During a roundtable interview held on May 19 in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, “Perfect Crown” director Park Joon-hwa shared his thoughts on the controversy that followed the drama’s premiere. While some viewers praised the emotional chemistry and unique tone of the series, others criticized the lead actors’ performances as exaggerated or awkward.
Speaking about IU’s portrayal of Seong Hee-joo, Park Joon-hwa revealed that he was consistently impressed while building the character together with the actress. He stated, “There were so many moments where I was surprised watching Ji-eun portray Hee-joo. I found myself thinking, ‘How does she make that expression?’ or ‘How does she express emotions in that way?’”
The director explained that Seong Hee-joo was intentionally designed to feel more multidimensional and emotionally expressive than the other characters early in the story. As the daughter of a chaebol family who still faces limitations due to her status, the character constantly moves between ambition and love. According to Park, making the role too realistic could have caused viewers to dislike her personality.
He added that he and IU discussed emphasizing the character’s emotional changes in a slightly quirky and unconventional manner rather than portraying them too naturally. “Because Seong Hee-joo experiences extreme emotional shifts, we thought it was important to make her expressions more dramatic and unique,” he explained.
Park Joon-hwa also addressed Byeon Woo-seok’s performance as Grand Prince Ian, noting that the character’s restrained and emotionally dry personality was intentional. He explained that high-status royal figures often suppress their emotions, and the contrast between Ian’s calm demeanor and Hee-joo’s modern, outspoken energy was meant to create tension and romantic excitement throughout the drama.
The director further highlighted that Hee-joo undergoes major emotional growth in the second half of the series. While she initially approaches relationships with ambition and calculation, she later becomes willing to sacrifice her status and reputation for love.
Director Park emphasized that many of these emotional transitions were expressed more through facial expressions and subtle reactions than dialogue, which became an important part of IU’s performance style in the drama.
Sources: tenasia