EXID alumnus actor Ahn Heeyeon (Hanni) spoke about the pressure of returning to work after a three-year hiatus following a private life controversy.
On the 22nd afternoon at The Saint Wedding in Sindorim, Guro District, Seoul, a production press conference was held for KBS2's new weekend drama Love On The Menu. Director Hong Seok-gu and actors Ha Seok-jin, Ahn Heeyeon (Hanni), Park Yuna, Bae Jung-nam, Kwon Hae-hyo, Yoon Yoo-seon, Ryu Seung-soo and Jin Kyung attended the press conference and spoke.
Love On The Menu is a family recipe drama that gathers the pieces of a broken family to set the warmest table of life in the world.
Through this drama, Ahn Heeyeon returns to acting with Love On The Menu about three years after the 2023 Disney+ drama Call It Love aired. In particular, she announced her marriage in 2024 to psychiatrist Yang Jae-woong, but suffered a blow when a patient death occurred at Yang Jae-woong's hospital. As a result, the wedding was postponed indefinitely, and Ahn Heeyeon stopped broadcasting activities in the aftermath.
She then cautiously opened by saying she was sorry for causing concern to many people because of personal matters and that she felt embarrassed to talk about her personal story at this event. She said many people have worked hard and wholeheartedly to make this project, and her biggest wish is not to tarnish those efforts. She asked for understanding where it is difficult to give specific answers.
She continued, "Of course it has been very burdensome. But that is a burden I must bear, so I am doing my best and staying strong. I am grateful to be able to meet many people through a weekend drama. Through the character Gyurim, I want to give many people comfort, hope and love," she said.
Especially because Love On The Menu contains the story of lovers who broke up while still loving each other, there were likely parts that touched reality. When asked what efforts she had made to erase the controversy, Ahn Heeyeon said, "First, although the character Han Gyurim has many similarities to me, she also has many differences, so I tried hard to better understand Gyurim by learning to cook and seeking various experiences. I think I have gotten much closer to Gyurim and come to understand her better," she said.
Director Hong Seok-gu praised the synchronization rate, saying, "When we first met, I already felt Han Gyurim. I felt like I had met Han Gyurim, and as we filmed various scenes, it was a process of continuously confirming that my first impression was not wrong."
Meanwhile, Love On The Menu will premiere on the 25th at 8 p.m.
[Photo] OSEN reporter Park Joonhyung
[OSEN]