How Actress Lim Ji Yeon Starts As A “Terrible Actress” In NSFW Movies And Ends Up As The Villain In “The Glory”

Lim Ji Yeon, the actress who plays the perpetrator Park Yeon Jin in the Netflix K-Drama The Glory, has come a long way in her acting career. While she has recently received praise for her phenomenal performance as the villain in The Glory, it hasn’t always been that way for the actress.

Lim Ji Yeon was often criticized for her “terrible” acting skills at the beginning of her career. Her debut film, Obsessed (2014), sparked controversy over her acting skills as she starred alongside renowned actor Song Seung Heun. The film had many NSFW scenes with Lim Ji Yeon and Song Seung Heun, and the actress was criticized for having “the face” but not having the “talent.”

The criticisms continued one year later when she gained attention for her explicit scenes rather than her acting in the film The Treacherous in 2015.

She starred in her first K-Drama the same year with High Society, and her acting was criticized once more, with news articles even saying that it was time for the actress to “take off” her acting controversies rather than “take off her clothes.”

Despite receiving criticism for her acting, Lim Ji Yeon did not let that stop her from pursuing her passion. She continued to work hard and has persistently widened her range of acting in productions such as Rose Mansion and Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area — improving her acting skills with every project. She said she had to work extra hard because she was not a “born actor.”

I’m thankful to have gotten a lot of spotlight when I debuted, but at the time, I had no experience on set and my acting skills were lacking. I was scolded a lot on set, but I never thought about quitting. Even though I was slow to learn, I desperately tried to improve my skills with every project. I think that’s why I’m able to receive such great praises today.

— Lim Ji Yeon

Lim Ji Yeon also admitted she still gets nervous and afraid of being on set.

Despite all the praise I’m getting now, I may receive criticism for my acting again one day. (Laughs) I’m still afraid of being on set and get nervous that I won’t do well. However, that just motivates me to do better. The sense of accomplishment after overcoming setbacks is the biggest reason why I love this profession.

— Lim Ji Yeon

Eight years after her debut, Lim Ji Yeon is in a different place as an actress. Her acting skills in recent productions such as Tazza (2019) and Money Heist: Korea (2022) were noticeably better than before, and her acting in The Glory was a game-changer for the actress. She is now receiving praise for her villainous acting in The Glory, such as this scene where she finally loses everything and is forced to put on a “show” for her other inmates in jail — much like she used to do to her victims when she was a perpetrator.

I don’t think anyone could’ve portrayed park yeonjin as amazing as lim ji yeon and shin yeeun did pic.twitter.com/PXt4fNgbAA

— ᓚᘏᗢ (@adousoo) March 11, 2023

From being called a bad actress to playing a character so well that even her mom calls her “Yeon Jin,” Lim Ji Yeon proved all her former critics wrong with her spectacular acting skills in The Glory. We look forward to seeing new dimensions of Lim Ji Yeon and her acting in future productions.