Actress Park Jin-hee Opens Up About Early Career Challenges and Personal Life

Actress Park Jin-hee revealed that she was once considered a 'miscast' during her early career.

On the October 12th episode of KBS2's variety show 'Problem Child in House Season 2' (Episode 305), 'Actress Who Overcame Long Obscurity' Kim Hee-jung and 'Instant Star After Debut' Park Jin-hee appeared together. The episode recorded a nationwide viewership rating of 3.2%.

Kim Hee-jung and Park Jin-hee captivated viewers with their fresh charm, rarely seen on variety shows. Kim Hee-jung shared, "Since I've done a lot of dramas, it's hard to adapt to variety shows where my true self is exposed. Some people are shocked when I act silly after playing calm roles." Her candidness charmed the hosts, with Joo Woo-jae commenting, "Your talk is at Messi's level," with a satisfied smile.

Park Jin-hee candidly discussed her marriage to a judge, revealing that they have been living as a weekend couple for over a decade. She stated, "Being apart makes us cherish each other more." Despite being a judge's wife, she shared an incident where she was scammed, drawing attention. Park Jin-hee recounted, "I bought a jacket from an online store, but it wasn't delivered for over a month, and the seller disappeared. I decided to pursue it and filed a complaint with the police. After a month and a half, I finally got a refund of 279,300 won," showcasing her fiery determination.

Park Jin-hee also mentioned her minimalist lifestyle, saying, "I don't spend much money." When asked by the hosts where she spends her earnings, she replied, "On alcohol. My husband and I spend the most on drinks, with beer costing about 1 million won a month."

The episode featured various intriguing quizzes, including a banned episode of the drama 'Love and War,' makeup artist Min Kim's early career tasks, and Beethoven's legal battle with his sister-in-law.

Kim Hee-jung and Park Jin-hee shared numerous anecdotes related to these topics. Kim Hee-jung's story of her 17-year struggle in obscurity was particularly captivating. Reflecting on her time as a reenactment actress in KBS's 'Love and War,' she said, "There was a lot of negative perception about reenactment actors. I often heard, 'Are you hungry?' or 'Why do you do that?' which hurt me. But I was happy to be there, and playing various characters boosted my confidence."

Kim Hee-jung, an SBS open recruitment actress, revealed, "At that time, the appearance fee per episode was 10,000 won. Without cell phones or pagers, I couldn't leave the house in case I missed a call for work." Upon meeting the legendary first-generation actress, Song Eun-yi and Kim Sook exclaimed, "How old is she? Is she a ghost?" leaving everyone in stitches.

In contrast, Park Jin-hee, who became a star immediately after her debut, also shared her early career struggles. She admitted, "I didn't plan to become an actress after high school." She recalled being cast in a youth drama, "After 10 months of filming, the director said, 'I didn't know you'd be this bad at acting. It seems you were miscast.' I had never learned acting, so I couldn't cry on cue. I even tried applying onion juice before filming, but it didn't work," candidly revealing her inexperienced early days.

By Taeyuna, TenAsia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr