When South Korean model-turned-actor Jung Hoyeon made her acting debut in Squid Game (2021), she became a star almost overnight. But instead of rushing to capitalise on that success, she took a step back, choosing to learn and figure out what kind of actor she wanted to be.
Now, almost five years later, she’s ready for her next big project with Hope, director Na Hong-jin’s genre-bending sci-fi thriller and her feature film debut.
On a Monday morning Zoom call, Hoyeon is all smiles, dressed in a pink T-shirt, her hair tied up in a bun and no make-up on. However, having spent years modelling in the US, she’s comfortable speaking in English.
In Hope, she plays Sung-ae, a rookie police officer who takes on an extraterrestrial threat with a machine gun, a fast car and plenty of attitude. It’s a far cry from the quiet, guarded Kang Sae-byeok in Squid Game. But what drew Hoyeon to the film, brought to India by Star Entertainment and set to be released in English and Hindi, was the chance to work with filmmaker Na Hong-jin, whose work she has long admired. The shoot was physically demanding, with gruelling stunts that pushed her to her limits, but that's exactly the kind of challenge she was looking for.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, the actor, who is also the global ambassador for Louis Vuitton and Lancôme, opens up about finding her footing after Squid Game, what makes working on Korean film sets special, and why she approaches every project as if it could be her last.
Edited excerpts from the interview.
The Hollywood Reporter India: The Hope poster shows you firing a machine gun. After Squid Game, did you choose Hope to challenge the image that audiences have of you?
Jung Hoyeon: The biggest reason I chose Hope was director Na, because I was a huge fan of his films. The Wailing (2016), The Chaser (2008), The Yellow Sea (2010) .... he’s really a master of filmmaking, I would say. So, when he contacted my agent [and said that] he wanted to have a dinner meeting with me, I thought, wow, because I never expected to meet him. And after that meeting, when he gave me the script, that was one of the biggest achievements of my life.
Working with him, our cinematographer Alex Hong, and the other actors in the film —Hwang Jung-min and Choi Moo-sung — was a really meaningful memory in my career. After Squid Game, I was looking for a place where I could learn more, and this was just perfect.
THR INDIA: Did director Na Hong-jin ever push you beyond what you thought you were capable of?
Jung: Yes, yes. He’s very well known in Korea, as a director who is kind of a perfectionist. I knew that he was going to push me quite hard, and I wanted that. I wanted to break through my limitations, and this was a safe place to do that.
The car stunts and the firearm action scenes weren’t easy. You know, the gun [weighed] about five kilograms, so having that on and shooting for a whole day was really, really challenging. But, I never give up.
THR INDIA: I can imagine. You are also part of a new wave of Korean actors making their way into Hollywood and global screens. What’s one thing that you feel your generation of Korean performers have that Hollywood is missing?
Jung: Oh, I don’t think that [there are] things that we have that Hollywood doesn’t. But [when I get asked about] why now is a good time for Korean culture, I always answer that it’s the hardworking people.
If you come to a Korean set, there are so many people really, really working hard, putting their heart out there. Sometimes, when [they have to work] over time, they accept it, like, ‘We know that we got to do this’.
They are also very collaborative, and helpful to each other. Having that one goal with so many people... it’s not easy, but many Koreans really, really feel that sense of responsibility while working. I’m also like that, putting everything out there; I always work on a project like it’s the last one that I’ll ever do in my life!
THR INDIA: What is one thing that you love about working in the Korean film industry? And one thing you’d like to see change?
Jung: What I really love about working on a Korean set is the food, the catering. It is the best! We have different catering companies, but most of them are just so good. When I’m working in Hollywood, or even in European or Western countries, as a model, the catering is always not enough, you know, because as Koreans, we are serious about food.
And [as for] the things that I want to see change… oh, maybe, it could be nice to have a trailer, so as an actor, you can secure your personal space. Especially when you have some kind of emotional scene, it’s better to be isolated. But I got used to being on set and surrounded by people.
That gave me the skills to be disconnected in a way, even though you’re chatting with people. You focus on what you’re going to do. When you’re not in the perfect conditions, I think you learn more. I don’t have much to complain [about], but if one thing could be changed, then this could be nice.
THR INDIA: And what’s it like being famous? Has it changed your daily routine in any way?
Jung: Yes, I’m wearing hats, sometimes masks and glasses too. I have so much hair, so, normally I don’t like to wear hats, but I got to. I think right after Squid Game, it was really, really quite chaotic, but now it’s more chill and I can find my own rhythm for my life. But [again], I’m not complaining. It’s just a hat. (laughs)