Go Ah-sung Says She Lit Cigarettes 40 Times for a Scene, Names Ryu Seung-bum as No. 2 in Smoking Acting

Actress Go Ah-sung spoke about the preconception that has followed her online: that she is the No. 1 performer when it comes to acting out smoking scenes. She addressed the topic during an appearance on the YouTube channel Yeouido Yuktoe Club-Dosi Yeoja Daepiso.

Go opened up about the behind-the-scenes story behind her unexpected title as a so-called master of smoking acting. In online communities and across social media, she has often been mentioned as “the best smoking-scene actor in Korea.” Responding to that reputation, Go said, “The truth is, I did not smoke in a cool-looking way at all.”

She recalled her appearance in Hong Sang-soo’s film Right Now, Wrong Then. Looking back on the shoot, Go said, “It was so difficult. Director Hong Sang-soo does so many takes. We did it about 40 times. That means I lit the cigarette about 40 times. It was absolutely not a scene where I was supposed to look like I was smoking deliciously, but I tried to make it look that way.”

Uhm Ji-yoon reacted with surprise, saying, “You lit a cigarette 40 times? Your head must have been spinning.”

Go continued, “One day, I was searching around on the internet and saw a post calling someone the No. 1 smoking-scene actor in Korea. I was No. 1 in smoking acting, and Ryu Seung-bum was No. 2.”

She added that after the scene became well known, every time she filmed a smoking scene in another project, she felt she had to surpass her previous self. “It is a battle with myself. I do not want to lose the No. 1 title,” she said, openly showing her attachment to the ranking.