Star
Drinking interview with Cinderella Park So-dam
Oct 03, 2016
Park So-dam (Cinderella and the Four Knights) has made her
stamp as a rising Chungmuro star at the young age of 25. Nicknamed “The Jewel
of Indie Films,” she has been praised by critics for showing a talent beyond
her years. Recently, she gave a drinking interview where she talked about
carving a path for herself in the Korean entertainment business.
Her first commercial film debut was in last year’s The
Silenced, where she played a student at an all-girls sanatorium. But her
official breakout performance was in Black Priests with Kim Yoon-seok and Kang
Dong-won, where she was a deeply troubled schoolgirl possessed by an evil
demon. With more than 5.5 million viewers, she left a strong impression on the
audience, and at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards, she received the newcomer prize
for her performance.
However, it hasn’t been all rainbows and butterflies for the
rising actress. After starting off with small cable drama Because It’s the
First Time, KBS’s Beautiful Mind was her first foray into Big 3 prime time
dramas as a main lead. But the production had its share of trouble behind the
scenes, the drama was cut by two episodes, and her acting was criticized as
well.
Her follow-up drama (which she technically shot first),
Cinderella and the Four Knights, just ended its run on tvN. The rom-com was 100
percent pre-produced, so it’s been a while since she finished filming. She
reminisced with a smile and said that it was one of the most cheerful sets
she’s been on: “People were envious of me for receiving the love of four men.
And yes, receiving all that love, all at once, made me very happy. When else
would I get this opportunity?” (Laughs.)
Q: This is an official interview question. How much can you
drink?
A: Nowadays, there’s not much opportunity to go out. I can
probably drink a bottle of soju. Truthfully, I haven’t drunk that much
recently. Usually, I just have a can of beer.
Q: Do you have any drinking habits?
A: Drinking habits? My friends say my speech slows down. I
think it’s because even in the haze of alcohol, I try to convey my point as
accurately as possible.
Q: Whom do you consider your closest drinking buddies?
A: I usually meet up with my high school friends. The actor
friends I’ve made through work, we can’t meet often because of conflicting
schedules. If there’s an event, maybe we’ll meet up. It’s easier to meet up
with neighborhood friends. I don’t like to venture out too far from my house.
Q: At the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards, you took home the
newcomer’s award.
A: Those around me complimented me for Black Priests, so I
thought “It would be nice to receive [an award].” However, I didn’t think I’d
get it. Even more than going up to get the award, I was nervous about going to
the ceremony itself. I wore a dress for the first time in a long while, and I
was anxious. I wasn’t very relaxed at that time because I had just finished
filming for Cinderella the day before, and the next day I was supposed to go
down to start filming for Beautiful Mind. But because the Baeksang Arts Awards
encompasses both the film and television industries, I was grateful to meet
many diverse people. It was like being on MBC’s Radio Star all over again.
Q: What was your first thought, when they announced your
name for the award?
A: “How am I supposed to get up there?” The stage was really
long. After my name was called, actress Eom Ji-won, director Lee Jun-ik, and a
couple of comedian sunbaenims kept on congratulating me. And Black Priests’s
director, Jang Jae-hyun, came to mind. He was really brave for trying out that
type of film. If it wasn’t for him having faith in me until the end, I would
have lived out my twenties without cutting my hair this short. I’m thankful to
him for all of his direction.
Q: Did you get a lot of congratulatory messages from people
around you?
A: I got a lot of calls, but I had to get ready to start
filming Beautiful Mind right after the awards ceremony. I had to memorize
lines. It was a couple days later when I finally got to return all the
messages.
Q: Who was the one person you remember who made an
impression while congratulating you?
A: Right after receiving the award, I called Director Jang
Jae-hyun and Kim Yoon-seok sunbaenim. I wanted to call them right away because
I was so thankful to them. Yoon-seok sunbaenim especially gave me good advice.
I should be the one to reach out, but he always takes care of me, and even a
couple days ago, he called me first. Even though he made me cry a couple times
when we were acting together, he is someone that I admire as both an actor and
a person. If I had to film all by myself in that attic room, I think I would
have gone crazy. However, with the support of all the experienced actors, we
were able to finish filming while having fun.
Q: At the awards ceremony, you made this comment: “Through
Black Priests, I met Young-shin, and it gave me both headache and happiness.”
A: I met Young-shin, my [Black Priests] character, at the
audition. From the first time, my head hurt. As soon as I got there, I was told
to wear a wig, shout out foreign words, roar like a lion, and bark like a dog…
From that moment, I thought this role was not like any others. Also, I was
afraid to shave my head. This was a genre I had never tried, and acting the
part of a 5000-year-old evil spirit was difficult. I didn’t have confidence in
my acting, so I did whatever the director told me to try. I used all the
different skills I learned in school for this role. So when we finished
filming, I had no regrets. It was cathartic.
