When ‘The Stars Gossip' star Gong Hyo Jin posted a video about the show and reflected on challenges and hardships

Time of India

22-04-2025

Actress
Gong Hyo Jin
recently took to social media to share her opinions and reflect upon her series '
When the Stars Gossip
' amid the backlash it has been receiving. She shared her experiences while working on the show alongside actor
Lee Min Ho
and talked about the criticism the show received.
About 'When The Stars Gossip'
A new-age sci-fi show, 'When The Stars Gossip,' followed the story of Gong Ryong, a space tourist and OBGYN played by Lee Min Ho, and Eve Kim, a Korean-American astronaut played by Gong Hyo Jin. It followed both of the characters as they navigated the challenges of operating in space. The series was promoted heavily in the country, and with the star cast, it was predicted that the show would do wonders. The show was also created on a heavy budget of 50 billion KRW (about 36 million USD).
The Show's Negative Reception
The show, initially expected to be a raging success, received mixed reviews. Netizens often criticized the show for presenting a complicated plot and for giving an unjustified ending to the show. It also struggled with ratings; with every episode airing, the viewership ended up dropping.
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When the Stars Gossip Episode 4 Ratings in Nielsen korea (Nationwide & Seoul)
Ep 1 - 3.3% & 3.8%
Ep 2 - 3.9% & 3.9%
Ep 3 - 2.2% & 2.7%
Ep 4 - 2.8%(+0.6%) & 2.8%(+0.1%)
#WhenTheStarsGossip
#WhenTheStarsGossipEp4
pic.twitter.com/vRKrOwzrLI
— Nonton Drakor (@Nonton_Kdrama)
January 12, 2025
Hyo Jin Talks About the Show and Her Experience
The actress talked about the production process of the series and called it one of the most unique experiences she has had while filming. As reported by Kbizoom, visual effects and post-production processes of the show were given a lot of attention. This and other factors ended up extending the time period of the development of the show, spanning over 2 years.
Addressing the show's backlash, she shared that 'The story was complicated, not easy for viewers to digest.' She addressed the fact that the show may have been overly complicated and an ambitious project that the audience could not understand fully.
The emotional ending sent viewers reeling back.
Even the emotional and gut-wrenching finale of the show received mixed reviews. The actress shared that the scene of her character's death was not well received, not even by her own family. She shared that 'My mom cried for three days. She even asked me if it would get better next week. That's when I realized how difficult it was for older viewers to understand.'
The filming process and challenges faced
The actress shared that every episode was a journey in itself and oftentimes took over two months to film. The entirety of 16 episodes took a whole year just to film, making the process time-consuming and challenging.
Hyo Jin also recalled how she and her other co-stars used to be suspended with wires for up to 15 hours a day. Since the show was set in a zero-gravity setting, the cast had to bear with being suspended by wires.
While talking about the challenges, the actress also shared that oftentimes she would also have to plead with the production crew to let her sit down and rest, as her body would lose circulation and she would be in a lot of pain.
Ambitious projects and trying new genres
While discussing the theme of the show, the actress shared that 'People said space is still too early for
Korean dramas
. And maybe they're right.' She emphasized that while the concept of the show was new and complicated for Korean audiences, it does not take away from the need to try new things and genres.
To reassure the audience, she shared that 'We expected this. Don't worry about us. We're grateful the drama even made it to air.'