Kim Tae-hee, Lim Ji-yeon and more on what Lies Hidden In My Garden is about

For Kim Tae-hee: LHIMG is your comeback drama after more than 3 years. How do you feel about starring in a drama series again?

It was truly an honour and a very enjoyable experience for me because I was able to work with a director and cast that I’ve long been a fan of. I was very nervous and anxious at the first script reading, but when I was on set, thanks to all the cast members and the director, I felt very comfortable and at home as I performed.

And when I wrap up a particular project, I always tend to feel bittersweet – but this time, the bitterness lingered for a little bit more. I think I almost ached for and missed Joo-ran. So there was a period after we finished shooting where I felt a bit lonely and empty inside. 

For All: How is this title different from other thriller-themed dramas?

Kim Sung-o: Lies Hidden in My Garden is an everyday thriller. You go home and your wife’s expression is cold. Yes, it’s like everyday life. I didn’t act.

Lim Ji-yeon: Rather than sensational scenes appearing a lot, there is something weighty to our drama. There is a strange atmosphere and some irony. 

Choi Jae-rim: From my first scene, he’s not a lovable character and until the end, he remains unlovable. I just acted and tried to portray him as a bad guy. I tried to express the fierceness within Yun-beom. 

For Lim Ji-yeon: In your last drama, you played the villain but now it’s time for you to play the victim. How different is it acting these polar opposite roles?

I think because I played the role of a perpetrator of violence in my previous drama, and this time around the character Sang-eun is a victim of domestic violence, I’m getting asked about the comparison between the two roles quite often. However, I was drawn to the project and chose to portray this character completely unrelated to my character in my previous drama.

I think the character Sang-eun – for any actor out there – is someone who you’d be intrigued by. You’d wonder, “Who is she? Why is she motivated to do certain things?” I think I was almost mysteriously drawn to the character. So because she’s completely different from my previous character, when I was expressing Sang-eun, I was in a completely different state and my approach to understanding the character was very different as well. I think I would call it a success if, when people watch this series, they are no longer reminded of my previous role. 

For Lim Ji-yeon: You worked with Song Hye-kyo in The Glory and now Kim Tae-hee. Fans are calling you a collector of “Tae-Hye-Ji” (nickname for top actresses Kim Tae-hee, Song Hye-kyo, and Jun Ji-hyun). What was it like working together?

The two characters are very different, and even their appearances are different. Kim Tae-hee was precisely the Ju-ran I had imagined after reading the novel. On set, I think we filmed with great synergy and I relied on her a lot. 

When I heard that Kim Tae-hee was cast, I did think about that since it was the next project right after. It was such a happy thing for me. If I may joke, I would like to work with Jun Ji-hyun someday if the opportunity arises.

For Kim Tae-hee: What do you think are the key points that viewers should look forward to in this drama?

When I first read the script, I was also very intrigued and drawn to how the two women who have lived such different lives – extremely opposite lives almost – come together, meet each other, influence one another and go through change. I think that’s one point the audience will find very interesting, and I think you’ll be intrigued by the chemistry between the two characters of Joo-ran and Sang-eun.

Joo-ran is a character who, in the beginning, is very restricted and closed, and that can come across as a little frustrating in the beginning. However, throughout the story, her emotional arc and psychological, mental, and internal struggles have a steep growth arc so I think it’d be great if you could look out for that and stick with us throughout the story. 

For Kim Sung-O: In the character stills, we see the different sides of your character as a doctor, a husband, and a father. So can you share with us how challenging it was for you to portray the different sides of the same person?

I understand that it could come across as having different facets or sides to my character, but I suggest you look at it very simply. He’s a doctor by occupation, and because he’s married, he’s a husband and a father. It’s not so much that these different sides come together in a mixture to create this character, but simply put, he’s your everyday head-of-the-family, a father and husband, whose occupation happens to be a doctor. I think it’d be better if you look at him as just a normal human being who happens to be a doctor by occupation. 

For Choi Jae-rim: Your character is an abusive husband. So did you have some concerns when you were doing the violent scenes?

I think when I was on set filming the scenes, I didn’t have particular concerns or felt like there was a huge challenge. I performed my character based on the imagination built through the situations written in the script and the character dynamics.

Also, based on directions and discussions from the Director of Photography and our director, I focused more on how I need to portray my character so that I can most effectively bring out the need for Sang-eun’s desire to escape her very tragic and exhausting life through the pressure put on her by my character, her husband Yun-beom. 

For All: Before we end this interview, can everyone give us a hint on what to look for in Lies Hidden In My Garden?

Kim Tae-hee: This series is 8 episodes long, and I think it can feel like watching a long movie. I hope you can enjoy as you chase after the characters’ psychological states from the first episode.

Lim Ji-yeon: It’s not sensational, but it can be stimulating.

Choi Jae-rim: The story will be shown from both Ju-ran’s and Sang-eun’s perspectives. It will be fun investigating different points in time. The four of them have such different and distinct personalities, and seeing their differences and their chemistry will also be interesting.

Kim Sung-o: He said everything I wanted to say. You can watch these two beautiful actresses in the comfort of your own home. I think that in and of itself will be very fun.