Red Velvet's Joy is officially back on the small screen after four years, and the singer-actress has revealed how she changed her appearance to prepare for her new drama, One-of-a-Kind Romance.
On November 9, Joy, who also goes by her real name Park Soo Young, attended the production press conference for TVING's new romantic comedy alongside Kim Hyun Jin, Shin Hyun Soo, Kang Na Eon, and director Kim Jin Young.
The drama marks Joy's first acting project since the 2022 series Once Upon a Small Town.
Speaking about her return after four years, Joy admitted that she initially felt nervous about acting again.
She shared, "It wasn't a short break, so I was honestly worried about whether I could do well."
However, the actress explained that the drama's warm story and the way its characters help each other overcome their struggles made her want to take on the role.
In One-of-a-Kind Romance, Joy plays Gong Yu Il, an ordinary job seeker who unexpectedly becomes the manager of famous actor Tak Mu Yi, played by Kim Hyun Jin.
To better portray her character, Joy revealed that she made a noticeable change to her appearance.
She explained, "I had always wanted long hair and had been growing it out for a long time, but I cut it into a bob for this drama."
Joy also shared that she deliberately avoided focusing too much on looking glamorous because her character is someone struggling to find a job.
She said, "Since she's a job seeker, I thought she wouldn't have much time to dress up. So I let go of focusing on my appearance and tried to match her personality instead."
Her efforts to resemble the original webtoon character became one of the talking points during the press conference.
Director Kim Jin Young also expressed confidence in the cast, saying that all the actors had achieved "100% synchronization" with their characters.
Meanwhile, Joy spoke positively about working with Kim Hyun Jin, revealing that their similar age helped them feel comfortable acting together.
She also praised his appearance, particularly his smiling eyes, which she described as one of his charming features.
Joy further revealed that her fellow Red Velvet members supported her return to acting by sending a coffee truck to the filming location.
She also confirmed that she recorded a song for the drama's soundtrack, which is expected to be released during the later part of the series.
Based on a popular webtoon, One-of-a-Kind Romance follows an ordinary woman and a famous actor who develop an unexpected connection while dealing with their personal struggles.
The drama premiered on TVING on November 9 and is also available through Viu in selected regions and ABEMA in Japan.
With her return after four years and her efforts to transform into an everyday character, Joy is ready to show viewers a different side of herself as an actress.
