“Twenty Five, Twenty One” Lee Joo-myung, “I hope strong and brave Seung-wan lives a fun life while being in love”

Actress Lee Joo-myung opened up about her character in “Twenty Five, Twenty One” after the drama ended. 

In the popular tvN’s coming-of-age drama “Twenty Five, Twenty One,” Lee Joo-myung plays Ji Seung-wan, a dignified, smart, brave, and independent girl. 

She’s the class president and top student at Taeyang High School. Although she looks like a model student, she is nicknamed “Ji d’Arc” (a combination of Ji Seung-wan and Joan of Arc) because she has a rebellious side to her. Ji Seung-wan received a great response from viewers for showing her courage and taking bold steps against injustice. 

In a recent interview, Lee Joo-myung expressed affection for her character Ji Seung-wan and honestly revealed her feelings when taking on this role. 

Q: How have you been after the drama ended?

I have worked out and watched Netflix. I’ve been playing golf for about six to eight months since and it’s really fun. Golf is a sport that requires you to have control. I think it will be helpful for my acting.

Q: After about 7 months of filming, how do you feel? 

I think I have become more obsessed with exercise. I feel like my body has gotten a little stiff, so I’m doing pilates and receiving personal training.

Q: You must have felt like you went back to your high school days during filming, right? 

I think all five actors experienced feelings like we were back in school. When I was a high school student, it just seemed like everything was difficult, and I was always like, “Is this right?” Now that I look back, it was a fun time. I think those emotions were well incorporated into our drama.

Q: How similar is Lee Joo-myung’s school days to Ji Seung-wan’s? 

I was never a class president, and I never ranked 1st place in my school. So it’s very different in that respect. However, if there was something I wanted to do, I think I tended to push it a little firmly. Based on that, I brought out more of Seung-wan from within.

Q: How was Lee Joo-myung’s school days? 

I majored in aviation. When I was in high school, I had a dream of becoming a flight attendant, so I prepared for an interview when everyone was self-studying at night. I remember having a mock interview.

Q: How did you join “Twenty Five, Twenty One”? 

I auditioned. From the moment I read the synopsis, I realized that all the characters were attractive. I had a strong desire to join the drama, so I was really nervous at the audition. The writer even asked, ‘I think you’re too nervous, do you want to try again?’ I said yes and did it again. I really wanted to join the cast. I’m the type to appeal strongly if I want to do something, so I think they saw similarities between me and Ji Seung-wan in that respect.

Q: You did not have a love line. 

I wanted a love line, but I think Seung-wan without a love line was better in this drama. I think I was able to show more of Seung-wan’s charms.

Q: The drama ended when Seung-wan became an entertainment PD. How do you think Seung-wan is living now? 

I think she’ll be living a fun life. When her friends ask ‘How are you these days?’, she might reply, ‘Is there anything special? Everything is the same.’ Of course, but I think she’ll be filming the program harder than anyone else and thinking about interesting comments.

Q: Do you feel the popularity of your work? 

It’s amazing that there are people who recognize me when I go to cafes or restaurants. I feel loved by more and more people, so I want to repay them. If you recognize me, we can take a picture together.

Q: What would you say to the viewers who loved you? 

It’s been about a week since the drama ended, and there are still people who say they enjoyed ‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’. I feel great. Thank you for caring for me and sympathizing with me as if you were reading a story of the neighborhood next door, as if you were listening to a story of your friend. Thanks to that, I was able to act more energetically. As much as you liked it, I’ll work harder and come back with an interesting role in the future.

Q: Is there anything you want to say to Seung-wan? 

I hope Seung-wan finds fun at some point, and I hope she meets a good person who loves her.