"It didn't make sense for me to audition": Youn Yuh-jung reveals she threw out the Pachinko script after Apple TV's audition call

A still of Youn Yuh-jung (Image via Apple TV+)
A still of Youn Yuh-jung (Image via Apple TV+)

Veteran Korean actor Youn Yuh-jung recently revealed that she was asked by Apple TV+ to audition for the role that she has portrayed in their original Pachinko. The actor, who has worked in the entertainment industry for over five decades, added that it did not make sense for her to audition for a role after having worked as an actor for many years.

Youn Yuh-jung, at a recent press conference for Pachinko said:

"It didn't make sense for me to audition after acting for decades."

She also added that she was aware of the how actors in America auditioned for their roles but as a Korean, she was not used to going through the same motions.


Youn Yuh-jung’s reaction upon being asked to audition for Pachinko

Youn Yuh-jung elaborated on why she was caught unaware when asked to audition for the role and said:

"If I auditioned and then the show said, 'We don't think you're suitable for this role,' then in our industry people will say, 'Youn Yuh-jung failed the audition'. I couldn't lose my 50-year career for this one role, so I threw out the eight scripts I received by the front door."

She then revealed that she did record the audition for the show after confirming that she would land the role. She said:

"I was told that's not the case and they asked me to participate in the drama so I filmed it. I know there were six auditions in total, but I think I did four of them."

Pachinko, the Apple TV+ original is based on the New York Times Bestseller of the same time penned by Min Jin Lee. The show is a period fiction drama, and it will depict the lives of a Korean family that emigrates to Japan. The web series, slated to premier on the streaming platform on March 25, also stars Lee Min-ho, Jin Ha, and Kim Min-ha, among others.

An intriguing trailer for the show promises to showcase Lee Min-ho in an avatar never seen before. Fans of the star will be seeing him on the small screen after his outing with SBS K-drama The King: Eternal Monarch.

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