"Scarlet Heart: Ryeo" director Kim Kyu-Tae cannot stop praising IU's performance in the historical drama. In the 20-episode drama, the 23-year-old singer-turned-actress plays the 21st-century woman, Go Ha-Jin and 16-year-old, Hae-Soo, respectively.
At the "Scarlet Heart: Ryeo" press conference on Aug. 19, Friday, director Kim wondered about IU's acting, stating that the actress will surely receive tremendous praise for her acting and passion for her work. He admitted that IU's energy on the set surprised him.
"She really did a good job of embodying her character," Soompi quoted director Kim as saying before a predominantly Korean crowd. "Her artistic sense, ability to analyze the story and account for the acting details and chemistry with other actors are truly exceptional."
In the drama, IU is slated to play the 21st-century woman, Go Ha-Jin, who encountered a total eclipse of the sun that sent her back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty during King Taejo's (Jo Min-Ki) reign. She found herself trapped in the body of the 16-year-old, Hae-Soo, who got acquainted with King Taejo's sons.
Director Kim, whose previous hit TV dramas include 2013's "That Winter, The Wind Blows" and 2009's "IRIS," continued praising "The Producers" actress, expressing that IU began filming with that impeccable level of self-preparation. He then revealed that IU barely had a script in her hands and that she did not require any direction while filming.
Other stars include Lee Joon-Gi as 4th Prince Wang So, Kang Ha-Neul as 8th Prince Wang Wook, Hong Jong-Hyun as 3rd Prince Wang Yoo, Yoon Sun-Woo as 9th Prince Wang Won, Byun Baek-Hyun as 10th Prince Wang Eun, Nam Joo-Hyuk as 13th Prince Wang Wook (aka Baek-Ah), and Ji Soo as 14th Prince Wang Jung.
The first two episodes of SBS's "Scarlet Heart: Ryeo" will air back-to-back on Aug. 29 10:00 PM (KST). It will be simultaneously broadcast on Mango TV and Youku in China, KNTV in Japan, LeTV in Hong Kong and ONE TV ASIA in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, Hello Kpop reported.
Check out the trailer below: