HoYeon Jung of SQUID GAME Recalls the Moment She Won Best Actress at Screen Actors Guild Awards

Welcome to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Conversations at Home. I'm Rebecca Sun, Senior Editor of Diversity and Inclusion at The Hollywood Reporter. Now, without further ado, it's my deep pleasure to introduce Critics' Choice and your very own SAG Award winner, Chung Ho-yeon. Ho-yeon, so good to see you again. So good to see you. How are you? I've been good, thank you. Although, I mean, I think you've had one of the most crazy years ever. So definitely want to dive in and just ask you what your whole journey has been like. Now, I figured since this is a SAG conversation, let's start by talking about that big award-winning moment. And your acceptance speech was one of the emotional highlights of that night when you addressed all of the incredible actors in that room and said that they inspired you to dream of becoming an actor. So can you take us back to that period in your life when that dream began and then the steps you took to achieve it? I guess there wasn't like an exact moment of that, okay, I'm going to be an actor. I think it's by the time while I'm watching a lot of movies and TV shows, it's just keep saving in me, I think. So, yeah, and then it's just the fact that I got invited, the scripting got invited at SAG award was just like an unbelievable moment. And, you know, there were a lot of actors and actresses in the same room that I never ever dreamed about that I have a chance to meet them. You know, it was quite nervous and confusing. And I don't know why, but getting shy experience at the beginning. And at that time, I had to present award. So I was also so nervous to present award in English. So I was very kind of tense. And then after finishing the presentation, presenting, I went back to my seat and starting to drinking straight two glass of champagne. So like JJ Lee and director Hong was trying to come down, come me down. But I was like, no, I just do my job. I'm going to drink all day and then I'm going to just enjoy it. And then for me, it was just like, I feel like I'm watching TV, you know, because I told the people that I watch from screen and TV, they come up stage and then they are speaking. I was like, wow. And when I heard my name, it was just like I couldn't get it. Like I couldn't get it. What's happening right now? And I was I think my first word came out from my mouth was, how can I say in English? I don't know. How can I deal with it? Like those kind of words. What do I do? And then I watched JJ Lee and director Hong. But director Hong kind of pushed me to go up stage. Like you're you're taking they're taking time. So I was like, OK, OK, OK, OK. And then on the way to the stage, I go like, this is like I have to say something. Because I I wasn't that like I thought that I wasn't that like a good speech person. Like, yeah. So because, you know, you are I never dreamed about getting an award. But like once you get the word, you kind of want to speak like Meryl Streep. But like she has a lot of experience getting awards. I know. But like at the stage. But also on the way to the stage, I started my tears up. I starting to cry. But I don't know what was that feeling exactly. It was very complex. It was like happiness, anxiety, but also shock. But also afraid that am I allowed to get this award? Like, you know, those kind of thoughts. So, yeah, it was very confusing moment for me. So I think at that time, I just speak what I think instinctively. I just wanted to appreciate who voted to me, who is actors, you know. I just wanted to give my, you know, true heart, like express my true heart to people, actors. I mean, I think it definitely it touched them and it touched audiences who are watching that as well. And, you know, it's incredible because to hear you talk about how nervous you were in that room, because you had already experienced this entirely different, very successful career, being in front of cameras and walking in front of people like all over the world. And in case people are new to this, because Ho Young was a supermodel, in case people don't know that by looking at her. But, you know, being a very skilled model, that doesn't automatically translate to being a successful actor. So I'd love to talk about the training that you took on, you know. And I think I read that you really put in the work in terms of taking the lessons, improving your English, you know, that was even before you signed with your acting agency and books with you, right? Yeah, because when I kind of have like some kind of imagination of future, I think I'm just go for it, you know, like there was a time that if, you know, if I imagine myself like on the screen, that would be amazing. Then why don't I go to class to learn, starting to learn? And I went to, it was a private lesson. And my teacher, she was an amazing teacher. She didn't just like go to like some kind of acting skills. She kind of trying to make me think about what is a human being. So most of my class was all about chatting about my life, about her life and sharing. And sometimes I felt like it was kind of mental therapy. Go ahead. Yeah, no, no, no. And then, but we also did, we starting to reading script of some theater work, because my teacher, it was used to working at the theater. So we start from there with this like whole, like hard words and the hard sentences, like the very old generation, like sentences, you know, and it was challenging. And I think I was so bad at it, but it was just fun to keep doing it. And then my second class was after that, I, after