“Queen of Tears” Kim Soo-hyun, the king of ad-libs recognized by Kim Ji-won

The husband then says “She doesn’t hit me“, reassuring his family while subtly boasting. This improvised line, which was not originally in the script, elicited laughter from the actors on set due to its unexpected nature.

Kim Soo-hyun’s burgeoning acting skills have been the talk of the town. Portraying Baek Hyun-woo, the husband who married chaebol heiress Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won), in “Queen of Tears“, he captivates viewers with the cool-headed lawyer persona, yet also charms them with masculine beauty that reveals emotions in a bold manner.

Then, when his true feelings are exposed, he expresses a variety of sides, such as shy boyish charm. As a seasoned actor with 17 years of experience, he is causing viewers to become overly immersed with his witty ad-libs without breaking the flow.

Another impressive ad-lib was revealed in the epilogue of the same episode. The image of Hyun-woo holding hands with intern Hae-in and acting cute after the company dinner before they got married also originated from Kim Soo-hyun’s skillful ad-lib.

Previously, Kim Soo-hyun brought laughter with an ad-libbed line in a scene involving drinking. He paid homage to a cute line spoken by Kim Ji-won in her representative work “Fight for My Way” by incorporating it into his own dialogue. It is said that Kim Ji-won gave her thumbs up to Kim Soo-hyun’s ad-lib.

Kim Soo-hyun previously captured viewers’ attention with well-placed ad-libs in past works. In SBS’s “My Love from the Star” (2013), during the filming of the ice lake kiss scene, he famously removed his gloves and held the hand of Cheon Song-yi (Jun Ji-hyun).

Kim Soo-hyun explained in an interview with the media at the time, “Although it wasn’t in the script, there was no better way to express love for someone than by holding their hand.”

Thanks to Kim Soo-hyun’s impressive acting prowess, the viewership ratings for “Queen of Tears” continue to soar. The April 7th episode recorded a rating of 19%, with the possibility of surpassing the 20% mark looming.

Accordingly, Kim Soo-hyun’s value has also skyrocketed. He topped the brand reputation index surveyed by the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute from March 10th to April 10th.

Yoon Seok-jin, a professor of Korean literature at Chungnam National University, analyzed the reason behind Kim Soo-hyun’s ad-libs being so beloved, “One of the characteristics of writer Park Ji-eun’s dramas is the effective use of ‘intertextuality’, which brings well-known dramas, advertisements and other elements into the work to evoke laughter. Kim Soo-hyun’s previous collaborations with writer Park Ji-eun and experience in previous works have helped him with his ad-libs.”