Cha Joo Young addressed rumors about her wealthy background.
Cha Joo Young appeared as a guest on the February 19th episode of tvN’s You Quiz on the Block and spoke about speculation that she comes from a privileged financial family.
She firmly denied the claims, saying, “Not at all.” When the hosts suggested that her studies in Malaysia and the U.S. might have fueled the rumors, she clarified, “It’s true that my father works in finance. Most of my relatives are also in the financial sector, so I thought I’d end up in finance too.”
She explained that studying abroad was not her choice, saying, “I didn’t go because I wanted to. I was doing ballet, but one day, I was suddenly informed that I was leaving, and within a week, I was sent away. I thought I was going to the U.S., but they told me I was going to Malaysia at the last minute. I remember asking, ‘Why?’ And the next thing I knew, I was in Malaysia. They said that since I would eventually go to college in the U.S. or the U.K., it would be good for me to experience the Southeast Asian market first.”
Cha also shared, “My father is very strict and old-fashioned. I never considered becoming an actress because it felt like an impossible path for me. I grew up in an environment where I couldn’t even imagine what that world was like.” She added, “I was used to doing what my father told me to do, and I was considering a career in finance. But before it was too late, I started wondering what kind of job would allow me to leave a trace of myself. I thought, ‘I can always study later, so why not try something that draws me in, even a little?’”
She revealed that her father strongly opposed her acting career for a long time. “Even when I appeared in Cheese in the Trap, he told me, ‘I’ll pay the penalty fee, so just quit.’ But I told him, ‘I think I can do this. I want to spend the rest of my twenties taking on a new challenge. If it doesn’t work out by the time I turn 30, I’ll quit.’ That’s how much I wanted it.”
Cha also spoke about the misconceptions she faced during her struggling years as an actress. “Because of the family background, I often heard things like, ‘You have somewhere to go back to,’ or ‘You’re not desperate enough.’ That made me want to prove myself as quickly as possible so that I wouldn’t have to keep explaining myself. I always felt like an outsider. Since I couldn’t openly share my story, I wanted to create something of my own.”
>> Cha Joo Young Opens Up About Intimate Scenes in Hit Series ‘The Queen Who Crowns’
Source (1)
