After 2 1/2 years’ hiatus, fans were delighted to see So Ji Sub make his return to the small screen with romantic comedy series “My Secret Terrius”.
In this K-drama series, the former jeans model plays Kim Bon, a legendary black ops agent but disguises himself as a male nanny. On why he decided to jump on board “My Secret Terrius”, the 40-year-old actor explained, “I chose the show because I thought it would be a fun show to watch as it features different elements such as comedy, romance and suspense”.
The synopsis of “My Secret Terrius” is as follows:
“In this romantic comedy series, unlikely duo Kim Bon, a daytime babysitter who has a secret life as the legendary black ops agent from National Intelligence Service referred to as “Terrius”, joins his neighbor Ko Ae Rin (played by Jung In-sun), to discover the truth behind her husband’s involvement in a huge conspiracy.”
In the interview below, So Ji Sub talks about his comeback to TV, his experience working with children on set and his expectations about the show. Besides Poland (which was where the special 2-hour pilot episode was filmed), viewers may also recognise other historic hot spots such as Warsaw Old Town.
Q: How does it feel to be back on TV and why did you choose “My Secret Terrius”?
SJS: It’s been two and a half years since I last acted on a TV drama, so I’m very nervous. I think I’m going to be trembling when I watch the first episode. I chose “My Secret Terrius” because I thought it would be fun to watch and I would enjoy filming the show. I think a lot of people can enjoy “My Secret Terrius” as the drama is a combination of a lot of genres such as spy/action, romance and comedy.
Q: There are a lot of action scenes in “My Secret Terrius”. How different is it compared to “Company Man”?
SJS: In “Company Man”, we used ‘Systema’ which is a form or Russian martial arts. In “My Secret Terrius”, there are several action scenes. I actually attended a martial arts school to learn and train for my action scenes.
Q: Can we expect to see a fresh take in your role in “My Secret Terrius”?
SJS: Personally, I need to find some form of freshness in the dramas I star in. I really hope that our audience can see that in “My Secret Terrius”. I hope they will enjoy it just as much as we enjoyed shooting it.
Q: What was it like acting with two children? How did you feel playing the role of a baby sitter?
SJS: This is my first time acting with children in a TV drama. Though I was nervous, I found the experience fun at the same time. They are lovely kids and at times, I struggled to act alongside two children. This experience has made me believe that moms are incredible. Overall, I am thankful that the filming of the show has been going smoothly.
Q: Parts of this drama were shot in Poland. What was that like?
SJS: We shot our Polish scenes during an autumn heatwave. We struggled a bit because it was quite hot and our wardrobes were quite thick. While I was in Poland, very few people recognised me. A couple next to me had even asked for my help in taking a photo for them and I did!
Q: Is there any pressure about ratings? Do you have a ratings pledge?
SJS: The shoots have been fun and our audiences can look forward to seeing our chemistry on screen. We haven’t yet talked about our ratings pledge, but we do have an approximate rating that we are aiming for!
I don’t feel that ratings are as important as they used to be. I believe that nowadays, it is most important that dramas ring true to our audiences and remain in their memory for years to come. With “My Secret Terrius” we are trying to make it a memorable drama.
“My Secret Terrius” airs every Thursday and Friday at 7.50pm on Oh!K (Astro Ch 394).
