Actress Noh Yoon-seo has opened up about the physical demands of filming Netflix’s fantasy historical drama The East Palace, revealing that she naturally lost weight during production. The actress also reflected on the overwhelming response to the series and shared her hopes for a potential second season.
Speaking in an interview held in Seoul on July 23, Noh Yoon-seo admitted she felt both excited and anxious ahead of the drama’s release. “The East Palace was my first project to be released since Hear Me: Our Summer, so it had been quite a while. I watched it at home on release day feeling incredibly excited. I’m very grateful that so many people have enjoyed it,” she said.
Since premiering on July 17, The East Palace has enjoyed a strong global reception. The Netflix series recorded 4.9 million views within its first three days, reached No. 2 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English TV chart, topped South Korea’s daily Top 10 rankings, and entered the Top 10 in 27 countries, including Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines, and India.
Noh Yoon-seo also discussed the possibility of a second season. “If Season 2 happens, it would be such an honor and I’d be incredibly happy,” she said. She believes future episodes could explore stories beyond the palace. “Maybe we could tell stories about ghosts outside the palace. Of course, I don’t know what the writers have planned, but I’m sure they’d create something interesting.”
The actress added that she enjoys reading fans’ theories about what her character Saeng-gang and Gu-cheon might do after the ending. She also pointed to several unresolved storylines, including Saeng-gang’s relationship with her father and Gu-cheon’s mysterious contract with the primordial ghost spirit, saying they could become important plot points if the series returns.
Donggung marked Noh Yoon-seo’s first historical drama, requiring her to tackle emotionally demanding scenes, action sequences, and elaborate fantasy settings.
She recalled the harsh filming conditions. “Besides dealing with extreme heat and cold, we worked with water, dust, sandstorms, fake blood, sweat, and dirt. There were also many special effects for the ghost world. After filming, I’d go home and when I blew my nose, black dust would come out.”
The demanding production also took a physical toll on the cast. Noh Yoon-seo praised co-star Nam Joo-hyuk, saying his workload was far more intense than hers. “It doesn’t compare to what Nam Joo-hyuk went through. During filming, I was actually worried because he lost so much weight.”
She then laughed as she recalled her friends’ reactions after watching the early episodes. “They asked if I had candy in my cheeks because they looked so round. I guess I still had some baby fat.”
According to the actress, viewers can actually notice the change as the series progresses. “By the second half of the drama, my cheeks had slimmed down, so I realized I must have lost weight while filming The East Palace. Not nearly as much as Nam Joo-hyuk, but I definitely think I lost some weight.”
In The East Palace, Noh Yoon-seo plays Saeng-gang, a palace maid with hidden secrets who joins Gu-cheon in uncovering the curse haunting the Crown Prince’s Palace. The role allowed the actress to showcase a broader acting range, balancing emotional vulnerability, supernatural mystery, and action while taking on her first-ever historical fantasy drama.
Sources: 네이트 뉴스
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