her SNS.