Published By: Dishya Sharma
Last Updated: December 08, 2023, 19:34 IST
Ahn Eun-jin shared the screen space with Namgoong Min in My Dearest. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
“Even if I walked for just 10 minutes to go for a walk, my knees swelled so much that I couldn’t bend them,” Ahn Eun-jin said.
Ahn Eun-jin has made her place in the Korean entertainment industry. Popular for her roles in K-dramas The Good Bad Mother and Hospital Playlist, Ahn Eun-jin once again hit the headlines. This time for her performance in the hit drama My Dearest, where she portrayed the character of Gil Chae and received awards for her compelling acting. Despite her success becoming a hot topic, not many know that Ahn Eun-jin encountered health issues during the filming of the show.
In a recent conversation with hosts Yoo Jae Suk and Jo Se Ho, Ahn Eun-jin expressed her gratitude to fans for their unwavering support and love. She shared, “I travelled around the country for one year, visiting beautiful traditional Korean houses, and was able to finish filming without anyone getting hurt, so I am very thankful for that. Also, I’m spending the year-end with a grateful heart for all the love shown to My Dearest,” as quoted by Koreaboo.
After wrapping up the filming of My Dearest, Ahn Eun-jin shared that she took pleasure in simple activities and spent time with her mother. However, there she recalled that shooting the show wasn’t an easy experience for her.
Reports indicate that Ahn Eun-jin faced considerable discussion upon her initial casting for the show, with concerns about her seeming not to “fit” the role. Later, Ahn Eun-jin disclosed that she was grappling with both physical and mental challenges during that period. She explained that before My Dearest, she was part of The Good Bad Mother, and as the filming of the show neared its end, she fell seriously ill. Consequently, she took a month off to recover before commencing the shoot for My Dearest.
“Then while preparing for My Dearest, the pressure and my health combined and my condition was bad. So when I came home after doing the table read, I turned on the shower and I slightly wanted to run away. ‘Can I handle this? It’s my first time doing a long shoot for a traditional K-Drama. Can I really do this?’ But I thought, ‘If I can do this, I will grow a lot,” she added.
She suffered both physically and mentally and revealed that her face was paralysed at one point. “Something felt strange… I just thought, ‘It must be swelling.’ While filming, I went to the hospital, but it wasn’t something that could get better right away. Even if I walked for just 10 minutes to go for a walk, my knees swelled so much that I couldn’t bend them,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Ahn Eun-jin drew strength from her role as Gil Chae. “ The strength of the character and her lines made me feel stronger throughout the filming,” she added. My Dearest is a romance drama, revolving around Jang Hyun, a carefree man, whose encounter with Gil Chae introduces him to the complexities of love.
Namgoong Min, the male lead in the popular Korean drama, secured the Best Actor award, while his co-star and the female lead of the show, Ahn Eun-jin, was honoured with the Best Actress award at the Grimae Awards of 2023.
