Im Soo-hyang, Ji Hyun-woo ready to play romance between celeb and producer in 'Beauty and Romantic'

A scene from "Beauty and Romantic," starring Im Soo-hyang (KBS)

South Korean actors Im Soo-hyang and Ji Hyun-woo said with the help of veteran director and screenwriter, they are ready to embody their intriguing roles in the new KBS weekend drama series, "Beauty and Romantic," set to premiere Saturday.

"Beauty and Romantic" is a 50-part series that tells the story of a top celebrity (played by Im Soo-hyang), who experiences a decline in popularity and a drama series producer (played by Ji Hyun-woo), who falls in love with her.

The drama series is scripted by Kim Sa-kyung, the screenwriter for KBS weekend drama series such as "Young Lady and Gentleman" and "My Only One," and helmed by director Hong Seok-ku, who also directed KBS weekend dramas such as "My Only One" and "Homemade Love Story,"

Im said as an actor herself, she found the role of Park Do-ra comfortable and intriguing to depict.

"As an actor, portraying the role of an actor is incredibly intriguing. I think I found myself more comfortable than Ji (acting on-screen), as I could relate better to the professional challenges and joys experienced by actors," said Im.

"However, there's also a significant sense of responsibility, and there are moments within the episodes where the portrayal doesn't quite match reality. Yet, there are also well-expressed parts, which made the filming process enjoyable," she said.

Ji, who portrayed the role of a drama producer who falls in love with Park Do-ra, said he was thrilled to work again with the screenwriter of "Beauty and Romantic." For his role in "Young Lady and Gentleman," his previous work with Kim, Ji won the grand prize in KBS Drama Awards in 2021.

"I received a lot of love while working on 'Young Lady and Gentleman,'" said Ji.

"I wanted to work with writer Kim Sa-kyung once again to effectively portray the character on-screen. I hope to present the script on-screen in a more appealing manner than before," he said.

First episode of "Beauty and Romantic" will air on KBS 2TV at 7:55 p.m., Saturday.

By Lee Yoon-seo(yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com)