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Suzy and Yang Se-jong Talks About Their Role, Creative Process and Challenges at the Doona! Press Conference

The press conference for the upcoming Korean drama “Doona!” took place on October 18, 2023, with lead actors Bae Suzy and Yang Se-jong together with Director Lee Jeong-hyo. The romance drama, based on the webtoon “The Girl Downstairs,” is set to premiere on Netflix on October 20, 2023.

“Doona!” revolves around the unexpected love story between Lee Doona, a former K-pop idol portrayed by Bae Suzy, and Lee Won Joo, a college student played by Yang Se-jong. Doona decides to step away from the spotlight and live in a shared building, where she crosses paths with Won Joo.
As their friendship deepens, viewers are taken on a journey as their connection blossoms into a budding romance. The drama also features Lee Yoo Bi and Park SeWan, with cameo appearances by Lee Jin Wook, Go Ah Sung, and Gabee.
Bae Suzy’s Reflections on the Role

During the press conference, Bae Suzy shared her personal connection to the character of Lee Doona, drawing from her experiences as a former member of the K-pop girl group Miss A. She reflected on the challenges of her idol days and how those memories influenced her portrayal of Doona.
“As I was acting out Doona, I did think of the times when I was part of a girl group. So looking back, I feel like there were moments that I felt I was struggling but I didn’t really know much. I think I tried to deny that I was struggling. I tried to just stay a bubbly person,” Suzy stated.
The actress confessed to feeling a sense of envy for her character, who embraces her emotions openly. She said, “Doona is different. She would express her feelings to every extent and she lets herself suffer. So I was kind of envious of her and I kind of resonated with her in that sense.”
Filming
Suzy also discussed the challenges of performing with a fictional girl group, Dream Sweet, within the K-drama, sharing that the group became more synchronized over time despite initial difficulties. Her decision to take on the role was driven by her fascination with the original webtoon’s story and the opportunity to portray a character she had never played before.


“When I first got the script, I went ahead and read the original webtoon because it is based on an original webtoon. it was so exciting, really. There was that particular mood and vibe that was unique to ‘Doona!’. I was also drawn to the character because it’s a character I’ve never played before,” she said.
Director Lee Jeong-hyo, known for his work on “Crash Landing on You” and “Romance is a Bonus Book,” shared that Bae Suzy for her dedication to the role of Doona. He emphasized the importance of Suzy’s ability to sing, dance, and act, and how she never showed signs of tiredness. “The four people in the Dream Sweet group, including Suzy, would do the choreography, dance and recording. And then we all flew over to Japan to do that performance on KCON,” he said.

The director shared that he even felt like an actual manager of a girl group when the fictional Dream Sweet performed at KCON. “We weren’t on the actual stage but it was the prequel stage and we only had two takes to go. When we did the whole song. I felt like I was an agent for Dream Sweet, that I was giving them this dream debut stage.”
Both lead actors discussed the on-screen chemistry between their characters. Yang Se-jong expressed gratitude for Suzy’s help in settling into the story, describing their natural understanding and connection during filming. Director Lee emphasized the significance of the actors’ chemistry in romantic dramas and revealed that building rapport between Suzy and Yang Se-jong was a priority on set.

Creative Process and Challenges
Director Lee shed light on the creative process, mentioning the importance of communication with the actors to bring out the romantic energy in the series. “Sometimes the feelings and vibes are different. It is important to communicate with the actors. If they talk more, they become closer to each other.”

Bae Suzy discussed the challenges of portraying a character with a lot of smoking scenes, a trademark of Doona. “Instead of saying challenges, I would like to say it is exhilarating. Director Lee mentions she worries about how Doona had a lot of smoking scenes to portray her I think cigarette is one of her trademarks. I am a little bit scared of water so I was concerned about this scene but when we were filming it, I managed to pull it off”.
However, she expressed excitement rather than difficulty, stating that it was exhilarating to present that aspect in a new and different way. “There were a lot of smoking scenes in the original webtoon, so the director was very worried about that part. That’s part of it. Cigarettes are also an important device to express the character Doona.“
Yang Se-jong shed light on the character of Lee Won Joo, describing him as an ordinary college freshman with his own set of responsibilities. He assured fans of the chemistry between his character and Doona.
The actor on understanding Won Joo’s emotions and how his character’s dynamics with Doona influenced his approach. “When I was focusing on Doona, I didn’t want to think about my past love experiences but I think of myself in my early 20s. Won jun and my past self have different lives.”

He shared that Doona! might be his the last drama series for him. Se-jong said, “This might be the last series for me to be able to play a character like Won-jun, who’s in his early 20s so that’s why I decided to come on board.” He admitted that he initially felt burdened as this is his first drama series project after four years.
The actor also praised Suzy for helping him settle into the story, “She really helped me focus so I could be immersed in my character because she did well as Doona.” Se-jong said.

“Doona!” is now available on Netflix starting October 20, 2023, in 190 countries, including South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, and more. Fans can anticipate a nine-episode journey filled with romance & chemistry of Bae Suzy and Yang Se-jong.