Park Min Young And Na In Woo Shower Praise On Each Other’s Personalities, Dish On “Marry My Husband” Set Atmosphere, And More

Park Min Young and Na In Woo, the main stars of the currently airing tvN drama “Marry My Husband,” recently sat down with Cosmopolitan for a captivating pictorial and interview.

Based on the popular web novel of the same name, “Marry My Husband” tells the revenge story of the terminally ill Kang Ji Won (Park Min Young), who witnesses her best friend Jung Soo Min (Song Ha Yoon) and her husband Park Min Hwan (Lee Yi Kyung) having an affair—and is then murdered by her husband.

In the interview that followed the photo shoot, Park Min Young and Na In Woo revealed that they had wrapped up filming for the drama just the day prior. When discussing their experience watching the first episode, Park Min Young mentioned, “The first episode aired when filming was still underway, so everyone watched it at their own houses, but the cast members have a group chat. There, everyone shared their opinions and had fun monitoring and complimenting each other’s performances, saying, ‘You nailed that scene’ or ‘You look great in this scene.'” Na In Woo added a humorous anecdote, saying, “Whenever Park Min Hwan (Lee Yi Kyung) appeared, people would write, ‘You really shouldn’t live like that,’ and then Lee Yi Kyung would apologize, saying, ‘I’m sorry.’ He’s really funny.”

Saying that they’re extremely satisfied with the drama, Na In Woo shared, “First of all, the director made the atmosphere on set very comfortable. And Min Young has really strong leadership. Because she led everyone on set, I think we were able to shoot with a sense of trust and mutual support.” Park Min Young echoed his sentiments, saying, “I feel the same way. If it weren’t for In Woo, I don’t think we could have wrapped up this drama so well. An actor who brings sincerity in his acting and depth to his gaze like In Woo is really special. In Woo came to be a strong pillar to me that was always by my side, to the extent that I even felt guilty for having doubts like ‘Can we do well?’ when we first started this drama. Each member of the cast also worked hard and did well in their respective roles, I’m so lucky to have met such a team.”

Elaborating more on how the actors become close in real life, Na In Woo reflected, “Min Young tends to be reserved around unfamiliar faces, and Lee Yi Kyung is a mood maker who possesses the knack to make people laugh. After the script reading, he took the initiative to organize a gathering to break the awkward atmosphere. It was there that we truly got to know each other through sharing various talks.” Park Min Young chimed in, “Their proactive approach quickly melted away any initial awkward barrier. Personally, I tend to become more lively when I drink, so even though I was reserved at first, as we grew closer, we found ourselves having fun and dancing together and my naturally cheerful self came out then.”

When discussing what drew them to the drama, Park Min Young intriguingly revealed, “Interestingly, certain titles have a magnetic pull on me while others don’t quite appeal to me. However, ‘Marry My Husband’ struck me as particularly funny. Unfamiliar with the original web novel, I was like, ‘What does that mean?’ when I read the title. Yet, as I delved into the writing, I found it enjoyable and I’ve always wanted to try a drama centered around time travel. At the time, I wondered if I could bring it to life convincingly. With the right director by my side, I thought, ‘Perhaps I can.’ However, I wasn’t in a good place mentally at that time, so I didn’t think I could give it my all. Then we had a meeting, and both the director and writer instilled confidence in me, so I thought, ‘Maybe I can let go of myself.’ I decided to start over with that mindset.”

On the other hand, Na In Woo shared, “I first read the script in April last year. I was one of the last to read it, but the male lead hadn’t been cast yet. I was filming another drama at the time, which concluded in early May. I was planning to take a break, but then I came across the script and was immediately captivated. The story is simple, but I felt that the characters were alive. Imagining myself being with those characters made the script even more interesting. So I thought I had to do it somehow.”

When questioned about any parallels between themselves and their respective characters, Na In Woo remarked, “I don’t think there are any similarities. However, I’ve had a lifelong habit of maintaining eye contact during conversations, starting from a young age. I have a habit of observing quietly. Eventually, this habit evolved into a significant asset in my acting endeavors. It enabled me to exchange emotions with my co-stars seamlessly. These aspects aided me in portraying Ji Hyuk, a character distinct from my own self.”

Likewise, Park Min Young shared, “Honestly, Ji Won is a character that has too many fictional attributes, so it’s difficult to find any similarity with me. It took some time for me to fully accept the character Kang Ji Won. Once I felt like I became Kang Ji Won, I just had to trust myself and move forward. Thus, even though Kang Ji Won remained distinct from Park Min Young, I firmly believe that the essence of Kang Ji Won resided within me.”

Exchanging heartfelt compliments, Park Min Young expressed, “The more I see In Woo, the more admirable qualities I discover. I’ve often wondered, ‘What’s behind those deep eyes? Where does that energy come from?’ And now that I’m starting to get to know In Woo, it’s a pity that the filming is over. He has an embracing nature, demonstrates thoughtfulness towards others, and occasionally also takes charge on set.” She sweetly added, “There was a moment in the drama when In Woo underwent a transformation, and I told him, ‘You’re truly handsome.’ Another significant transformation occurs in Episode 5. From that point onward, it’s game on for Ji Hyuk and Ji Won. It’s during this phase that Ji Hyuk’s charm intensifies. He really looks handsome, cute, and sometimes mischievous. As time passed, In Woo became more comfortable and closer to Ji Hyuk and his true self came out naturally. His true self is so kind and cool—that’s why I praised him a lot.”

Na In Woo reciprocated, “Min Young herself is a standout feature. It’s to the point where I feel it’s regrettable to only talk about this simply. She has a strong sense of responsibility and leadership. Yet, she’s also very cute and adorable. She listens well to others yet is assertive and articulate in expressing her own thoughts. That’s something I really want to learn from.”

Finally, Park Min Young and Na In Woo shared heartfelt messages for the viewers. Na In Woo said, “Throughout the drama, numerous stories unfold through flashbacks. I believe our viewers will find deeper resonance and immersion in the narrative because of these flashbacks. Please continue to love the drama until the very end.”

Adding her sentiments, Park Min Young conveyed, “The message I wanted to convey through this drama is that ‘It’s not the end just because you made a mistake once.’ I hope people cherish and love themselves a little more.” She continued with thoughtful reflection, “I’ve learned a lot through this drama. I cried so much after wrapping up the last shoot yesterday. My staff who have been with me for a long time said they’ve never seen me cry like that before. That’s how much I was attached to this project. It became a drama that makes you want to keep living well and look forward to tomorrow.”

The next episode of “Marry My Husband” airs on January 30 at 8:50 p.m. KST.

cr: Soompi