Q: You won out an audition process of 2000:1 for the role of
Young-shin.
A: I went through four rounds of the audition process. I
didn’t know there were 2000 people trying out. At the time, Black Priests had
made headlines for auditioning newbie actresses who were willing to shave their
heads. “They’re not really going to shave my head. Are they?” was my thought
process, but at the second round, they told us to put on the wig, and I
realized they were actually going to make us do it. When I put on the wig, the
people there complimented me, “It looks really good on you,” and I was in a
daze. I’m not someone with striking looks, and with long hair, I could have
easily blended in with the crowd. But the director who saw me at the second
round of auditions said, “This girl has a unique aura.” I think the short-hair
wig changed my fate in the audition process.
Q: How many times have you seen the movie?
A: I saw it in theaters after it was released. My friend
said she couldn’t see my eyes properly in the film at the movie premiere, and
said she wanted to see it again. Even then, I didn’t quite see it as an
audience member. However, when my relatives came over recently, I saw it on
DVD, and I was able to see it from a different perspective. Since it’s been
almost a year since it was filmed, I felt more distanced from my character.
Q: If you were to compare The Silenced and Black Priests?
A: In The Silenced, I had a different type of nervousness
than in Black Priests. My character Young-deok in The Silenced was very
important to the plot. Depending on what she did, the mood of the film and the
characters would change. Since it was my first time in a main role, I was
understandably anxious. Two to three weeks before going into filming, I was
cast. So I really didn’t have any time to prepare, but the director cheered me
on by saying, “You can do it!” The atmosphere of the set wasn’t too different
from the short films that I was used to, but as my character’s part grew
bigger, I became more nervous. However, acting with other girls my age helped
me get over my anxiety.
Q: You started acting in dramas in 2015.
A: My first television project was a short drama special
called Red Moon. It was right after filming Black Priests, and my hair was only
1 centimeter long. I heard KBS’s CP Bae Kyung-soo had asked to see me, and so I
went to meet him. I heard he was making a sageuk, but because my hair was so
short, I didn’t have any hopes. After the script reading, the CP said, “I want
you to play Princess Hwa-won.” The makeup director took care of my short hair,
and miraculously, I looked like I had long flowing hair naturally.
Q: In Because It’s the First Time, you showed us your unique
fresh charms.
A: Before Because It’s the First Time, I had taken on mostly
unusual roles. Finally, I had the chance to act my own age, and work with a
bright, optimistic character. Even though [my character’s] situation was
unfortunate, I felt very happy to play her.
Q: In Beautiful Mind, you experienced growing pains.
A: I was drawn to Gae Jin-sung [my character in Beautiful
Mind] because she was the only person who could change the leading man. But
moving the heart with only sincerity is incredibly difficult. I don’t think I
was able to emote 100-percent from the beginning, and thinking that doing just
this much would be enough to move the heart was my mistake. But I think the
pain I felt was a good learning experience. Being an actor is an occupation
where you’re constantly judged. Not everyone will always like what you do. I
believe you should own up to your mistakes and learn from them. However, the
drama set had a very warm atmosphere. No matter what the audience response was,
I had fun filming it. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to act in a
drama like this one.
Q: It must have been hard for you as the main actor to hear
the show would be cut.
A: Amongst the actors, we said that the people who would be
hit the hardest were the PD and the writer. We hoped to do better for them, but
unfortunately we weren’t able to do so. It was sad to leave the good people I
worked with a week earlier than expected. So there were lots of tears at the
filming of the last episode.
Q: Soon afterwards, Cinderella started airing.
A: Cinderella is not your typical simple rags-to-riches
story. We tried hard to create a rich, complex story. We took advantage of it
being a pre-produced drama by trying different things. We had fun while
filming. And it feels good to have received such a positive response.
Q: A working environment where four men love you must have
been great.
A: Lots of people were envious. But there was a lot of
filming to do separately with each of the four men. The PD joked, “If there’s
no Ha-won, we don’t have any scenes to film.” The filming atmosphere was really
cheerful, and I think I fit the character well… During the four months of
filming, I became more like my character. First, I needed time to adjust, but
after 2-3 weeks, I was able to take on my role naturally and film enjoyably.
Ahn Jae-hyun in real life is quite a bit different from his character. In real
life, he’s quiet and gentle, very different from his playboy character. At the
beginning he worried, “I’ve never done this before. How am I supposed to do
this?” But eventually, he did so well that we thought, “Maybe he’s actually
hidden his real character from us all along?”
