On the January 14th episode of tvN's variety show 'You Quiz on the Block' (hereafter 'You Quiz'), Kim Hye-yoon appeared to reflect on her journey as an actress. She revealed that she began acting by enrolling in an acting academy during her high school years. Just nine months later, she made her debut as a child actress in the drama 'TV Novel Sam Saeng'(TV소설: 삼생이), marking the start of her acting career.
However, the path was not smooth. Kim shared that during her 7 years of anonymity, she practiced acting and attended shoots without an agency. She recalled relying on her father for transportation or hitching rides with supporting actors when shoots were scheduled at inconvenient times or remote locations.
Kim Hye-yoon revealed that she auditioned over 100 times, often approaching each with the mindset of 'I'll probably fail again today.' She confessed to receiving criticism on set for various reasons and hearing harsh words that were difficult to endure. "There are things I can't even say on broadcast. I heard a lot of swearing on set," she admitted, adding that she often cried alone in the car after upsetting incidents.
During her anonymous years, Kim appeared in over 50 minor roles while balancing her studies and acting. Reflecting on that time, she shared memories of refusing a heater from staff on cold days, feeling unworthy. "I used to say 'I'm okay' out of habit," she recalled, mentioning that during high school, her fingers once suffered frostbite, causing swelling and nail loss due to filming in extreme cold. Despite these challenges, she persevered by adhering to personal rules like watching one movie a day and exercising for an hour daily.
After enduring 7 years, Kim Hye-yoon finally broke through by landing a role in the drama 'Sky Castle', overcoming odds of 200 to 1. "I went in thinking 'I'll probably fail today too.' There were so many beautiful people, many familiar faces, including Bora unnie," she reminisced. "I received the script on the audition day, and it was about 7 pages long. I thought I'd fail, but I got the part. It was a turning point for me," she revealed.
Hearing this, Yu Jae-seok mentioned Kim's subsequent success in numerous hit projects, highlighting the tvN drama 'Lovely Runner'. Kim expressed her gratitude, saying, "I'm really thankful. It's a meaningful project. I didn't expect to receive so much love, and I learned a lot personally through the character Im Sol."
When asked what she would say to her past self during her anonymous years, Kim replied, "I'd tell myself 'You're doing well.' Without those times, I wouldn't have been able to move forward. It was a stepping stone that brought me closer to my dreams," she concluded, reflecting meaningfully on her past.
Lee So-jung, TENASIA Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr