'Yu Quiz on the Block' drama 'Perfect Crown' supporting actress Gong Seung-yeon reached a turning point in her 15th year as an actress.
On the 20th episode of tvN's 'Yu Quiz on the Block' (hereafter 'Yu Quiz'), Gong Seung-yeon, who drew much attention for her standout performance from episode 1 as the queen in 'Perfect Crown', appeared. Yu Jae-seok said, "Didn't you see her at a recent awards ceremony? I said she was good at playing a villain back then," and added, "I get to see her again on Yu Quiz." Gong Seung-yeon welcomed the remark.
Gong Seung-yeon was cast by SM at age 13 after winning first place in an appearance contest at a gayageum competition and spent seven years as an SM trainee. Even as a trainee she was famous for her looks, and she was known before her debut as the older sister of TWICE's Jeongyeon because Jeongyeon had also been a well-known JYP trainee.
However, Gong Seung-yeon said, "Senior Super Junior members hadn't debuted, and there were f(x), Red Velvet and EXO. But I wasn't good. So I wondered if this wasn't the path, if I should quit; I vaguely hoped that if I practiced every day I might debut," noting that watching seniors, juniors and friends led her to switch to applying for performing arts.
She debuted early with dramas 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' and 'Six Flying Dragons' and the variety show 'We Got Married', but her work was sparse. Gong Seung-yeon said, "Probably because I wasn't good at acting. If I'd been good, I would have continued to do well, but at that time I think I wasn't good," and added, "In my early 20s I thought I would earn some money, but I didn't even have money to pay rent, and why are pension insurance premiums so high? So I moved back into my parents' home," saying she even suffered financial hardship.
Determined and returning to her original resolve, she was so dedicated that for the film 'People Who Live Alone' she smoked in a scene and tried all kinds of cigarettes, and for 'The First Responders' she bought an emergency rescue textbook and studied.
Finally, showcasing a perfect historical tone in a modern fantasy piece, Gong Seung-yeon established herself as an irreplaceable actress. TWICE's Jeongyeon mentioned childhood scuffles with her older sister but said her sister cared for her when she was sick, which helped her regain her health.
TWICE's Jeongyeon said, "My sister became a hot actress. My sister and I were trainees for a long time. It was really hard. Still, it's great that both of us are on the right path now," and she blinked back tears.
Gong Seung-yeon also said calmly, "I'm glad my younger sibling is doing well, but as the eldest shouldn't I lead my siblings by doing well? I thought I was a worse sister than my siblings," conveying her past emotional struggles while showing no boastfulness about caring for her sibling: "I was afraid of losing my sibling. When Jeongyeon said something mean I would hit her and say, 'What's wrong with you?' Then I'd soothe her and we'd cry together. I was always by her side. When the time came I'd make sure she ate."
[Photo channel] tvN channel 'Yu Quiz on the Block' broadcast screen capture
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