I finished the script game filming, I starting another class about speaking. So it's like, it's hard to explain, but like in Korea, there is a certain rule that you speak clearly. It's also about using your muscles, like a stomach muscle or like neck muscles, but it's not just about it. It's more about intonation and how you can deliver clearly. So, yeah, I starting to learn skills after script game, because that at the time that was my kind of weakness to improve. You've said that. I remember in a previous interview, you said that you felt like your voice was your weakness as part of the character. And I want to like, I have a question about that, but that I'll get to, but let's talk about that, you know, audition and casting process because Squid Game was your first acting audition ever. And then, and I think it was even the first profession, like the script that you received, you know, for an audition, right, to read. And so they gave you three scenes, right? They didn't, you didn't have a whole script. So based on those three scenes that they gave you to read, how did you feel about your ability to play this character of Tae-byeok? And also, how did you manage to prepare for your video audition while also working New York Fashion Week at the same time? Like you were already working, like you're multitasking, you know? So I think I didn't prepare like New York Fashion Week because I already knew many designers and my process of casting was more like fit to come from, we call. So if they want me to do the fitting, they call me. If it's fit, they come from me for the show. But so there is nothing that I have to prepare. Like day by day. But like when I got the script, like a size of script game, it was just like total shocking moment because, you know, like it was just so limited. But like you have to like make related, and then also kind of trying to create this character. Yeah, but I don't know how I did that, really. But I just put a lot of time. I spent a lot of time just thinking about her and then writing a lot of things, why she did that or like what is her history. Just like writing process was helping me a lot. And then I think I still believe if you spend a lot of time, more time you spend, more you can get closer to your character. So, yeah. You mentioned that. I think you've talked about the journal that you created, right? So you wrote a journal and I mean, we get glimpses of her background in the script, right? What we see. And I think that was one of the auditions, one of the scenes you auditioned for. You auditioned with a scene where she's talking to her brother, right? And so you learn that she has a younger brother. That's her soft side. And I think it was the scene with the bad guy who was kind of taking advantage of your family. Right, right, right, right. Like the gangster. Yeah, the broker. And you had to show your menacing side there. That was sort of like, that's when you see that Se-byeok is very dangerous and not a pushover. And then I think a scene towards the end, maybe with Gi-hun, I forget what scene that was. Yeah. What kind of other background did you sort of bring to the character that wasn't necessarily in the script while you were journaling? Like what did, what kind of life had you imagined Se-byeok had? What was her personality like before her family went through all that trauma? Yeah, like after I heard the news that I got casted, they sent me like a whole script and then I read it through. And then I kind of tried to write down her journey, her life experience while she was in North Korea. That like, it was on the script also that like, when she saw like dead bodies burned in North Korea. And also like when she, her family escaped from North Korea, her father died and her mother got caught by Chinese police. So those kind of like the moment of like on the script, I kind of extended what, detailed extended, like how was it like, what sounds was it like, how was feel like, how she like, you know, how was the emotion that she has when she watched her father got shot and could like, and her mother got caught. And like, just making up the lines of my mom's last word. And you know, my dad's last word and why we escaped North Korea and how she has this like a strong, like a belief or like a purpose of living and with her brother and why she has this much responsibility of her family, those kind of things. And I kind of wrote it down and make connection of it. So yeah, it was kind of fun, but don't know if it's right or wrong. Sometimes it's wrong. When I went to the set, if I do the things and I asked director Hwang, director Hwang always kind of correct my thoughts. So yeah, it was just like, so not so smooth, but on the communication with director Hwang was kind of perfect, I think. That's awesome. And I feel like the best characters really come out of that collaboration between the actor and the writer director, you know, and then you guys really create this real human together. I'm speaking of working with director Hwang, you know, one of the things now, this is the question I had, you know, when you're talking about your voice and how you felt insecure about, you know, speaking is that like for Saebyeok to be your first acting character, this is an incredibly difficult character for her, you know, to play in terms of dialogue because, you know, and this is very subtle because the worldwide audiences who don't speak Korean, don't even realize this is that, you know, you had to learn a very specific North Korean dialect to play the character, but then Saebyeok is trying to hide her accent from other characters. And