55-year-old Uhm Jung-hwa "Is my age ridiculous?"... The confidence of a diva who hit the jackpot with 'Doctor Cha Jeong-sook'

"I, like Cha Jung-suk, had surgery for thyroid cancer. I felt lonely for a long time, felt relieved that I had woken up, and felt grateful for all the time. That was when I turned 40. After that, I went through a difficult time. I've been through it, but I also felt a lot about what I had to put in my heart. Giving yourself good energy is the most important thing."

'Cha Jeong-suk' was Uhm Jung-hwa itself. Just like Cha Jeong-suk, who returned to work as a doctor after undergoing a liver transplant due to acute hepatitis, Uhm Jung-hwa came back with left vocal cord paralysis after thyroid cancer surgery, but returned as a singer and actor after a long period of rehabilitation. With JTBC's 'Doctor Cha Jeong-suk', she is enjoying a new heyday by renewing her new life character.

'Doctor Cha Jeong-sook', which ended on the 4th, is a work that contains the story of Cha Jeong-suk's life, from being a housewife for 20 years to becoming a resident for 1 year. Uhm Jung-hwa, who played Cha Jeong-sook, said, "It was an amazing experience to be called by the name of a character wherever I go these days. They welcomed me more and treated me in a friendly way. It seems that Cha Jeong-suk has become a character in my life."

'Doctor Cha Jeong-sook' gained great popularity with an audience rating of close to 20%. Uhm Jung-hwa and Kim Byung-chul, who appear as her husband, took the first and second place in the topic category for five consecutive weeks. When asked if he felt his popularity, Uhm Jung-hwa said, "I felt it while watching the viewers interpret the drama. Regarding Cha Jung-sook's name, the reason why her surname is 'Cha' is Cha because she kicked Seo In-ho, and Seo In-ho means 'Stop'. He said. It was so fresh," he smiled.

The acting synergy of the actors accounted for a large part of the popularity of 'Doctor Cha Jeong-sook'. Uhm Jung-hwa praised Kim Byeong-cheol, saying, "When I'm with him, I don't feel like there's anything wrong. He's a person who is focused on acting, and he's so gentle and serious."

Regarding Myung Se-bin, who plays the role of Choi Seung-hee, "I am not a new actor, but when I was preparing for this work, I did not play the character I had been playing, but I did it with determination. He came to my house, read a book together, and shared what I thought of Seung-hee. He is an actor with dignity, but I saw him putting everything down and trying to become Seunghee."

Uhm Jung-hwa picked the scene where she told the hospital people that her husband was dead and the scene where she slapped her face as the most 'cider' moment while acting. The moment when her husband, Seo In-ho looked the most disgusting, was the scene where he collapsed with a nosebleed at the divorce notice. Uhm Jung-hwa said, "I thought I was just fainting during filming, but when I saw the video later, I was dumbfounded. The writer wrote the setting in a fun way." I think it was fresher because it came out right after I took it and it was fun."

“Adlibs are included little by little. I made the line ‘Shooting a mid, filming a mid’ after seeing the scene where my son kisses his girlfriend. (Laughs)”

Why did Cha Jeong-sook like Seo In-ho, who is a bitch? In response, Uhm Jung-hwa laughed, saying, "Looking at the past videos, you're handsome." In fact, if she were Cha Jung-suk, she would have chosen 'Roy Kim' (with Min Woo-hyuk) rather than 'Seo In-ho'. Uhm Jung-hwa said, "Of course it's not Roy. I like people who have a heart for me."

When asked if there were any changes in his view of marriage or ideal type after the work, Uhm Jung-hwa said, "You can't just look at the outside of a person?"

Is there anything you would like to say to the many Cha Jeong-suk living today? Uhm Jung-hwa said, "I want to tell you not to think it's too late and look into yourself a little more and love yourself. You can think, 'Now?' "he hoped.

Regarding season 2, he said, “It would be great if it came out, but I want to have something to say.” When asked about the world view connection with 'Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim', he smiled and replied, "'Romantic Doctor Cha Jeong-sook' is good."

Uhm Jung-hwa is currently appearing on the tvN variety show 'Dance Singer's Wandering Troupe' with Kim Wan-seon, Lee Hyo-ri, Boa, and Hwasa. He said, "The first stage was 'The Rose of Betrayal', but it's been a while since we did it, so I couldn't even think of the choreography. During rehearsal with Hyori and I, I was extremely nervous. After rehearsing, the second stage was strangely familiar. In the rehearsal, the choreography doesn't memorize arbitrarily. I lost and practiced a lot,” he said.

He also expressed his gratitude to Hyori Lee. Uhm Jung-hwa said, "I'm really grateful for the existence of Lee Hyo-ri. I hope that each other goes well. Because I want to gain great popularity again," and expressed affection, saying, "There is no one like Hyori."

As a singer, he is also preparing an album. Uhm Jung-hwa said, "I've been doing this for several years. I wonder if I can release it within this year or next year." The song I want is the best," he laughed.

Uhm Jung-hwa, 55 years old this year and 32 years since his debut. He did not lose his confidence, saying, "You know my age when my age is listed in front of the article. There are times when I wonder if my age is ridiculous. Even so, I am proud of my age. I can do this at my age." He smiled brightly, saying that his current happiness index was '99.9%'.

"I think I've been doing well as Uhm Jung-hwa so far. I don't know what modifiers will be added in the future, but I think I can move forward as long as the passion I have now doesn't cool down."

Reporter Tae Yuna, Ten Asia youyou@tenasia.co.kr