"Sunbae-nim Snake": "The Glory" Actress Kim Hieora Reveals The Shocking Secret Behind Her Infamous "Church Scene"

Now that Netflix‘s hit K-Drama The Glory has finished airing, the cast members have been sharing insight into what filming the intense drama was actually like.

The Glory tells the story of Moon Dong Eun (played by Song Hye Kyo) as she follows an elaborate plan to take revenge on her high school tormentors.

Actress Kim Hieora, who plays Lee Sa Ra, recently opened up about her character’s infamous “church scene.”

Kim Hieora as Lee Sa Ra and Song Hye Kyo as Moon Dong Eun | *Netflix*

As one of Dong Eun’s high school bullies, Lee Sa Ra is subjected to Dong Eun’s “revenge plot” and ends up imprisoned by the end of the series. But before ending up in prison, Lee Sa Ra, an artist, drug addict, and pastor’s daughter, ends up masturbating as she hallucinates. Her hallucination starts with a snake crawling out of a religious painting before becoming Son Myeong Oh (who has a snake tattoo on his thigh).

But while the dark scene was already shocking to viewers, Kim Hieora revealed that the scene was actually even more shocking than fans might have imagined.

damn the church scene in the glory …. so wild 😨

— Mimi Adlina Rahim (@adlinaabr) March 12, 2023

nahh that sa ra church scene in the glory pt 2 was crazyyy😭

— 𝙧 𝙤 𝙮 (@roymao) March 12, 2023

First, Kim Hieora admitted that she was asked several times to ensure she felt comfortable with what she would have to film.

The director asked me if I checked the script and assured me that I could tell him if anything made me uncomfortable. He said that he believed I’d do a great job but that he wanted to respect my boundaries as an actress.

— Kim Hieora

But despite the director’s concerns, Kim Hieora was actually “excited” to take on the acting challenge.

But for me, it was actually kind of exciting. Anyone who wants to broaden their horizons as actors would understand. Lim Ji Yeon and Cha Joo Young also saw the script and told me that I’d be the star of the episode. I was not worried. I was excited to make the best out of the scene. I wanted to do my very best.

— Kim Hieora

And it certainly was an acting challenge since Kim Hieora revealed that the snake in the scene was real, not CGI, as many viewers had believed.

I was lying on my back when the staff said, ‘The snake’s here.’ They showed it to me and said, ‘Say hello. This is the co-star you’ll be acting with.’ It was a GIANT snake in a box.

— Kim Hieora

The staff also told Kim Hieora it was “a sunbae-nim snake.”

I was told the snake has been on multiple shows, so it’s a sunbae-nim snake.

— Kim Hieora

And fortunately, Kim Hieora quickly warmed up to the snake after it showed her “some aegyo.”

I tried touching it, and it leaned on me, showing me some aegyo. After communicating with it for a bit, it became much easier for me to hiss.

— Kim Hieora