so can you talk about how did you figure out, like how much of her accent would leak through in what situations? And was that something, you know, I don't know if that was spelled out in the script, like now she's speaking in her native accent, or is that something you figured out yourself or with director Hwang? It came from the conversation with director Hwang when it's the early preparation. So after I got tested, I had some like dialogue lessons to get that accent. And then after that, I had a meeting with director and then we were talking about when she's going to use the accent because since she wants to hide like that, the fact that she's came from North Korea, because we thought that there could be time that when she recognized by people as a North Korean, she had kind of like hard times and she doesn't want to have the same experience. So yeah, and then we think that maybe with the family, she's going to use it. And also when she got so mad, it's just coming out, you know, I think accent is like, you can kind of not hide it, like, you know, change it. But you cannot ever, never like just get away from it, I think. So what I did was that first time I heard intonation or dialogue intonation, like a recording. And then I keep following and exaggerate it so that I can have the sense of intonation and then trying to make it flatter because like the North Korean, especially Seoul, where Saebyeok's living, Seoul accent is very flat. So yeah, like making, exaggerate it and then come down to make a balance. Does that make sense? Yes, I mean, it does. I mean, I think for people who like, even if people who don't understand Korean, they know what that's like when like America has like, English has a variety of accents. And, you know, there's always a joke when people get drunk, their real accent comes out. They can't control it. Or if you're mad or very scared, like Saebyeok gets. But that's, it's just remarkable. I just, I just find that that technical aspect of the acting was amazing. You know, you've spoken so warmly about your, how your castmates helped you and encouraged you because you felt like the rookie, you know, on the set. Is there, is there like one piece of advice that one of them gave you that you feel like you'll really treasure and carry with you? Because we speak a lot. We shared a lot. So I think there is not only just one thing that I keep hold it, but maybe it came from director Hong at the very early production. When I have like my anxiety levels got so high, I asked him to have a dinner. So, and then talking about my acting, like concerns to him in questioning why you cast me, something like that. But he goes like, you know, I, cast you because you were, you are already Saebyeok. So I have no doubt. And that just, that just gave me, that encouraged me a lot. It's just like without no reason, but I don't know exactly why. But after that, I was like, okay, let's just have the fact that I'm not good at acting. Just like accept that. And let's make many mistakes because like director Wong and then cast the crew. I'm sorry, but like they are always waiting. And for me and like trying to help me, they're just there. So, and then I always gonna be better. And then I will always prepare like my best. And yeah, and then just like hearing a lot from what they're trying to give me, you know, the energy and everything. So, yeah. I don't know how just one lesson in this speed game journey, cause I've been learning so many things in very short amount of time. Yeah. It's like you had sort of a grad school level experience training, you know, just by doing this show. And, but I mean, it's incredible marriage of, I think clearly very hard work and natural gift and like openness. I mean, everything about how you describe the process is that you are just so open to learning. There's two questions. I always like to ask actors about their projects. Which scene in Squid Game was the most challenging for you? And which scene are you proudest of? And sometimes those are the same thing. Oh, I was going to say that. Like, I think it's the same scene that most challenging and most proud of. That's the scene where like Se-byeok in the bathroom at the episode eight. Cause I shot it on the quite early production. And it's like, but most of our scenes were shooting in order. Like, especially when it's the game, the director and the crew make us to be filming in order. But the bathroom scene, because of the set schedule, we had to shot kind of early of the production. And then, but I thought that, but the face of her or her like current state could be, no, like will be different from the first episode to eight episode. And her emotions, like more could be complex. And like, she could have a lot of like thoughts going on and like feelings going on, but she got, she got grabbed by the glass. The glass, yeah. The glass on the bridge, right? Yeah, and it's just like, I was afraid that if it's not the same face and presidency with the, when we shot like end of the production, but I wanted to make it same because when you edit it at the end, it could be different face, right? And then I don't want that audience feel that. So I kind of trying to like have that emotion before the shooting, before going on the set. So what I did was just like reading through, pull the like a script over and over again, and then do kind of little acting moment, like speaking with my lines, like after what was feel like I did a Marvel game with Ji-young and after like, or so after tug war, for the first time we kill people by our hands and how was feel like and then speaking and then just