Shin Hyun Been, the versatile actress known for her powerful performances, has taken on a new challenge in Cinderella at 2 AM.
In this romantic comedy, she portrays Ha Yoon-seo, a capable and independent woman who finds herself navigating the complexities of love and relationships. The role marked a departure from her previous, more dramatic characters, and Shin Hyun Been embraced the opportunity to showcase her comedic talents.
During a recent media interview, Shin admitted that filming comedic scenes, something she had not previously showcased, was a challenge but also a refreshing experience.
“It was all new to me. There were parts where I had to step out of my usual tone, and since I’ve only observed it in other works and never actually performed it myself, I found myself rehearsing many times on set to get it right. There are also cartoonish scenes where I had to act out scenarios in my imagination, even if only for a short time. It was fun to watch. There are so many scenes of Yoon-seo and Joo-won enjoying their time together, especially their dating scenes. I had to write much more than in other dramas, but when I saw the results, it was definitely worth it.”
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When asked if she found the charm of a younger man appealing through this project, Shin Hyun Bin reflected, “I’m not sure if it’s the charm of a younger man or the character of Seo Joo-won. Despite his cold demeanor, he has a good resilience. That might be Joo-won’s charm, but I think Yoon-seo was drawn to his bright and positive traits, which kept them from breaking up.”
Shin Hyun Been, who had previously expressed anxiety about receiving great fortune during the production press conference, elaborated, “I believe there are many reasons for that feeling. I’ve experienced it in my own relationships—when love reaches a certain peak, don’t you feel anxious? You want it to last forever, and when things suddenly go better than you expected, you’re grateful and happy, but you also wonder if it’s too good to be true. It’s not like a successful project always guarantees good results.”
She added, “I’ve felt this way since my debut. I started with that mindset because I debuted through the first audition I attended. I wondered if it made sense. Before the release, I thought, ‘This might not even get released,’ but when it did and received positive reviews, I tried not to get too caught up in expectations.”
Shin Hyun Been, who has often portrayed characters with troubled family histories since her debut, was asked if she ever desired to play a completely bright character. She responded with a laugh, “I don’t think that’s possible, even if I wanted it to be.”
She continued, “What made me realize this most was when, in a past interview, someone pointed out that I’ve never played a character with both a mother and a father. It’s been several years since that interview, and I still haven’t had such a role. I wonder if it’s really that difficult. Even so, I thought it might be possible, but the realization hit me hard with my previous work, Tell Me You That Love Me. It’s a melodrama with parents, but with Kang Shin-il and Kim Mi-kyung cast, I thought, ‘This won’t go back to a typical domestic violence scenario,’ but then (Kim Mi-kyung) ended up playing a new mother.”
Shin Hyun Been humorously confessed, “I thought it might be different this time, but even in this romantic comedy, I ended up with a character who lives with her younger sibling instead of her parents. I thought the house was in the countryside, but there was a line that said, ‘Yoon-seo’s mom and dad aren’t here.’ It’s always been like that, and this might be a spoiler, but in some of my unreleased works, not both parents are present.” She added with a laugh, “I wondered what I should do about this, and a few years ago, I thought, ‘Maybe it’ll change if I start a family,’ but in ‘The Go-ee,’ a child dies. It made me realize that one of the characters could always face a tragedy.”
Finally, regarding the anticipated developments in the drama, which has aired up to the fourth episode, Shin shared, “If you’ve been watching, you’ll notice that it gets more and more interesting. Episode 5 is particularly exciting. It ends in a chaotic situation, but the story of the two main characters trying to resolve it, along with the employees’ involvement, will be depicted. Also, actor Lee Hyun-woo appears as a ‘catfish man,’ shaking up the ecosystem, and his arrival will change the atmosphere with the introduction of a new character.“
Cinderella at 2 AM airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9 PM on Coupang Play, with an additional broadcast on Channel A at 9:20 PM.
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