Song Hye-kyo’s Humble Leadership Surprises Co-Star: “It’s Not a Role for Just Anyone”
On the July 7 episode of Channel A’s “Best Friend Documentary: Table for 4”, Kim Ji-woo invited her close friends — actress Kim Hieora and dancer Aiki, both of whom she met through the musical “Frida”.
During the broadcast, Kim Hieora opened up about her challenging early years. “I failed so many auditions when I started out that I seriously considered switching careers. I worked at clothing stores, sold items at flea markets, even busked with a friend and sold diffusers. Eventually, I even sold my own clothes.”
She continued, “Then one day, I decided to approach auditions like I was running a business — casually and for fun. From then on, I started having better luck.”
Her first TV drama was “Beyond Evil”, where she played a corpse. “After filming the scene, the director told me, ‘I think we’ll see more of you.’ At the time, I was also auditioning for ‘The Glory‘. I thought it was a minor role, but they kept calling me back for the part of Lee Sa-ra, saying there was something unique in my eyes.”
Kim Hieora then shared her admiration for Song Hye-kyo. “During the pre-shoot script reading, Hye-kyo said, ‘I really want to do well this time. Please help me. This is your drama — if you do well, I succeed. So do everything the way you want to.'”
She added, “That’s when I realized how amazing she is. Not just anyone can take that position. On set, I thought people would act arrogant, but they weren’t — Lim Ji-yeon also showed a deep sense of sincerity. Everyone was passionate, and it became a fierce acting competition in the best way.”
Song Hye-kyo’s words and support deeply impacted her co-stars, showing once again that true leadership is built on empathy, encouragement and humility — qualities that make her not only a star but also a respected colleague.
