Jang Yoon-joo Successfully Takes on Her First Villain Role!... Captivating Viewers as the Character Ga Seon-young in 'Ms. Incognito'

Model and actress Jang Yoon-joo, who appeared as the impressive villain Ga Seon-young in the ENA drama 〈Ms. Incognito〉, is receiving a lot of attention from viewers. After reaching the pinnacle of the domestic fashion model industry, she began her acting career in the 2015 film 〈Veteran〉, and with this role, she has once again expanded her acting spectrum.

The character Ga Seon-young, who draws as much attention as the protagonist, is the first villain role for Jang Yoon-joo.

Jang Yoon-joo revealed that she had received casting offers for villain roles in the past but had declined them due to a lack of experience and confidence. However, this time, after director Park Yoo-young sent her the tone and manner of Ga Seon-young along with her backstory, she decided to participate, thinking, "I should trust this."

Director Park Yoo-young stated that he thought of Jang Yoon-joo for the role of Ga Seon-young from the very beginning.

He mentioned, "The director saw Jang Yoon-joo on stage while working part-time filming fashion show videos in her early twenties," and added, "I had cast her as a cynical teacher in my independent film 〈My Best, Your Least〉(2024), and I thought it would be fresh to combine her expressionless face with her charisma on stage."

Although the production company and the broadcasting station were somewhat skeptical, Ga Seon-young, born from this collaboration, became a hot topic among viewers.

In particular, Ga Seon-young's unique fashion was a highlight. With a slicked-back hairstyle and a single strand of hair down, luxurious suits, and an expressionless gaze looking down on others, she caught attention with her impressive appearance.

Jang Yoon-joo stated, "I thought a lot about my hairstyle to express a character that seems sensitive and sharp," explaining that the single strand of hair was an intentional point. She also added that the deep red or blue outfits were worn to look like armor. Additionally, she brought the scarf she wore in episodes 6 and 7 of the drama, thinking, "I feel like Ga Seon-young would carry something like this."

To study the character, she watched many documentaries and researched narcissistic personalities, hinting that the reference character was a "politician" without revealing more.

Jang Yoon-joo also deeply studied the character's inner self. She said, "Ga Seon-young's goal is not money but revenge," adding, "She must have thought since childhood that her stepfather, Chairman Ga Seong-ho (played by Moon Sung-keun), killed her parents."

A moment of great emotional turmoil for her was the scene in episode 12 when she learns that her mother killed her biological father. Jang Yoon-joo recalled, "I cried a lot while acting," but reflected, "The director said, 'You can't cry that much. Seon-young is a cold character,' so I held back."

Jang Yoon-joo revealed, "Actually, I started acting properly from the movie 〈Three Sisters〉(2021)," and shared, "I wonder if I would have acted if I hadn't gotten married and had children."

She continued, after having a child and taking about a year and a half off work, she watched the drama 〈Dear My Friend〉 and thought, "It's such a good profession to be an actor, being able to act like this even as I get older. I want to work without taking long breaks, but I wondered if that could be acting."

She laughed, saying that even now, her daughter encourages her by saying, 'Mom, you have to act,' and 'Even if it's hard, you have to do YouTube.'

Having appeared in the Netflix series 〈Money Heist〉, the drama 〈Queen of Tears〉, and 〈Ms. Incognito〉, she has achieved good results in every drama, but she mentioned that she does not feel the pressure of box office success. Having experienced a strong character this time, she added, "Next, I want to try a drama like 〈Eunjoong and Sangyeon〉, which is a calm and realistic youth story, or take on a small role with emotional depth and good dialogue."