The Remarried Empress is already making a splash during its premiere week, establishing itself as Disney+’s number-one Korean title in over 50 markets in the three days after its launch. Set in the imaginary world of the Eastern Empire, the K-drama is based on a globally renowned webtoon of the same name, following Empress Navier (Shin Min-a) as she picks up the pieces of her broken marriage and comes out on top.
When Emperor Sovieshu (Ju Ji-hoon) returns from a hunting trip with a runaway slave he aims to make his mistress, Navier must take stock of her role as wife and co-ruler of her beloved country. While she and her competition, Rashta (Lee Se-young), size each other up, the arrival of Prince Heinrey (Lee Jong-suk) of the Western Kingdom complicates things even further. Soon enough, Navier is swept up in the mystery, magic, and romance of the rival country’s royal.
ScreenRant interviewed the cast of The Remarried Empress, asking them to share the vulnerable sides of Navier and Sovieshu, the bird-like style of Heinrey, and the intentions of Rashtha. The actors also revealed their personal favorite sets and costumes while filming on location in places like the Czech Republic and Germany.
The Remarried Empress Stars Dive Deep Into Their Fantastical Characters
ScreenRant: Min-a, you mentioned the drama shows a different side of Navier. What was one of the first moments in the script where you really connected with her humanity?
Shin Min-a: I think that, as an empress, Navier is trained to hold back from expressing her emotions right away. In that respect, as an actor, I’ve always had my own ways of restraining myself when I feel certain emotions. When Navier is upset, she shares what’s on her mind with Queen in a measured and appropriate way, while I similarly open up to close friends.
When I first read the script, I felt that she showed so little emotion, and the weight she carried as an empress felt a bit stifling. But at the same time, I thought, “We might actually have something in common.” The way she handles and expresses her feelings is also something I admire and would like to emulate.
Shin Min-a: I think that, as an empress, Navier is trained to hold back from expressing her emotions right away. In that respect, as an actor, I’ve always had my own ways of restraining myself when I feel certain emotions. When Navier is upset, she shares what’s on her mind with Queen in a measured and appropriate way, while I similarly open up to close friends.
When I first read the script, I felt that she showed so little emotion, and the weight she carried as an empress felt a bit stifling. But at the same time, I thought, “We might actually have something in common.” The way she handles and expresses her feelings is also something I admire and would like to emulate.
ScreenRant: Ji-hoon, similarly, you mentioned the importance of perspective. What’s an early moment in the script where you felt bad for Sovieshu or really understood his reasoning – as opposed to seeing him as a villain?
Ju Ji-hoon: What I understand is that anyone can have ambivalent feelings. He feels guilt toward the woman he loves, but also a sense of duty to have a child and continue the royal line.
<p>And even though it begins as duty, there's also the genuine attraction he must have felt toward Rashta, as one person to another. Those feelings may be taboo in our society, but if no one were to say, "You can't do that," they're feelings that could naturally arise. So, I focused on trying to understand that.</p> </blockquote>Ju Ji-hoon: What I understand is that anyone can have ambivalent feelings. He feels guilt toward the woman he loves, but also a sense of duty to have a child and continue the royal line.
And even though it begins as duty, there’s also the genuine attraction he must have felt toward Rashta, as one person to another. Those feelings may be taboo in our society, but if no one were to say, “You can’t do that,” they’re feelings that could naturally arise. So, I focused on trying to understand that.
ScreenRant: Jong-suk, you mentioned the CGI team incorporated elements of your look into Queen’s design. What bird-like elements did you bring to your performance?
Lee Jong-suk: Actually, the order was that I came first, and then the bird was created. So, I think the CG team gave it much more thought than I did. On set, we had a lot of conversations along the lines of, “If you could emphasize certain characteristics a little more, it would help us create the bird in CG.”
</blockquote>Lee Jong-suk: Actually, the order was that I came first, and then the bird was created. So, I think the CG team gave it much more thought than I did. On set, we had a lot of conversations along the lines of, “If you could emphasize certain characteristics a little more, it would help us create the bird in CG.”
ScreenRant: Se-young, fans have obsessively discussed the confrontation between Rashta and Navier in the trailer. Do you think Rashta’s trajectory would be different if Navier had welcomed her more warmly?
Lee Se-young: I don’t think it has a big influence. As her life in the imperial palace goes on, Rashta learns and gradually develops her own motives. But she’s not the type to start walking on eggshells because of that one rejection.
Enjoying this article? Support our work with a small crypto donation.</blockquote>Lee Se-young: I don’t think it has a big influence. As her life in the imperial palace goes on, Rashta learns and gradually develops her own motives. But she’s not the type to start walking on eggshells because of that one rejection.
ScreenRant: It’s not every day you film in the Czech Republic, with an imperial palace as your setting. Did each of you have a favorite set or costume in particular?
Ju Ji-hoon: For me, it was the grand castles where we did our first shoot in the Czech Republic. Not just one castle, but several. We had them entirely to ourselves, without any tourists – that’s a moment you rarely get in life. The moment I stepped into spaces that carried the real weight of time, I felt an energy I can’t quite describe. Those spaces helped me a great deal in understanding and focusing on the story.
</blockquote>Ju Ji-hoon: For me, it was the grand castles where we did our first shoot in the Czech Republic. Not just one castle, but several. We had them entirely to ourselves, without any tourists – that’s a moment you rarely get in life. The moment I stepped into spaces that carried the real weight of time, I felt an energy I can’t quite describe. Those spaces helped me a great deal in understanding and focusing on the story.
Shin Min-a: Filming scenes in the castles and gardens of the Czech Republic and Germany, I could feel a historical energy. Because we were entering a world we had created ourselves, we as actors had to be the first to fully step into it. The locations and costumes helped tremendously with that.
</blockquote>Shin Min-a: Filming scenes in the castles and gardens of the Czech Republic and Germany, I could feel a historical energy. Because we were entering a world we had created ourselves, we as actors had to be the first to fully step into it. The locations and costumes helped tremendously with that.
Lee Jong-suk: Our series did not require historical accuracy based on a specific era or country. As Min-a said, it’s our own fantasy world, so I think we were able to create it through the feelings the spaces gave us, our co-stars’ performances, and the entire crew working together as one.
</blockquote>Lee Jong-suk: Our series did not require historical accuracy based on a specific era or country. As Min-a said, it’s our own fantasy world, so I think we were able to create it through the feelings the spaces gave us, our co-stars’ performances, and the entire crew working together as one.
Lee Se-young: I didn’t change outfits that often, but I wore many very glamorous dresses. The one that stands out most is the dress from the scene where Rashta bids farewell to Sovieshu as he leaves, asking him not to forget her. When I tried it on during the fitting, I felt, “I’ve really become Rashta.” That was the first time I felt truly close to her.
</blockquote>Lee Se-young: I didn’t change outfits that often, but I wore many very glamorous dresses. The one that stands out most is the dress from the scene where Rashta bids farewell to Sovieshu as he leaves, asking him not to forget her. When I tried it on during the fitting, I felt, “I’ve really become Rashta.” That was the first time I felt truly close to her.
New episodes of The Remarried Empress drop Wednesdays on Disney+ and Hulu in the U.S.
The Remarried Empress
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