Girls' Generation's Yoona Nearly Collapsed During 'The Tyrant's Chef' Filming

Yoona's Dedication on Set Revealed

Girls' Generation member and actress Yoona nearly collapsed during the filming of 'The Tyrant's Chef,' according to behind-the-scenes stories shared by her co-star.

On the MBC variety show 'Radio Star' that aired on October 22nd, actor Kim Kwang-gyu appeared as a guest for the 'We Match Pretty Well' special episode, alongside Kim Wan-sun, Hong Yun-hwa, and Jo Jjaez.

Kim Kwang-gyu Praises Yoona's Work Ethic

Kim Kwang-gyu played the role of Um Sooksoo in tvN's 'The Tyrant's Chef,' which achieved phenomenal popularity with viewer ratings reaching 20%. He worked closely with Yoona throughout the production.

The veteran actor revealed that working on 'The Tyrant's Chef' made him respect younger actors even more. "It was my first time working with Yoona on a project. For historical dramas, we film from 6 AM until sunset. The lead actors come out three hours earlier to prepare," he explained.

He continued, "Usually actors rest to maintain their condition, but Yoona truly led by example and worked incredibly hard. I personally prefer using stand-ins, but Yoona did everything herself—the cooking scenes, even shots where only her back appeared."

Warning Became Reality

Kim Kwang-gyu recalled warning Yoona about her intense work pace: "I told her 'You're going to collapse if you keep this up,' and she really did almost collapse near the end of filming. Watching Yoona work, I thought 'This is why she's so successful.'"

He described the challenging filming conditions, noting that cooking scenes typically took 2-3 hours to shoot. "The weather was extremely hot at the time, which made it even more difficult," he confessed.

Praise for Co-star Lee Chae-min

Kim Kwang-gyu also had high praise for actor Lee Chae-min, saying, "He's tall with an amazing physique. Lee Chae-min was born in 2000, but as the episodes progressed, his acting improved so much that the director was truly satisfied."