'When the Phone Rings' continues to rise in ratings despite a one-week hiatus
Jang Gyu Ri recently gave an interview discussing her first major TV role and decision to leave the girl group fromis_9. She starred as Tae Cho Hee, the vice captain of the cheerleading squad Theia, in the popular SBS drama "Cheer Up" and received praise for her performance. In the interview, she said,
"It would be untrue for me to say that there wasn't any pressure, given that this was my first drama after deciding to become an actress on my own, and it was also my first time being the lead in a terrestrial TV drama. However, I was able to alleviate some of the burden since I wasn't the main character driving the story. I learned a lot and received a lot of help from my co-stars. Everyone around me was very supportive."
Jang Gyu Ri discussed her departure from fromis_9, saying that she struggled to balance the group's scheduled activities with her acting. She felt that she wasn't able to give her full attention to both and found it physically exhausting. She expressed regret for potentially causing harm to the other members and apologized for having to miss practice.
In the interview, Jang Gyu Ri also showed enthusiasm for acting and expressed interest in trying new things, such as action scenes. She mentioned learning some action techniques at an action school and feeling confident in her abilities due to her past training in figure skating, Korean dance, and ballet.
Jang Gyu Ri debuted with fromis_9 in 2018 after participating in the Mnet survival program "Idol School." Although she had been steadily acting while being part of the group, she announced her departure in July 2022 to focus on her career as an actress.
