Kim Joo Ryoung, “I felt the popularity of ‘Squid Game’ while filming ‘Big Bet’ in the Philippines”
Actress Kim Joo Ryoung expressed her feelings after Disney+’s original series “Big Bet Season 2” ended.
Kim Joo Ryoung rose to stardom after starring in Netflix’s hit drama “Squid Game” in 2021. This success also gave the actress a new goal for her domestic and overseas activities. Opening the second act of her acting career, Kim Joo Ryoung decided to expand her spectrum by signing with A3 Artist Agency in the U.S. earlier this January after receiving so many love calls from foreign producers.
During a recent interview, Kim Joo Ryoung said, “As an actress, I can’t be more honored and grateful”, expressing her feelings after completing another work.
Mentioning the enthusiastic responses from overseas viewers after starring in “Squid Game”, the actress said, “Many people on SNS commented that they enjoyed the drama. Acquaintances of my husband in the U.S. also showed interest in my work.”
Kim Joo Ryoung also talked about how she was warmly welcomed when filming overseas, saying “People recognized me even when I was wearing a mask. They brought me some bread while watching me act on the set. It was touching to see how excited they were to meet someone they liked.”
She added, “I was recognized by many people in the Philippines. I covered my face with a mask but they still noticed me. How amazing. That’s when I felt it. Lots of people watched ‘Squid Game’. (laughs)”
In “Big Bet”, which depicts the world of money and desire set in the Philippines, Kim Joo Ryoung portrayed Jin Young Hee, the owner of a pork belly restaurant in Manila who falls into panic after getting caught up in a murder case.
Explaining the process of building her character, Kim Joo Ryoung shared, “I wanted it to look real, so I thought about Koreans living in other countries. I lived in LA before, so I could refer to that. However, Korean people living in the Philippines have a different accent“, adding “I did research on Youtube. The director also interviewed many self-employed overseas Koreans before the filming.”
The actress added, “It’s difficult to explain in detail how all those references were reflected in my acting, but I tried to imitate the way people living there speak through Youtube videos. That’s how I proceeded with the shoot.”
Kim Joo Ryoung left a great impression on the public with her performance in “Squid Game” (2021). Since then, she has steadily been walking her own way as an actress by appearing in various acting projects, such as “Artificial City”, “Big Bet” Seasons 1&2, as well as “Kingmaker” (2022).
Regarding how she got cast for the role of Jin Young Hee in “Big Bet”, Kim Joo Ryoung recalled the past and said, “From the first time we met, the director already asked me to do this project together. He read a press interview article in advance and cast me with vague expectations that I could do well as Jin Young Hee”.
The actress added, “The director told me that he didn’t cast me after recognizing my role of Han Mi Nyeo in ‘Squid Game’. He said he just had ‘faith’ that I could show a good performance as Jin Young Hee.”
While the impression of Han Mi Nyeo in her previous work was strong, Kim Joo Ryoung tried to escape from it with Jin Young Hee of “Big Bet”. She said, “I hope my acting looks real to viewers. It doesn’t need to be dramatic. I wanted my character to appear like an ordinary woman living there, at that place. The director told me not to do anything special and asked me to express the natural look of a normal restaurant owner. I focused on that part and tried my best.”
Source: Wikitree
