Actress Ahn Eun Jin Gets Facial Paralysis While Filming K-Drama “My Dearest”

Actress Ahn Eun Jin confessed her hardships while filming the hit MBC K-Drama My Dearest.

Ahn Eun Jin | @eunjin___a/Instagram

On December 6, Ahn Eun Jin appeared as a guest on the tvN talk show You Quiz on the Block and talked with the hosts Yoo Jae Suk and Jo Se Ho about her experience filming My Dearest as the role of Gil Chae.

“My Dearest” poster | MBC

Ahn Eun Ji first expressed her gratitude for being a part of My Dearest, which was filmed through all four seasons of the year.

I traveled around the country for one year visiting beautiful traditional Korean houses and was able finish filming without anyone getting hurt, so I am very thankful for that. Also, I’m spending the year-end with a thankful heart for all the love shown to My Dearest.

— Ahn Eun Jin

Yoo Jae Suk, Ahn Eun Jin, and Jo Se Ho (left to right) | tvN

Ahn Eun Jin revealed that after filming My Dearest, she slept very often and enjoyed simple things like grocery shopping, the sauna with her mother, and doing laundry.

Although she is now enjoying rest and sleep, filming for My Dearest wasn’t all fun and games for Ahn Eun Jin. She shared that she went through some difficult times. When she was first cast for this show, there was a lot of talk about how she didn’t seem to “fit” the role.

| MBC

Yoo Jae Suk shared that it frustrated him to read the news that Ahn Eun Jin was “miscast” and that people should have given her a chance before saying such things. Ahn Eun Jin thanked him for the support and revealed that she was going through a hard time physically and mentally during that time.

Before [My Dearest], I was in The Good Bad Mother… Towards the end of filming that K-Drama, I was very sick. So after filming The Good Bad Mother, I was supposed to film My Dearest but my body was not healthy, so I took a month off. I was not in a place to film.

— Ahn Eun Jin

Lee Do Hyun (left) and Ahn Eun Jin (right) in “The Good Bad Mother” | Netflix

She admitted that she even thought of running away because of the pressure to do well.

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.’

— Ahn Eun Jin

| MBC

Both her physical and mental health took a toll on her, and she revealed that her face had been paralyzed 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.

— Ahn Eun Jin

| tvN

However, she found strength in her role, Gil Chae. It not only made her feel strong but also motivated her to work on portraying her character well and proving the haters wrong.

But strangely, while acting as Gil Chae, I gained a lot of strength. The strength of the character and her lines made me feel stronger throughout the filming. When I didn’t get much support as Gil Chae, I could feel it. I was sad, but I thought a lot about how to express Gil Chae. I thought if I expressed her well, people would believe in me.

— Ahn Eun Jin

| tvN

After the show aired, there were news articles about how Ahn Eun Jin proved everyone wrong by showing an amazing performance in My Dearest.

Ahn Eun Jin is best known for the 2020 K-Drama Hospital Playlist and for her role as actor Lee Do Hyun‘s love interest in The Good Bad Mother from 2023. My Dearest, which ended on November 18, was her first lead role in a historical K-Drama.