Kim Young-joo Shines as Scene-Stealing 'Villain Mother-in-Law' in 'Our Universe Marries Me'
Actress Kim Young-joo has cemented her status as a top scene-stealer with her powerful performance as the villainous mother-in-law Cheon Eun-sook in the recently concluded SBS drama ‘Our Universe Marries Me’.
The drama, which followed a 90-day fake marriage contract for a luxury honeymoon home prize, featured Kim Young-joo as the doting mother of Kim Woo-joo (Seo Bum-joon), who fiercely protected her son’s interests.
Cheon Eun-sook, a character driven by the belief that her son is unparalleled, consistently displayed a cold and insolent attitude towards her prospective daughter-in-law, Mary (Jung So-min), evoking strong reactions from viewers. She outright refused Mary's pleas for help when she faced financial hardship due to real estate fraud and warned her to stay away from her son. She even displayed a defiant attitude towards Mary's mother (Yoon Bok-in), blaming Mary's personality for the failed engagement.
Reflecting on her role, Kim Young-joo described ‘Our Universe Marries Me’ as a "warm drama that felt like it would bring excitement and happiness." She expressed gratitude for the nickname 'villain mother-in-law Cheon Eun-sook,' calling the character someone who "expresses her inner thoughts without filtration." She added, "Because it's a type that clearly exists in reality, I delivered lines directly and expanded my expressions and emotions in my performance."
Since her debut in the musical ‘The Last Empress’ in 1996, Kim Young-joo has showcased her versatile acting through numerous musicals, including ‘Rent’ and ‘Chicago,’ as well as TV series like Disney+'s ‘Royal Roader’ and JTBC's ‘Frankly Speaking’. She is currently touring nationwide with the musical ‘Mamma Mia!’.
Netizens praised Kim Young-joo's performance, commenting, "Cheon Eun-sook was so annoying, but the actress's acting was top-notch!", "I liked the villain because she was so hateable but compelling!", and "Looking forward to your next project!"