Background actors allege mistreatment on the set of Netflix’s When Life Gives You Tangerines, sparking an investigation into crew behaviour and working conditions
When Life Gives You Tangerines' poster
When Life Gives You Tangerines is one of the most popular K-dramas in India, but it looks like the web show has landed in hot water following allegations from crew members and extras. Several individuals associated with the production have accused the team of rude behaviour and mistreatment on set, particularly targeting the prop department and background actors.
재밌는거 하나 알려드립니다. 어차피 촬영팀이 우리가 대여해주거나 제작해주는 구형 버스나 대형소품차량을 다룰 수 있는 능력 자체가 없기 때문에 거의 현장에 저희 인원이 관리/운행(을 빙자한 감시)을 목적으로 상주하는데도 다 훼손합니다.
— 연장토끼 (@M_RBt_) May 26, 2025
사유는 대부분 '무지' 혹은 '책임 의식 없음'입니다. https://t.co/c39dxxzdzn
K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines under fire
Multiple reports containing serious allegations against the K-drama’s makers have surfaced on X. One extra revealed that they were treated like slaves and were forced to shave their heads without consent. Another extra claimed that the production was unwilling to spend money on anyone except the lead cast.
While there has been no official response from the show’s creators, Netflix has confirmed that it is investigating the allegations of mistreatment on the set of its original Korean series. The accusations include the neglect and abuse of extras and senior cast members during filming.
“We are currently examining the details of the incident,” a Netflix spokesperson said on Wednesday. “We remain committed to working with our production partners in Korea to ensure a safer and more respectful work environment and will thoroughly review this matter to help prevent similar issues going forward.”
Background artists accuse mistreatment on the set
A first-hand account from a member of the prop team, shared via an X post, read, “Here’s an interesting thing to tell you. Since the crew doesn't have the ability to handle the old buses or large accessories that we rent or manufacture, it ends up damaging almost all of our personnel on site in the name of management or operation (monitoring under the guise of it). Most of the reasons come down to ‘ignorance’ or a ‘lack of responsibility.’”
The post went on to describe an alarming incident, “I still remember it vividly. They were caught trying to stencil the bus using lacquer from an ironworks store. When confronted, the person responsible casually responded, ‘Can’t you just use lacquer thinner to remove it?’ He showed no remorse and was harshly scolded. This clueless guy genuinely believed lacquer thinner was some kind of magic solution that could cleanly remove just the spray paint, and he continued to behave foolishly around the set.”
Another extra shared their disturbing experience, “There’s a notorious schedule amongst the extras for WLGYT. They were forced to shave their heads, and despite it being a Netflix production, nothing was provided for them. The team refused to spend any money on anyone aside from the main cast. Elderly extras were left out in the cold during winter, and no proper meals were arranged. There were no food trucks or craft services. Instead, we were sent to a random restaurant and told to eat within 30 minutes.”
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