It comes as no surprise that K-drama Vincenzo has stayed in the top 10 list in Singapore for the past few weeks. A gripping storyline, no loopholes, no dull moments — just pure entertainment with a stellar cast. And with superstars like Song Joong Ki and Ok Taecyeon headlining the show, many have started gaining an interest in Vincenzo actress, Jeon Yeo-been, who takes on the role of Hong Cha-young in the series. The 31-year-old actress may be a fresh face for many, but she has definitely gained quite a reputation in the mafia-themed drama.
With the actress winning praises from her co-stars, it’s clear that Jeon Yeo-been is the new name that we should all watch out for. Ahead, we’ve rounded up 10 things fans should know about Jeon Yeo-been.
If you already know Jeon Yeo-been before she starred in Vincenzo, then you would have probably seen her in her previous film, After My Death. Showcasing her acting prowess, the star took on the role of Young Hee in the film — a high school student who was falsely accused of the disappearance of her classmate. Because of the trials and tribulations she faced in the show, Young Hee decides to take her own life.
After her stellar performance in the film, the actress was awarded multiple awards, including the Actress of the Year Award at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival and the Independent Star Award at the 2017 Seoul Independent Film Festival.
Not only did she star in Vincenzo, but during the first half of 2021, Jeon Yeo-been also took on the role of a taciturn sharpshooter in the film noir, Night in Paradise. As part of her role, she had to shoot guns in the drama and she had to learn target shooting herself. Prior to filming, Jeon visited the shooting range regularly to hone her gun shooting skills to prepare for her role.
Juggling acting and college, the actress took acting seriously at the age of 26 after graduating from university. Her first gig was actually a short film, titled The Best Director which was released in 2015 – of which she was personally approached by the director for the role. Later on, she was offered a minor role in the period film The Treacherous, which starred Ju Ji Hoon.
Before she turned 30, Jeon Yeo-been said that she was determined to quit acting if she didn’t get her big break. Despite this, she didn’t have an alternative job planned had her acting career fallen through. Thankfully, she didn’t just succeed in her career path at the age of 30, but the star’s success also skyrocketed especially after her recent gigs such as her role in Vincenzo.
Though the actress may seem very outgoing in her interviews, Jeon said that she actually enjoys activities that are laidback. In an interview with Elle Korea, she reveals that she actually enjoys taking walks, drinking a cup of coffee, and even washing dishes (yes, you read that right).
With a bunch of projects under her belt, you’d be wondering where the star got her determination to push through it all. Well, in an interview with Elle Korea, the actress shared that her mother is the source of her determination and good work ethic. Her mother raised her alone when her father passed away: “My mother told me, ‘Do you think a person who doesn’t even know the basics can go out and become a great person? Master the basics first.’ I didn’t like how my mother said to work on the basics while everyone else said to dream big. But at some point, I suddenly realized that I needed to do a proper job in the very spot where my feet were planted. I learned how to gain courage from the smallest things.”
Vincenzo is currently one of the most-watched K-dramas on Netflix, and there’s no doubt that the role Jeon Yeo-been has in the show is one of the biggest she’s gotten so far. Knowing this, Jeon expressed in a press conference that she hopes to be remembered for her role in the show moving forward: “I’m still not a very familiar face among the public, so it would be nice if she could be so memorable that people would say, ‘Oh, that’s Hong Cha Young!’ when they see me.”
Before she started as a full-time actress, Jeon was actually studying at Dongduk Women’s University, where she graduated with a Broadcast Entertainment degree. But a little-known fact about the star is that she’s a very diligent student. In fact, it’s been said that she even attends lectures she wasn’t enrolled in! In an interview with Elle Korea, she mentioned, “I thought it would be a shame if I missed the opportunity to learn. There were plenty of times where I was so busy auditing other classes that I missed out on lunch with my friends due to our different timetables.”
In the 2017 K-drama, Save Me, the actress played the role of an undercover journalist named Hang So Rin. The K-drama thriller is actually an adaptation of the webtoon Out Of The World by Jo Geum San and it tackles disturbing themes including suicide, brainwashing by religious cults, and violence. Besides its interesting plot, the drama also features her Vincenzo co-star Ok Taecyon who played the role of Han Sang-hwan in the series.
The star was born on July 26, 1989, in Gangneung, a city in the province of Gangwon, South Korea.