He loves being called ‘princess’: Under the Queen’s Umbrella star Yoo Seon-ho on fans’ nickname for him, studying for the role, and what’s next

Yoo Seon-ho’s role – a prince who likes to dress as a woman – in K-drama Under the Queen’s Umbrella required a lot of research on his part. His efforts paid off

Viewers praised his realistic and sensitive portrayal, and some fans started calling him ‘princess’. It ‘sounds pretty’ and is his favourite nickname, Yoo says

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Yoo Seon-ho in a still from Under the Queen’s Umbrella on Netflix. Viewers have praised him for his realistic and sensitive portrayal of a prince who likes to dress as a woman. Photo: tvN

Published: 1:00am, 16 Dec 2022Updated: 2:45am, 16 Dec 2022

By Dong Sun-hwa

For Yoo Seon-ho, the role of Grand Prince Gyeseong in Korean historical fiction drama Under the Queen’s Umbrella was no walk in the park.

During the day, the fourth son of Queen Hwaryeong (Kim Hye-soo) is her best-behaved, academically accomplished son. At night, Gyeseong heads to his “haven” and secretly disguises himself as a woman to express his hidden sexual identity.

The rationale behind his double life is simple. As a prince of the conservative Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), Gyeseong’s life could have been threatened if his sexual orientation had been revealed. His life, however, takes a drastic turn after his mother finds out.

“When I first flipped through the script of Under the Queen’s Umbrella, I didn’t quite know what to do,” Yoo said during an interview. “I had no idea how to approach my character, so I referred to a series of films, dramas and documentaries and even read some research papers to get some hints.