Jung Ho-yeon on the pressures of Squid Game and her boyfriend’s reassuring advice
The model-turned-actress revealed that she lost weight while in the US because she didn't have time to eat.
Squid Game star Jung Ho-yeon opened up in a recent interview about the whirlwind life she’s leading ever since the Netflix show became a global phenomenon.
In a Soompi article based on her Star News interview, the 27-year-old Jung shared that her longtime boyfriend, actor Lee Dong-hwi, has helped to reassure her after the pressures she’s facing following her star-making turn in the hit series.
“He said, ‘Everything else doesn’t have to work out and doesn’t matter, so just return healthy and safe.’”
She said that his words made her tear up.
“Because everyone anticipates something from me, I have to make something happen, and I have to achieve something. Since there’s that expectation, I was just focusing on that. But Oppa just said that it’s okay if nothing works out and just to be healthy.”
Although she’s used to travelling around the world as a model, Jung admitted that doing so as an actress was different. As a model, she “had a lot of personal time and space” but as an actress, she has had to “share that time and space with others” as many more people recognise her now.
She also revealed that her newfound fame is a cause for worry for her parents, who are very proud of her, “but they’re still worried”.
“If my mum has a bad dream, she’ll always contact me and ask if anything’s wrong. I’m always thankful. I’m learning with an open heart through many different methods.”
Her whirlwind travelling schedule has also been tough on her, physically, as evidenced in recent photos on social media that showed her looking like she lost a lot of weight, causing fans to voice their concern.
She said in the interview that she didn’t have time to eat while in the US. “The clothes that fit me when I first went to the United States are now baggy. In only 10 days after the premiere of Squid Game, I lost 4kg but I’ve lost even more. Once I got to the United States, I had such a busy schedule. So many things happened at once.”
When asked about her future plans, Jung told the outlet: “I follow my intuition, and if that turns out to be wrong, I want to have the courage to accept that. If I keep experiencing like that, I figure that my life as an actress will continue adding up. I’ve decided to think that I’m an actress that’s just getting started.”
