At the press conference for the new SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'My Royal Nemesis' (written by Kang Hyun-joo, directed by Han Tae-seop), held at the SBS building in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 7th, Lim Ji-yeon shared that she did her absolute best to portray her character, saying, "I pushed myself to the limit, to the point where I wondered, 'Do I really have to go this far?'"
Lim continued, "I felt this was a female character unlike any I had seen in previous dramas, and I wanted to express that well." She added, "So, I dedicated my body and soul to creating and portraying her as much as I could. I hope she becomes a character that is loved just as much. To be honest, I am extremely confident."
'My Royal Nemesis' is a war-like romantic comedy between 'Shin Seo-ri' (played by Lim Ji-yeon), an unknown actress possessed by the soul of the legendary Joseon-era villain 'Kang Dan-shim' (played by Lim Ji-yeon), and 'Cha Se-gye' (played by Heo Nam-jun), a conglomerate heir dubbed a "monster created by capitalism." Lim Ji-yeon showcases a wide range of acting, including comedy, action, and romance, as she depicts the chaotic adaptation process of the Joseon villain Kang Dan-shim, who time-slips 300 years after dying from poison to inhabit the body of Shin Seo-ri in 2026.
Lim Ji-yeon stated that the biggest reason for choosing the project was that "'My Royal Nemesis' is a comedy." She said, "I was really into comedy scripts at the time, and that's when I came across the script for 'My Royal Nemesis.' I had been doing a lot of dark roles and genre pieces, so I was thinking, 'I want to do something bright, fun, and cheerful,' and that's when I met this project." Regarding her challenge in taking on a full-fledged comedic role, she explained, "I did my best to immerse myself in the set and pull off the comedic acting well."
Director Han Tae-seop, who helmed 'My Royal Nemesis,' identified Lim Ji-yeon as the drama's greatest strength, calling her "the competitive edge."
Director Han explained the charm of the Kang Dan-shim/Shin Seo-ri character, saying, "The drama's planning document includes the line, 'Good women go to heaven when they die, but bad women go anywhere.' The character Kang Dan-shim dies after drinking poison and gets a second chance at life. The endless possibilities and unpredictability of the story that unfolds as she experiences a new world with new people after experiencing death are the strengths of our drama." He added, "Experiencing death allows one to see life from a different perspective, and we portrayed that in a very cheerful way. I think this character itself is a genre."
He continued, "I wonder if there is another project where an actor can show this much range, including romantic comedy, historical drama, and action. Actress Lim Ji-yeon pulled off such a diverse array of scenes. I can truly say that Lim Ji-yeon is our competitive edge," expressing his gratitude to the actress for her multifaceted performance.
'My Royal Nemesis,' where you can catch a glimpse of Lim Ji-yeon's chameleon-like charms, will premiere on Friday, the 8th, at 9:50 PM.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)