Actress Kim Hye-yoon recently shared her emotional journey through seven years of obscurity in the entertainment industry.
On the October 14th episode of tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block,' Kim Hye-yoon reflected on her long period of anonymity after her debut, revealing, "I endured even hearing curses on set."
During the broadcast, Kim recalled her debut in the morning drama 'TV Novel Sam Saeng' just nine months after enrolling in an acting academy during high school. She described her first filming experience as "a series of fears," adding, "The set was so quiet during my lines that it was even scarier. I didn't even know what a full shot was, so there were times I didn't act."
Yoo Jae-suk empathized with Kim's experience, noting, "For a student with no social experience, it must have been a very challenging environment." Kim shared, "I heard things like, 'What's the use of good pronunciation if you can't act properly?' and 'That's why you're an amateur.' I even heard curses that couldn't be aired."
Kim revealed that she attended over 100 auditions, sometimes up to three in a day. "After so many rejections, I would think, 'I'm going to get rejected again today,'" she added. She also confessed to being self-conscious about her height, often hearing she was too short for roles. "I was 158cm but claimed to be 160cm. They all knew and caught me," she admitted.
Kim appeared in over 50 projects as a minor role during those seven years. She candidly shared, "It was overwhelming. I questioned if I was doing well. When I read scripts, I would sense signs of being written off the show."
There were many days when she waited nine hours on set without getting her turn. Kim revealed, "I once refused a hot pack on a cold day, saying I was fine, but ended up with frostbite, losing a fingernail. I felt like I wasn't worth it," she shared, leaving a poignant impression.
Reporter Na-yeon Cho, Ten Asia nybluebook@tenasia.co.kr