feel it acting in my room by myself. And then I went to the set and that like the nervous wasn't solved until right before we starting to filming the scene. But I think that helped, that anxiety helped. So I kind of right away starting to cry, like while I'm walking into the set and then it never stopped. I think I cried over like two hours. Yeah, so, but I tried to pull that emotion until the end so that it can continue. And I want it to be authentic. I don't want it to be kind of exaggerated that hurt or exaggerate her emotion. So, but like at the end I was like, oh yeah, maybe it worked. And then director Hwang gave me thumbs up. That's incredible. I mean, cause what you're talking about is emotional continuity, and you were trying to keep that continuity, that linkage. And I think that that's such, again, like such a high level awareness of performance. I love that you pointed out that scene because sometimes people, I don't think that's not something that everybody would think of cause it is kind of subtle. She's just, that's alone. That's like one of the last times she's alone. Right, right, right, right. Kind of like everything of the insanity of what she's just experienced is crashing down. That's crazy. Well, looking into the future, you've already booked two projects. You're going to be in Alfonso Cuaron's Apple TV series, Disclaimer. That's incredible. Cause now again, I'm thinking about when you were saying, all of those times when you're on the road and watching these films and TV shows and getting so inspired by them. And now you're going to be directed by those artists. You're a peer now, you're a peer. And the A24 movie, The Governesses, which is going to be one of your starring roles. Obviously another breakout star from this past award season, Renata Rejnsvig. Oh yeah. From Worst Person in the World and Lily Rosedep. So, so exciting. Now that you, I assume that you're going to have like a lot of scripts being sent to you, you know, specifically, you know, what attracts you to a project? Or what kinds of projects would, and what kinds of projects would you like to maybe tackle in the future? Well, I still kind of figuring out what kind of script that I feel like. Cause I think, I don't know, I don't know what script is like attract me, but I do have instincts of people. So when I meet the director, like having a meeting with people, I think there are people that I kind of think that, oh, I would like to work with him. But I think it's also based on their like a past movie or so it could be. And also it could be their like a taste of movie, if it's like similar with me. Spending more time with someone is helping me to kind of making decisions, I think. But I don't have like a proper, like a strategy of what to choose or like what to decide. It's the same word, but yeah. I mean, it feels like staying open has really served you well, right? In your life, in your career approach. Right. And then it's just, I think I'm a beginner, right? I'm just starting this, like I'm just got into this industry and I want to just like learn and experience a lot cause I'm ambitious. Yeah. And yeah, I just wanted to keep trying and meeting people and it's just, and then it meant to be happen. I believe that it's something, there are things that it meant to be happen. So I always just, what I do is always just trying to do my best, prepare every like audition that I have or the script or meetings that I have, try my best to do my job and then just let the things happen. I mean, I can't wait to see what things happen in your life in the future. I came up with a very silly final question that I think somehow brings your whole career full circle. Although Squid Game is again, amazingly your debut as an actor, your first time on screen was actually a different TV show called Korea's Next Top Model, which I have watched. Yeah. I love that show. And it's better than the American version. Oh yeah. Yeah. Which is the more cutthroat competition? Being a top model or participating in Squid Games? Oh, wow. Oh, that's a difficult question. I think maybe. Maybe being a top model is more challenging. I think maybe. I don't know. Yeah. But like if just like participation in Squid Game, I think being a top model could be more challenging and could be hard thing. But if you say winning Squid Game, it's the most challenging thing in the world. Yeah. Like I'm in Squid Game, you actually die. So I guess that's hard. But there's a lot of psychological warfare on top model. Like it's not just physical challenges. There's a huge mental challenge. Right. To compete on top model. It was just like, but it was fun. So because I see my job like as a model, I think also another way to express things, you know, through like a still cut or like the photos, pictures. And I think it's also see the like a photography as an art. So, yeah, I always love taking a photo better than walking runway. Walking runway is so hard. Wearing like a comfortable heel. And, you know. It does seem to be so much creative expression with photo. Like with photography, you can do a range of expression that seems more similar to acting than like runway, which is most runways. Most shows are going to be a very like static. Yeah. Yeah. So that's so interesting. But, oh, yeah. And always just such a pleasure to speak with you. Thank you. And on behalf of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, thank you so much for sharing your journey and your process and your gift with your fellow performers. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me. And hope to see you soon in person. Ah, I can't wait.