[NEWS] ‘The Golden Spoon’ Cast Discuss Wealth, Poverty, and Destiny at Press Conference

Would you trade your parents for a shot at changing your destiny?

Yook Sung Jae, Lee Jong Won, Yeonwoo, Choi Dae Chul, Han Chae-a, Choi Won Yeong, Son Yeo Eun, and Director Robin Song contemplate this question at the press conference for The Golden Spoon. Unfortunately, Jung Chae Yeon could not attend the press conference due to an injury sustained on set.

The Golden Spoon, an MBC drama that premiered on September 23 and available for streaming on Disney+, is a prince-and-pauper tale of a poor, bullied high school student Lee Seung Cheon (played by Yook Sung Jae) who gained the ability to switch parents with his revered chaebol classmate, Hwang Tae Yong (played by Lee Jong Won). Adapted from a webtoon of the same name, the 16-episode fantasy series depicts the harsh contrast between the fates of students from rich families and poor families. With the Golden Spoon as an emblem, the drama explores Seung Cheon’s dilemma of choosing between a lavish but cut-throat life under upper-class parents or the warmth and familiarity of his own humble family.

“We now live in an era where rags-to-riches stories are a thing of the past with a pervasive sense of resignation and cynicism about the wealth of your parents determining your destiny”, remarked Director Robin Song (Song Hyun Wook), known for his past works Another Miss Oh (2016), Revolutionary Love (2017), and most recently, The King’s Affection (2021). “I hope the series can present rare opportunities to bring parents and children together and drive conversation between them.”

What can fans of the original webtoon expect from the series adaption of The Golden Spoon? Director Song points out that the series has shortened the intervals the golden spoon can be used to one month, a year, and ten years from three months, three years, and thirty years in the webtoon version. New characters that did not exist in the webtoon, such as Hwang Tae Yong’s stepmother Seo Young Shin, have also been added to enrich the narrative.

The Golden Spoon marks Yook Sung Jae’s (Mystic Pop-up Bar, Goblin) comeback to acting since the completion of his mandatory military service in November 2021. When asked what the biggest difference in him was post-military, the singer-and-actor quipped that he had lived in an ‘illusion’ for a while. “I thought the military service transformed me into someone who likes cleaning and who is more mature, prudent, and serious. But after about two months, I realised that I was still the same mischievous, immature boy about to turn 30 soon. The only difference, according to people who know me, would be that I became a little relaxed. I don’t know how to describe it, but my attitude towards my friends became more genuine and authentic.”

Director Song did not reserve his praise for the BTOB member. As the role of Seung Cheon has two personas, he revealed that the production team was worried if it would be confusing for the actor casted for the role to perform as both Seung Cheon and Tae Yong in a single day. “But when I met with Sung Jae, he casually said, “Well, I’ll just have to do it, then.” He was so confident, and that’s why I could rely on him. I’ve been telling so many people around me that there are three key elements in The Golden Spoon, and those are the golden spoon, the old lady with the golden spoon, and Yook Sung Jae.” The director had no qualms in commending the actor for his high level of focus, great wit, and his consideration for the cast and the crew.

As for the role of Lee Seung Cheon, Yook Sung Jae believes it is a darker and more serious character compared to his previous roles. “The characters I played in my previous projects like Mystic Pop-up Bar and Goblin were a little mischievous, light-hearted, and cheerful,” he explained. “I chose this series because I wanted to expand the spectrum of characters I play. Most importantly, I chose The Golden Spoon because of Director Song.”

Lee Jong Won, who plays the role of Hwang Tae Yong, may be a new face to viewers, but he is no less determined about performing well in what he calls his ‘biggest project yet’. “My hope throughout this project was to become an actor who can pull off two or even more roles with greater range.” To give himself a nickname, the actor wants to be known as ‘an actor of a thousand faces’, to which Yook Sung Jae jests that he would like to be ‘an actor of ten thousand faces’. Complimenting his ‘beautiful smile’, Director Song added, “Jong Won did an excellent job of portraying Tae Yong’s inner conflict and confusion.”

Yeonwoo (Dali and Cocky Prince, Cheat On Me If You Can) discussed how the actors’ similar age helped create synergy on set. “Outside work, they’re all friends I keep in touch with, and we get along with each other very well.” The former MOMOLAND member portrays the character of Oh Yeo Jin, a wealthy classmate with a luxurious appearance who is the ‘hidden card’ of the drama. The actress revealed that she is actually very different from Oh Yeo Jin. “The way we process and express negative emotions is different. And the way she speaks is something that I haven’t used in my life. I chose this character because I wanted to challenge myself.”

The cast wished Jung Chae Yeon (The King’s Affection, My First First Love), who was described to be the ‘life of the party’ on set, a speedy recovery. “She always came to the set smiling and full of energy even though she didn’t get enough sleep and working on set could be very challenging and tough,” Yook Sung Jae revealed. Chae Yeon took the time to leave a video message, apologising for her absence and sending her regards to the cast, production team, and reporters for taking time out of their schedules.

Choi Won Young (Mystic Pop-up Bar, SKY Castle), who plays Hwang Tae Yong’s father Hwang Hyun Do in the drama, shared a sweet episode of Chae Yeon bringing him shine muscat grapes on set after hearing him offhandedly comment that he was hungry. The actor also revealed that Yook Sung Jae had a big part in his decision to accept the project, having previously starred alongside him in Mystic Pop-Up Bar (2020). On a memorable line from his character Hwang Hyun Do, “Poverty is not a sin. It’s a disease.”

The Golden Spoon presented many firsts for the parents of the show. Many told Director Song that it did not make sense casting someone as glamourous as Han Chae-a (The King’s Affection, Bridal Mask) as the mother of a poor family, but the director thought that this was a good opportunity for the actress to showcase fresh aspects of herself. Likewise for her on-screen husband Choi Dae Chul (Vagabond, When the Camellia Blooms), who is usually the well-dressed, posh character in his previous projects, his role as Seung Cheon’s unemployed father was a good challenge for him. As for Son Yeo Eun (The King’s Affection, The Uncanny Counter), the script was revised for her character to be a professional pianist upon the production team’s realisation of the actress’ actual piano skills. “It was my first time playing a professional pianist,” Son Yeo Eun shared. “The whole experience was like a present to me.”

Son Yeo Eun hopes that the drama provokes viewers to consider what the value of true happiness is. With an excellent cast and a promising premiere, The Golden Spoon certainly proves to be a drama to look out for in 2022. As Choi Won Yeong puts it, “I can guarantee you that this is going to be very refreshing and new, unlike any other series that you have seen so far.”

We would like to extend our greatest thanks to Disney+ for the media invite! 

Written by: Gloria
Photos by: Disney+

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