Jeon Yeo Been on successfully wrapping up 'Ms. Incognito'

Note: The following text contains spoilers. Read at your own discretion. 

Jeon Yeo Been on Ms. Incognito.

Ms. Incognito follows the struggling female bodyguard Kim Yeong Ran (Jeon Yeo Been), who, having suffered extreme poverty and domestic violence, embarks on a contract marriage with a terminally ill chaebol chairman in hopes of changing her life. To survive and protect herself from those eyeing the chairman's vast inheritance, she must change her identity and endure for three months. 

As the series was wrapped up with a happy ending, Jeon commented, "It may have fallen a bit short of satisfying viewers who wanted a more sensational finale, but for Yeong Ran, whom I've lived as over the past few months, it was an ending that left my heart full. Those who deserved punishment were punished, and it was a heartwarming conclusion without any lingering regrets."

Reflecting on the ending — which included donating the kindergarten land and reuniting with Jeon Dong Min (Jin Young) — Jeon Yeo Been said, "One of my favorite lines is when Yeong Ran, trembling as she turns her mother in to the police, hears Dong Min say to her, 'Let's go home now.' Young Ran had never once thought of the place where she lay her head as her home. For someone like her, those words — 'Let's go home' — must have felt unfamiliar and yet something she longed to hear."

"I thought that maybe the reason traveling feels so joyful and exciting is because there's a place to return to. Young Ran had never given her heart to anyone, nor ever rested — physically or spiritually — but when she returned to Muchang, perhaps that's when she finally found a home."

Regarding the series incorporating multiple genres from thriller to melodrama, Jeon Yeo Been commented, "The premise itself — being given three months to complete a mission for the chance to receive a fortune of 4 trillion won — felt very much cinematic and dramatic. Of course, sometimes things far more heinous happen in real life, but it isn't a situation I could personally relate to."

She continued, "I thought Kim Yeong Ran longed for an ordinary life more than anyone else. When she received such an offer, it wasn't out of a strong desire to seize great fortune or become a billionaire — I believed she accepted the chairman's proposal because she wanted to escape her misery more than anything else. Perhaps she simply wanted, even just once, to experience the normal life she had wished for since childhood."

"What would Jeon Yeo Been do with such a huge sum of money?" "At the end of it all, the chairman tells Yeong Ran, 'I'm sorry I used you as a tool for revenge. You were like a daughter to me, and I'm sorry for putting you through this. Now just be happy. That's all I wish for you.' I think Young Ran understood the chairman's feelings."

She continued, "I believe she would have kept only what she truly needed, in good conscience, and donated the rest to help those in need. If I were in her position, I'd want to do the same."

This project drew even more attention as it marked Jeon Yeo Been's first time taking on a title role [Korean title: Good Woman Bu Se Mi!]. When asked if she felt any pressure, Jeon replied, "Even when I was performing in independent films or theater ensembles, I acted with a sense of heart-pounding thrill and excitement. That's what it's like when you love something the way you love someone one-sidedly. Acting isn't a technical job, so there's no way to gauge how good I should be. I just ran toward it with the feeling of a one-sided love."

She continued, "That feeling has always been the same — when I was a student, when I did independent films, and now, working in commercial dramas and movies. So I'm always nervous, scared, and excited. I felt the same way when I took on the titular role."

Jeon Yeo Been repeatedly emphasized the strength of the staff who worked together to create the best possible outcome. She said, "This is never a job one can do alone. I think believing that you can handle everything by yourself is arrogance. I filled countless scenes together with amazing senior actors."

"I learned from my seniors that if there's ever criticism to be faced, as the actor in the title role, that responsibility should be mine. Rather than letting fear take over, I decided to carry it with a sense of responsibility. I felt that it was my role to help lift the energy and keep everyone's spirits up on set."

Although her previous project, SBS's Our Movie, left something to be desired in terms of viewership ratings, Jeon Yeo Been achieved quite a bit of success with Ms. Incognito. The series began with a 2.4% viewership rating (according to Nielsen Korea) and climbed to 6.3% by episode 11 — marking the highest rating among all dramas aired on the ENA channel this year.

At the press conference, Jeon expressed her bold ambition to surpass Extraordinary Attorney Woo, which holds ENA's all-time highest ratings. She reflected, "Dreams and goals should always be big, so I said it with confidence. I'm not usually a morning person, but during the airing period, my mornings were busy. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, I couldn't believe how easily my eyes would open. The director, Jin Young, and I would check the ratings in the morning and exchange messages."

"I can't control viewership ratings, but I just feel grateful. For example, Be Melodramatic had only about a 1% rating, yet it later received immense love through OTT platforms. I feel that while ratings are a big issue, they're not everything."

She added, "I also had complex thoughts that the kind of deep love a work receives for its artistry can't always be linked directly to ratings. Even so, I was incredibly thankful that Ms. Incognito achieved such good numbers. As an actor, ratings are something I always long for."

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