Actress Jang Gyu-ri, formerly of girl group fromis_9, discussed what acting means to her and why she switched from singing in interviews marking the end of tvN’s weekend drama ‘Four Hands’. The interview took place on Sept. 30 at the Cheongdam-dong headquarters of her agency Namoo Actors in Seoul. ‘Four Hands’, which follows the friendship, love, rivalry and growth of young people who meet at an arts high school, ended on Oct. 4. Jang played Hong Jae-in, a violist with perfect pitch, portraying the character across her teens, twenties and thirties. She said that while most dramas cover only one period of a character’s life, preparing the narrative across those ages was a big experience as an actor. Although a stand-in was offered for the viola scenes, she wanted to perform them herself, so she got a viola and took lessons for two months. Having studied violin for about three years helped her learn faster than a complete beginner, she said, but the viola’s larger size and wider spacing made reading the score confusing. She added that she personally researched and sent in hair ideas such as headbands and braids for the teenage scenes. On why she moved into acting, Jang said she had wanted to act since high school. Before leaving the group, she said, she was preparing fan meetings, an album and filming the drama ‘Cheer Up’ all at once and began to feel she was causing trouble everywhere. Scheduling was difficult and the members often had to practice without her, so she decided it would be better to focus on one thing. The biggest change, she said, is that while members complemented each other during group activities and she could quietly stay in the background on variety shows, she now has to take responsibility and handle everything on her own wherever she goes. Seven years into her acting career since debuting with fromis_9, Jang has appeared in ‘Cheer Up’, ‘Pyramid Game’, ‘The Player 2’, ‘When the Phone Rings’ and now ‘Four Hands’. She said acting is fun because it lets her meet many characters and inhabit many worlds, calling it the hardest yet most attractive thing that keeps her wanting to improve, and expressed interest in historical dramas and human stories. Her next project is the film ‘Perfect Home’, invited to the Korean Cinema Today – Panorama section of last year’s 30th Busan International Film Festival, in which she makes her screen debut as Gyu-bin, a university student struggling to make ends meet.