[Edaily Starin Gim Ga Yeong Reporter] There is an actress who is quietly and confidently forging her own path, one step at a time. That actress is Jang Gyu-ri. Since beginning her acting career and finding her own unique style, she has made a distinct impression on the public.

In a recent interview with E-Daily, Jang Gyu-ri stated, “I want to act without setting limits for myself,” adding, “I’d be happy to wear a school uniform again, and I’d also be happy to play a soldier. I want to take on a variety of roles.”
In the recently concluded tvN drama *Four Hands*, Jang Gyu-ri played Hong Jae-in, who stands by Kang Biao (played by Song Kang) from his teenage years through his twenties. She made her mark on *Four Hands* by supporting and encouraging Biao with her positive energy.
Jang Gyu-ri humbly remarked, “I gave my all to every moment of filming, and seeing the audience’s reaction, I could feel how much they loved the show, for which I’m truly grateful.” She continued, “After filming wrapped, I felt a sense of relief, thinking, ‘I couldn’t have worked any harder than this,’ but when I watched the broadcast, I saw areas where I fell short. Based on this experience, I’ve resolved to become an actress who performs at her best.”
“Four Hands” is a drama that depicts the friendship, love, competition, and growth of two young people, Kang Bi-o and Choi Jeong-yo (played by Lee Jun-young), who meet at an arts high school filled exclusively with musical prodigies. Since the relationship between the two male leads is central to the drama, Jang Gyu-ri, who plays Hong Jae-in—the character observing them—must have been deeply focused on how to portray and bring her character to life. Despite having fewer scenes than Kang Bi-o and Choi Jeong-yo, she effectively conveyed her character’s purpose and presence, demonstrating yet another step in her growth as an actress.
Jang Gyu-ri revealed, “I didn’t want Jae-in to come across as one-dimensional, so I thought deeply about the unseen narrative within the drama.” She added, “It would be a lie to say I didn’t wish Jae-in had more screen time, but I still believed she played a crucial role in the story and put a lot of thought into her character. “Since she serves as the link between B.I.O. and Jeong-yo, I tried to act with that in mind,” she revealed.
In the drama, Hong Jae-in loves both Kang B.I.O.’s talent and Kang B.I.O. as a person. She has been by his side since her teenage years and has passionately expressed these feelings. Jang Gyu-ri, who played Hong Jae-in, said, “I don’t think her romantic feelings for B.I.O. as a man were very strong. The storyline involves her parents’ divorce, and at that time, B.I.O.’s music was a great source of comfort to Jae-in. I think that’s why I loved him primarily as an artist,” she explained, adding, “I also think I wanted many people to feel the same comfort I had received. It was that sentiment that allowed me to stay by B.I.O.’s side.”
Since *Four Hands* is a story set in an arts high school, Hong Jae-in, played by Jang Gyu-ri, is a character who plays the viola. She cited her “mom” as the reason she chose the role of Hong Jae-in—a character who plays the viola—and the music-themed drama *Four Hands*. “My mom is a music teacher,” she explained. “She taught me a lot about the power of music. I also wanted to appear in *Four Hands* because I felt the message it conveys is very meaningful,” she said.
She continued, “I asked my mom about terms that appear in the drama, such as ‘Four Hands.’ Since she’s very knowledgeable about these topics, her eyes would light up every time I asked, and she’d explain them to me,” she explained. “Whenever we watched the drama together, she’d also explain the music playing in the background of each scene. As I listened to her explanations, I realized that all the songs used as background music in *Four Hands* had deep meaning. Thanks to that, my understanding of the drama deepened.”
She also opened up about Song Kang, with whom she shared the most screen time in the series. “He’s very playful,” she said. “We became close right from the start by joking around.” She continued, “But even when he’s joking around, the moment he starts acting, the power in his eyes is remarkable. The intensity in his eyes is so strong. I think I received a lot of help from that.”
Jang Gyu-ri, who transitioned from the girl group Promise Nine to acting, has been broadening her range by showcasing diverse performances in various projects such as SBS’s *Cheer Up*, TVING’s *Pyramid Game*, tvN’s *Player 2: War of the Con Artists*, and MBC’s *The Call You Just Received*. She added, “I feel like I need to tie my shoelaces tighter and keep running,” raising expectations for her future endeavors.