Lee Se-young Plays Rashta in Disney+'s 'The Remarried Empress'

Actress Lee Se-young is stepping into a darker role in a new Disney+ fantasy romance. She plays Rashta, a runaway slave who becomes the emperor's mistress, in the Disney+ original series "The Remarried Empress," which premieres on Nov. 4.

The series follows Navier (played by Shin Min-a), the perfect empress of the Eastern Empire. Her husband, Emperor Sovieshu (Ju Ji-hoon), falls for Rashta and tells Navier he wants a divorce. She does not simply agree. Instead, she asks for permission to marry Heinley (Lee Jong-suk), a prince of the Western Kingdom. The show is billed as an epic fantasy romance.

Rashta gets a taste of things she has never experienced before. Her desires soon take over, and she goes on to do a series of bad things.

Lee Se-young has already drawn attention for how closely she resembles the character of the original story, down to her large, clear eyes. One line in the trailer was enough to get under viewers' skin: "Would it be OK if I called you... 'unnie'?" (Korean women use "unnie" to address an older sister or a close older female friend.)

She is also expected to carefully portray Rashta's emotions as they shift with each new turn in the story, adding depth to the drama.

Lee Se-young has builld a strong body of work across several platforms. Her recent credits include "The Red Sleeve," "The Story of Park's Marriage Contract," "What Comes After Love" and "Motel California." Her work spans historical dramas, modern stories and fantasy.

"The Remarried Empress" opens with episodes one through four on Nov. 4. Two new episodes follow each week, for a total of 10 episodes released to viewers worldwide.

Her past roles have moved between different centuries and genres. With Rashta, she now takes on a character the audience is meant to resent, and the trailer suggests viewers already do.