Actress Lee Se Young has opened up about the challenges of playing Rashta in Disney+'s "The Remarried Empress", revealing that the character was unlike anyone she had portrayed before.
On November 7, Lee Se Young appeared in a video titled *Rashta's Everything She Loved*, released on her agency Fantagio's official YouTube channel. During the interview, she discussed her approach to Rashta, a former runaway slave whose actions play an important role in the fantasy romance series.
Lee Se Young admitted that Rashta was the first character she had difficulty fully understanding, despite trying to see the world from her perspective.
She explained, "I thought she was a very innocent, bright, and desperate girl who wanted to live and survive."
However, as she explored the character further, her understanding began to change.
Lee Se Young shared, "In the end, I thought of her as pure evil. For the first time, I realized I couldn't completely understand the actions of a character I was playing."
Rather than forcing herself to justify Rashta's decisions, the actress decided to accept the character as she was.
She explained, "I stopped trying to understand her and simply accepted her. That made me feel a little more comfortable."
The actress also revealed that her interpretation of Rashta was influenced by the character's relationship with Empress Navier, played by Shin Min Ah.
While reading the original webtoon, Lee Se Young came across a reader's comment that made her consider a different possibility.
She recalled the question, "What if Rashta had met Navier first instead of Sovieshu?"
This led her to wonder whether Rashta admired Navier and wanted to become someone like her.
Lee Se Young explained that she approached the role while considering whether Rashta genuinely wanted to resemble Navier or even felt love toward her.
Meanwhile, the actress also shared why she decided to join The Remarried Empress.
She said she trusted the director because they had previously worked together on Doctor John. Learning that Ju Ji Hoon, Lee Jong Suk, and Shin Min Ah were also joining the production gave her another reason to accept the role.
Disney+'s The Remarried Empress, which premiered on November 3, stars Shin Min Ah as Navier, Ju Ji Hoon as Sovieshu, Lee Jong Suk as Heinrey, and Lee Se Young as Rashta.
With Rashta portrayed as a character whose innocence and desire to survive are mixed with troubling choices, Lee Se Young's comments offer a closer look at the acting challenges behind one of the drama's central figures.
