Kim Go-eun Praises Co-Star Park Ji-hyun: "She's like a giving tree" in 'Sparkling Watermelon' Reunion

Actress Kim Go-eun, who recently starred in the Netflix original series 'Sparkling Watermelon,' shared her thoughts on reuniting with co-star Park Ji-hyun.

The two actresses previously shared brief moments in the TVING series 'Yumi's Cells,' but 'Sparkling Watermelon' allowed them a deeper collaboration as the lead characters, Eun-jung and Sang-yeon, whose lives are intricately intertwined.

"In 'Yumi's Cells,' we didn't actually have many scenes together," Kim Go-eun explained. "So, I didn't feel like we had a chance to build much chemistry. However, I always admired Park Ji-hyun as an actress, and for 'Sparkling Watermelon,' I felt the role of Sang-yeon was crucial for grounding the story."

Kim Go-eun highlighted the complexity of Park Ji-hyun's character, Sang-yeon. "Sang-yeon goes through a wide spectrum of emotions and has a deep narrative spanning from her 20s to 40s. I was truly impressed by how brilliantly Park Ji-hyun portrayed these challenging emotions," she said. "On set, I found myself genuinely looking at her as Eun-jung, observing Sang-yeon's struggles and recognizing her needs."

She further elaborated on Park Ji-hyun's thoughtful gestures, especially during the cold winter filming. "Park Ji-hyun was incredibly considerate of my physical well-being. She gifted me warm thermal underwear, which was hard to find, and even stylish fur boots," Kim Go-eun recalled fondly. "She'd just hand them over, saying 'Unnie, wear these, wear these,' like a 'giving tree.' It was truly heartwarming."

Reflecting on a particularly memorable scene in Switzerland, where they filmed Sang-yeon's final moments, Kim Go-eun mentioned the emotional intensity. "Park Ji-hyun cried a lot during that scene. While I was also struggling to hold back tears, seeing her cry so openly helped me contain my own emotions," she shared.

Kim Go-eun also expressed satisfaction with how they conveyed 30 years of their characters' history through minimal dialogue. "The scene where Eun-jung says, 'You want me to go with you, right? Don't say the opposite,' was originally longer and more emotional," she stated. "We decided with the director and Park Ji-hyun to strip it down to just that one line, relying on our gazes and breaths to convey their decades-long bond. I'm so glad it came together so well."

Kim Go-eun described her character Eun-jung in 'Sparkling Watermelon' as someone who anchors the story and carries it forward with quiet endurance. She expressed deep admiration for Park Ji-hyun's portrayal of Sang-yeon, noting its brilliance in capturing the character's complex emotional journey. The actress also shared heartwarming anecdotes about Park Ji-hyun's thoughtfulness on set, emphasizing their strong bond.