'Grandma gets worried and offers to send me food': Ahn Bo-hyun on why he doesn't act in dramas shown only on streaming platforms

While viewing content on streaming platforms is a popular choice for audiences nowadays, South Korean actor Ahn Bo-hyun chooses to steer away from starring in K-dramas that are broadcasted only on OTT (over-the-top) platforms.

In a recent episode of the reality show My Little Old Boy, the 35-year-old laughed as he explained why: "My grandmother doesn't know much about OTT. If I do an OTT drama and wind up not appearing on TV for a year, my grandma thinks I'm starving to death. She gets worried and offers to send me food."

He added that the elderly woman would also believe what she sees on television is real.

"There was a time she called me while watching a scene where I got into a car accident. She thought it was a live broadcast. When I played a villain in Itaewon Class, there was a scene where my on-screen father hit me. That really seemed to make her heart ache," he recalled.

The host Shin Dong-yup then asked if his grandmother ever thought he should marry his co-star who he kissed on screen and Bo-hyun brought up a scene with actress Kim Go-eun in their 2021 series.

"When my grandmother first saw one of my romantic scenes in Yumi's Cells, she got shy and told me, 'That girl seemed really nice.' So I realised, 'Oh, Grandma thought it was real.'"

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According to him, she even asked about Go-eun's food preferences in case he brought her home.

"My grandma said things like, 'Does she (Go-eun) like sashimi?' and 'In case you bring her to Busan'. I thought, 'She is so innocent.'"

Bo-hyun confirmed in August last year that he was dating K-pop superstar Jisoo from Blackpink.

However, less than two months later, South Korean media reported that they had parted ways as their relationship "naturally grew apart" due to their busy schedules.

Jisoo's agency YG Entertainment confirmed the split.

Bo-hyun is currently starring in Flex X Cop showing on Disney+. Yumi's Cells is available on Prime Video and Viu.

syarifahsn@asiaone.com