'Scandal' Stars Son Ye-jin, Ji Chang-wook Say Their Teen Faces Were Built With CGI

Actors Son Ye-jin and Ji Chang-wook revealed that their teenage scenes in the Netflix series "Scandal" were built using CG de-aging effects. The disclosure came in a new promotional video for the show, where the leads reacted to behind-the-scenes tips from the production crew.

On Oct. 21, Netflix Korea's YouTube channel posted the second episode of a companion video for "Scandal." Lead actors Son Ye-jin, Ji Chang-wook, and Nana appeared together to talk about the making of the series.

During a segment featuring tips from staff who worked on set, one crew member revealed that the teenage versions of the characters Jo-won and Jo-yoon were entirely created using CG. Son Ye-jin confirmed it. "Our younger faces were made with CG," she said. Host Yoo Byung-jae said the effect was difficult to spot. Nana also seemed surprised. "I didn't know either," she said.

Yoo Byung-jae joked about how convincing the effect looked. "CG usually feels a little off," he said. "It almost looks like one of those paid Snow app filters." The comment drew laughs from the cast. Ji Chang-wook added some context on how the effect was used. "There are scenes from our characters' teenage years, and they did some de-aging to recreate how we looked when we were younger," he said.

Son Ye-jin said the team based the effect on how the actors looked in their 20s. "They based it on how we appeared in the projects we did in our 20s," she said. "For example, they tried to get as close to how I looked in 'The Classic.'" She said the result caught her off guard. "I actually thought, 'This really does look like me in my 20s.' It was surreal."

The exchange highlights how digital de-aging, once a signature tool of big-budget Hollywood tentpoles, is quietly working its way into Korean streaming productions as well.