[Sportschosun Jeong An-ji] Broadcaster Jang Young-ran revealed, "I applied for a talent recruitment program, but I was dropped in the first document screening because my face was too ugly."
On the 24th, a video titled "Jang Young-ran's 30-Year Best Friend Hwang Hyo-eun Revealed for the First Time: The Woman Who Filmed a Drama with 49% Viewership and Still Says She Sorts Inventory at a Clothing Store" was uploaded to the YouTube channel Class A Jang Young-ran.
In the video, Jang Young-ran met her longtime friend Hwang Hyo-eun and looked back on the days when they dreamed of debuting in the entertainment industry while going to auditions together.
When Hwang said, "We sat next to each other during university orientation," Jang replied, "Back when I hadn't had double-eyelid surgery," drawing laughter.
Their shared background of having fathers who were police officers brought the two even closer. Jang said, "Back then, in the Department of Theater and Film, smoking, drinking, and having fun were considered art, but neither my friend nor I smoked," adding, "She was truly pure. Seeing that, I thought, 'I have to become friends with her.'"
After that, the two of them went from audition to audition, dreaming of debuting in the entertainment industry. But reality was far from easy.
Jang said, "I went to more than 100 auditions at the time. I had no connections and nothing at all, so I just kept going to auditions over 100 times," adding, "I applied for a talent recruitment program, but I was rejected in the first document screening because my face was too ugly."
She continued, "When I kept getting rejected at auditions, Hwang Hyo-eun told me about Mnet's VJ recruitment, so I rushed to apply at the last minute and got in," drawing laughter as she added, "That was when I had my double-eyelid surgery for the first time."
Jang eventually entered the broadcasting industry, while Hwang also remained active in films and dramas. Jang said, "The acceptance announcement was made live, and my friend was happier than anyone else," adding, "Looking back now, I think she was the only friend who sincerely congratulated me."
Jang then reflected on her difficult past, saying, "Young people think it's easy to become a celebrity or an influencer, but it's not," and, "I did it while practically eating dirt off the ground."
anjee85@sportschosun.com
