Actress Ji Ye-eun opened up about the immense pressure she felt when she first joined ‘SNL’.
On the May 13 broadcast of KBS Cool FM’s ‘Park Myung-soo’s Radio Show,’ actress Ji Ye-eun, who recently went public with her relationship with dancer Batta, appeared as a guest.
During the show, Park Myung-soo noted, “Actually, she’s not a comedian. She’s more of an entertainer. She didn’t formally dream of becoming a comedian or take exams for it. She’s from K-Arts and studied acting at a great school. What dreams did you have when you appeared on SNL?”
Ji Ye-eun shared, “My dream was to be a comedy actor. I’m too shy and introverted to be a stand-up comedian, which is why I love comic acting. I didn’t think I could do it like a variety star, so I aimed to be a comedy actor. I actually received an F once because I only did comedy. My teacher told me, ‘When else will you get to do a serious drama if not at school?’ and gave me an F, so after that, I only did tragedies.”
When Park Myung-soo asked if she auditioned for ‘SNL,’ she replied, “I got a call, so I prepared all night without a wink of sleep in a rented practice room. I kept wondering what I should show them in such a short time.” She added, “‘Decision to Leave’ was popular at the time. While eating with a friend, I asked, ‘What should I do?’ I felt I needed a secret weapon since the acting part has a script, so I thought I should prepare a special talent. My friend was watching ‘Decision to Leave’ and suggested, ‘Try Tang Wei. You have the vibe,’ so I kept practicing.”
Ji Ye-eun then performed a Tang Wei impression on the spot, explaining, “I researched and exaggerated it to make it funny. I adapted the line ‘Am I that bad?’ and kept using it. They loved it. I felt like I had made it because everyone burst out laughing. Sure enough, I got a call for a second audition. I prepared hard for that one too, doing an impression of Na Moon-hee. I wasn’t really similar, but I pushed through with pure confidence. Even though people said I didn’t sound like her, I just went for it. I even danced ‘Ssaebbing’ like Na Moon-hee did.”
Park Myung-soo praised her, saying, “You’re fresh and you were bound to make it. You’re very pretty, likable, and cute, and since you studied acting and have your own talents, the judges must have passed you. I think Shin Dong-yup would have liked you too.” Ji Ye-eun replied, “He wasn’t there at the time, but he liked me after I joined.”
Park Myung-soo then asked, “In the beginning, aren’t the people on SNL the best actors in Korea? The best among the new generation. Did you feel intimidated joining that crew?”
Ji Ye-eun recalled, “Everyone is so amazing. Isn’t it incredible? That’s why I was so intimidated at first. Everyone acts so well and does ad-libs on stage, and I thought, ‘So that’s what a real celebrity is like. I’m not cut out for this. I’m too introverted and shy to enter this industry.’ So I cried my eyes out. I cried in the bathroom while calling out to the Lord. I felt completely overwhelmed. I couldn’t do ad-libs or even speak because everyone was so good. But I think those moments really toughened me up.”
Park Myung-soo emphasized, “Every celebrity feels that way. If you lose the battle of nerves, it’s over. I always say have confidence. Even if I meet a world-famous comedian, I can say ‘Hey!’ You have to be able to do that.” Ji Ye-eun added, “Su-ji unnie is a great senior, so I was scared of her too, but she saw that I was intimidated and gave me courage. I gained confidence from her. She told me how to do things and gave me a lot of advice. She’s truly amazing. A genius. She can play any role, from pretty characters to anything else. Her range is incredibly wide.”
When Park Myung-soo asked, “Honestly, what would it be like if I joined SNL?” Ji Ye-eun replied, “I’d love to see you on it once. I’m looking forward to your ad-libs. It would be funny, and I think everyone would be flustered.”
Park Myung-soo worried, “The people there can’t be beaten by my nerves. What if I fail miserably?” However, Ji Ye-eun insisted, “Even that would be a good experience. And there’s no such thing as failing miserably. They’ll find a way to make it work.”
Park Myung-soo mentioned, “SNL has a host every week. I’ll think about it if I’m invited, though I might be too nervous to go. Was there a host you really wanted to meet?” Ji Ye-eun expressed her fan heart, saying, “Everyone was amazing. I wondered, ‘I can meet people like this?’ I really liked Rain sunbaenim. I loved him after watching ‘Full House,’ and he appeared. There are so many. Lee Hyori sunbaenim hasn’t appeared yet. I’d love to see Kim Woo-bin sunbaenim and Lee Hyori sunbaenim. I’m curious about them. I think it would be fun just to look at them.”
