"If we weren't family, I would have wanted to die"... Park Ji-hyun confesses the weight of 'You and Everything Else'

Actor Park Ji-hyun calmly revealed the efforts she made to understand the pain of her character and the moments she projected her own family's pain.

Appearing on the recent tvN variety program 'You Quiz on the Block,' actor Park Ji-hyun spoke about the character 'Sang-yeon' she met through the work 'You and Everything Else.' Sang-yeon is a character living a terminal life after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, and Park Ji-hyun revealed that she managed her body by fasting for three weeks before actual filming to experience the character's pain.

"A feeling of the esophagus and stomach sticking together"... Desperate immersion into the character

In the video, Park Ji-hyun specifically explained the physical changes she experienced to implement Sang-yeon's condition. She said, "For about three weeks (while fasting), I couldn't live normally," adding, "I felt a sensation of something sticking to my esophagus and stomach, and while my body was getting thin, I felt like my face was swelling." She added that in order to avoid crying as much as possible on set, she would sometimes go to her accommodation to cry for an hour or two before heading out, and that this process was a great help in studying the character's breathing, posture, and gestures.

In particular, Park Ji-hyun explained the background of seeking advice from her father, who is a doctor, regarding the character's condition. Mentioning her experience when her father fought cancer during her appearance in 'Reborn Rich,' she confessed, "My heart was very uncomfortable when my father was sick." She shared that recalling her father's words, "If we weren't family, I would have wanted to die," allowed her to understand Sang-yeon's heart at that moment.

Furthermore, she expressed her tender feelings for her family, saying that for her mother, who was struggling while watching her father fight the illness, "I thought the only thing I could do was to work more actively in silence and show her a good side."

Kim Go-eun's energy and the "I love you" that wasn't in the script

Park Ji-hyun also expressed deep respect for the actress Kim Go-eun, with whom she worked. She said of Kim Go-eun, "It seems like whatever work passes through her hands turns into gold like magic," and noted that the energy Kim Go-eun radiates on set has the power to make those around her breathe.

Recalling memories from filming, she conveyed her connection with Kim Go-eun. Park Ji-hyun mentioned a moment during the filming of a assisted suicide scene where, although it was not in the script, Kim Go-eun said, "Sang-yeon, I love you," and "Sang-yeon, breathe." She conveyed her overwhelming emotions at the time, saying, "It was a situation where I shouldn't move, but it was hard because tears kept flowing while listening to her," and "I wanted to say 'I love you' too, but the words wouldn't come out."

From Spanish major to actor, constant challenges

In the video, Park Ji-hyun's unexpected background was also introduced. After graduating from Chungcheong Girls' High School and entering the Department of Spanish at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, she revealed that she gained certainty about wanting to become an actor while studying for entrance exams and decided to take a leave of absence immediately after finishing the first semester of her freshman year. She also showed a witty side by utilizing her major knowledge by personally reenacting the Spanish lines she presented in the drama 'Dr. Gang.'

Meanwhile, Park Ji-hyun recently worked with Gang Dong-won and Um Tae-goo through the film 'Wild Sing' and is preparing to appear in her next work 'Cha Cha Cha Reporter.'