Uhm Jung Hwa has recently sat down to discuss the massive success of “Doctor Cha”!
Uhm Jung Hwa appeared in an interview following the conclusion of the JTBC drama “Doctor Cha,” and said, “I’m having an amazing experience being called by the character’s name. In the past, when people saw me, they would say, ‘It’s Uhm Jung Hwa!’ But recently, they greet me so warmly and familiarly as ‘Cha Jung-sook~.’ My character in life is ‘Cha Jung-sook.'”
She stated, “I stood on the stage of a festival at Korea University, and the audience called me ‘Cha Jung-sook.’ I’ve been working for 30 years, but I’ve never received this much attention and love through a drama, so this friendly response feels new to me. My family loves it too.”
Uhm Jung Hwa chose “Doctor Cha” because of ’empathy.’ She said, “I belong to a similar generation as Cha Jung-sook, and when I received the script, I thought, ‘I have to do this.’ I really empathized with the line ‘If you’re 50 in the era of 100 years old, you’re still young.'” She recalled her first encounter with the work.
She continued, “It happens not only in the drama but also in real life, where people feel trapped or face criticism because of their age. In my case, even on the set, I’m fine, but people around me show consideration by saying things like ‘You must be tired’ or ‘Take a break.’ I have better stamina than anyone else… Before the release of the drama, I was very nervous. Even during the filming, I didn’t know if so many people would like it, so I anxiously awaited the public response. If ‘Cha Jung-sook’ didn’t turn out well, I felt that it would all be my fault, with that kind of pressure. Of course, the work itself is warm and fun, so I had confidence. But I was both excited and fearful.”
SPOILERS OF THE FINALE AHEAD
Furthermore, Uhm Jung Hwa stated that she felt empathy and gained strength when Cha Jung-sook made choices for her future, and she was satisfied with the ending of the drama.
She said, “I liked the portrayal of Cha Jung-sook as an individual, not someone else’s person. I was happy that viewers cheered for Jung-sook. I felt that the times have changed. In the past, if it were in the old days, they would have had to choose between Seo In-ho (played by Kim Byung Chul) and Roy Kim (played by Min Woo-hyuk), but now viewers also supported Cha Jung-sook’s divorce.”
Like Cha Jung-sook, who faced a crisis of receiving an organ donation, Uhm Jung Hwa also underwent thyroid surgery at the age of 40. It was a time when she felt very lonely and grateful for everything, “From my voice to many other aspects, it was a difficult period. It was daunting, and I often cried alone. But doesn’t everyone go through similar times? I tried to change my perspective and not let myself be consumed by negative energy. It was important to give myself good opportunities. I had the thought and desire that ‘I can do it,’ so I was able to overcome.”
Especially, she said, “These days, my happiness index is 99.9% out of 100%. When I get older, I still feel some anxiety. And when my age is mentioned in articles, I sometimes think, ‘Is my age ridiculous?’ But still, I tend to cheer myself on by saying, ‘I’m proud of my age,’ ‘I can do this even at this age,’ ‘I’ve done well so far.’ This is a positive message for many ‘Cha Jung-sooks’ in our society.”
She added, “It’s difficult to encounter moments like this (‘Doctor Cha Jung-sook’ success). To experience it as much as possible, I wake up every morning saying, ‘I feel good!’ I hope ‘Doctor Cha Jung-sook’ doesn’t end. I don’t have a high self-esteem, and I used to be harsh on myself. At some point, I realized that I was too hard on myself, so nowadays, I support myself. In my 40s, I read many books about self-esteem. Just like taking daily supplements, listening to good stories was helpful. I hope many Jung-sooks can give themselves a gift-like time.”
Did you enjoy Uhm Jung Hwa’s performance in “Doctor Cha”?
Source: (A)
