'Reply 1994' actor Min Do-hee reveals she was turned down repeatedly for cafe jobs during career lull

Actor Min Do-hee, who drew attention for her sharp Jeolla dialect performance in tvN's 2013 drama series "Reply 1994," has shared an update on her life during a career dry spell — including her struggle to land a part-time cafe job.

Min appeared on the Sunday episode of SBS variety show "My Little Old Boy" and gave viewers a glimpse into her daily life.

She described calling a cafe near her home after spotting a job listing, only to be turned away because she lacked closing-shift experience, despite having worked at a cafe for about a year and three months. A second cafe also rejected her, saying it was looking for a long-term employee.

After the repeated rejections, Min reached out to the owner of a cafe where she had previously worked and confided that she was having a hard time finding part-time work in her neighborhood to fill the gap between finishing a musical and her next project. The owner encouraged her, saying she would do well anywhere.

In the studio, MC Shin Dong-yeop said it must not be easy for her to take on part-time work given how many people recognize her, adding that he found it admirable. Min's mother said her daughter's self-esteem had dropped significantly after a long slump, and that after encouraging her to get out and do something — anything — she seemed to have regained her energy and much of her confidence since starting work.

Fellow "Reply 1994" cast members Baro and Kim Sung-kyun paid a visit to Min's officetel. Baro said that when Son Ho-jun heard she was working a part-time job, he was so upset he cried.

Min recalled the moment herself. She said she had met up with Baro and oppa Ho-jun on a whim after finishing her shift, and when Son asked where she had been and she told him she had just come from her part-time job, he broke down in tears over drinks, saying, "Why do you have to be doing this?" She added that seeing him cry made her tear up as well.

Kim Sung-kyun looked on sympathetically and said that for several days afterward, Min had not been answering her phone, and that Son had been very worried — fretting that his crying might have hurt her feelings.

Min explained that her phone had broken down around that time and she had missed all incoming calls while getting it replaced. She said she was startled to find a flood of missed calls from the two when she finally got her new phone set up.

"Reply 1994," directed by Shin Won-ho and written by Lee Woo-jung, was conceived as a follow-up after "Reply 1997" became a hit. Set in 1994, the period drama follows students from across the country living together in a Seoul boarding house. Min, Kim Sung-kyun and Baro were all rookies at the time and gained wider recognition through the show.