Actress Park Ji-hyun delivered one of her most emotionally demanding performances to date in Netflix's latest series "You and Everything Else," and she credits much of her success to the unwavering support of her co-star Kim Go-eun. During a recent interview at a café in Seoul's Jongno district, Park became visibly emotional when discussing how Kim Go-eun's presence helped her navigate the challenging role.
The Netflix series follows the complex lifelong friendship between two women, Eun-jung and Sang-yeon, as they experience a relationship marked by love, admiration, jealousy, resentment, and eventual reconciliation throughout their lives. Park portrays Cheon Sang-yeon, a character who carries deep emotional scars from childhood and faces turbulent decades filled with conflict in her twenties, estrangement in her thirties, and acceptance in her forties as she approaches the end of her life.
"I'd been craving a role like Sang-yeon," Park explained during the interview. "When I read the script, I was immediately drawn in. And getting the chance to work with Kim Go-eun, whom I deeply respect, left me with no reason to turn it down. I wanted to take on a character with a wide emotional range and a rich story."
When asked about the difficulty of understanding such a complex character, Park offered insight into her approach. "I don't think there's anything that can't be understood. Even villains believe they're doing their best. As an actor, I naturally empathized with her and didn't find it too difficult to play the role." She added that she built the character's backstory through extensive discussions with both the director and writer.
The series tackles the controversial and sensitive topic of assisted dying, which required Park to prepare extensively for the role. "It was a blessing to get a project that allowed me to portray a character's entire life," she said. "This time, the script contained everything – from childhood to death. Since assisted dying is a difficult topic to discuss, I studied documentaries to prepare. I personally believe that giving someone facing death the freedom to choose it isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Unlike many of her previous roles that focused on specific moments in a character's life, Sang-yeon's story spans multiple decades, presenting unique challenges in both character development and emotional execution. Park revealed the intense preparation required for certain scenes: "When playing Sang-yeon in her forties, I would cry for two to three hours before filming to make my face swell. Every line pierced my heart, and I felt comforted in the moments when Eun-jung filled the void in Sang-yeon's life."
The emotional weight of the role sometimes pushed Park to her limits as an actress. "I had to portray her calm acceptance of death, but tears kept coming. At times, I felt the limits of my acting," she admitted. However, it was Kim Go-eun's steady presence that helped her through the most challenging scenes.
Park became particularly emotional when describing the final scenes where her character approaches death. "In the final moments, as Sang-yeon approaches death, I kept hearing Eun-jung's voice saying, 'Sang-yeon, breathe. Sang-yeon, I love you.' I wanted so badly to respond, but no sound would come out," she said, her eyes welling up with tears.
With visible emotion, Park praised her co-star's support throughout the production. "I haven't done anything special. Go-eun unni supported me completely, which allowed me to act freely. All the praise I've received truly belongs to her." Holding back tears, she added, "Go-eun unni is like a rock. No matter what you throw at her, she absorbs it all. I couldn't give much in return, so I tried to offer small comforts on set. I deeply respect her as an actor, and I want to become someone like her."
Park also reflected on the similarities she shares with her character Sang-yeon. "Sang-yeon expresses her jealousy and resentment toward Eun-jung out of the emptiness of not being loved," she explained. "I also feel envy toward others sometimes, but unlike Sang-yeon, I'm very straightforward, whereas she doesn't know how to express herself."
The series, which is deeply rooted in themes of friendship, prompted Park to reflect on her own relationships. She referenced a past appearance on a variety show where she stated she had no friends – a comment that sparked considerable discussion online. "At the time, I defined a friend as someone I could trust one hundred percent," she clarified. "Now I think it's more about wanting to spend time together."
Regarding the mixed audience reactions to her character, Park showed understanding and openness to different interpretations. "Some people view her as a bad person, but I'm grateful for anyone who engages with the character in any way. To those who haven't watched it yet, I'd say, 'Watch it and then criticize,'" she said with a laugh. "Death is closely connected to life. I once said that my goal was to die well, and while that was misunderstood, Sang-yeon's emotions still linger within me."
