Squid Game was undoubtedly the breakout hit of 2021, making global stars of its lead actors including Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-yeon.
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This was a particularly sudden development for the latter, who played Kang Sae-byeok. While she was a professional model, she had never acted in anything before the series.
Now, during a Drama Actress Roundtable with The Hollywood Reporter, Jung has admitted that when watching Squid Game for the first time, she thought she had "f****d up".
Jung explained: "I thought I totally messed up. My first message to director Hwang after I watched Squid Game was, 'I am so sorry. And thank you so much for casting me.' I’m going to cry. It was so stressful. I was trying to prepare for the bad reactions and everything."
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When asked by Lily James and Christina Ricci, who were also on the roundtable, whether she still feels the same, Jung said "No. Maybe it was better than I thought."
Jung has good reason to have changed her mind – her performance in the series garnered glowing reviews, while the series went on to reach number one on Netflix's Top 10 list in 90 counties within 10 days of its release.
When asked what she has planned next in her career, Jung said: "I’m reading a lot of scripts and just starting to educate myself. Like, do you want to tell people about this woman’s life? Or this woman’s life? And then the other side, I’m thinking, 'I just want to try everything so that I can have more of a sense of what I like, what I want to do.'"
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