Q: What were the key points you thought of when you were
acting as Eun Ha-won [your character in Cinderella]?
A: Ha-won is someone who speaks and acts exactly how she
feels. More than any other role, I was ready to be accepting. I tried to be
very open and natural in my acting. She’s not the type to be coy. And having
good chemistry with my male co-stars was important, so I tried to be conscious
of that as well.
Q: What charm do you think made the Four Knights fall in
love with you?
A: She [Ha-won] is a girl with a warm heart. Despite not
receiving much love in her childhood, she’s a cool person who knows how to love
and give to others.
Q: As the representative of actresses without
double-eyelids, do you have any complexes about your appearance?
A: I think having a different appearance than other people
is part of my charm. I’ve never thought of getting plastic surgery. I’m not
100-percent satisfied with my face, but I like that it’s the type of face that
is hard to replicate with surgery. I think it’s important for actors to have
their unique charms. Because other people can’t easily copy it, it can be an
advantage to me. If there are actresses who look like dolls, shouldn’t there
also be actresses who look like me? Especially since there are so many
different roles to play out there. It’s more interesting to watch if there are
different types of charms on display. Of course, at first I thought that people
with sharp facial features would stand out better on camera. I started acting
because I wanted to perform, but I didn’t think I’d actually be able to stand
in front of a camera one day. When I graduated, I didn’t think I’d be able to
shoot even one film, but when I turned 21, I kept being contacted by acting
productions. From then on, I started gaining confidence in my looks.
Q: You’re at that youthful age when people start falling in
love.
A: Do people fall in love because of their age? (Laughs.)
I’m not dating right now. How long has it been since my vacation? I don’t
remember.
Q: From the time you were in your second year at the Korean
National University of Arts to your third year, you filmed 15 indie films.
A: I realized work doesn’t come to you if you stay still. So
I decided to actively pursue it. I made my profile with an ordinary photo, and
sent it everywhere. I was able to start working that way. Afterwards when the
film staff I had worked with called me back, I was able to work on more films.
Q: What’s the reason you started on your path to acting?
A: I saw the musical Grease as a freshman in high school.
The actors looked so happy. That’s when I started thinking that maybe I would
like to become a musical actor. My parents were fervently against it. They
wanted me to live an ordinary life. I didn’t really have a dream before acting.
I think I just lived without meaning. So I counseled my younger siblings to
think carefully about what they want to do, and study hard to go to a college
that will support their dreams. Sometimes I wonder what I would have done if I
had not found acting.
Q: You have two younger siblings. Is that correct?
A: I’m the eldest, and I have a younger sister and a younger
brother. My parents had children until they got the boy they wanted. My sister
encourages me and my acting more than anyone else. When I get a script, she
gives me advice, and as she grows older, she’s become more like a friend that I
can rely on.
Q: You’re often mentioned in the same sentence as your
college classmates Kim Go-eun and Lee Yoo-young. Do you feel any rivalry toward
them?
A: We don’t engage in that type of psychological battle.
Even during school, we were classmates and competitors. But the moment I start
thinking of them as rivals, I will fall. I don’t think it’s a good line of
thought. We should be friends that support each other. People say there aren’t
many actresses in their twenties, so it’s nice that we are mentioned together.
Even now in the school internet chatroom, we still exchange encouragements for
each other. If someone is holding a concert or play, we all go, and if someone
is being featured in a drama or movie, we watch and give our constructive
criticisms.
Q: You are busy acting in the play Closer, right?
A: I’ve liked the theater play Closer for a while now, and I
wanted to try being Alice. I think amongst the four men and women in Closer,
Alice is the one who has the most conviction about life and love. If the movie
Closer focused on the melodrama and love aspect [of the story], I think the
play focuses more on showing the human relationships. It was that point that
appealed to me, and made me choose it as my comeback project.
Q: So I guess you are jumping right into theater without
really having a break.
A: Even in the future, I’d like to continue doing plays. If
it’s possible, I’d like to try movies, dramas, and plays of every type of
genre.
Q: Don’t you feel tired physically?
A: If I feel tired, I should rest. (Laughs.) Without
relaxing, it’s easy to become fatigued, but being able to experience different
things is my driving force in life. I could have rested this time, but Closer
actually healed my little tiredness by making my heart burn hotter with
passion. I wouldn’t be satisfied if I stopped now. So I think I’ll keep going
until my fire runs out.
Q: If you were given some time off…
A: I want to travel. It doesn’t matter where, but I would
like to go on a two-week journey.
Q: What’s your main worry right now?
A: How should I act in this complex play so that people will
be able to understand it most easily?
Q: What type of actress do you want to become?
A: It’s related to my worry now, but I don’t want to burn
out. If I didn’t have fun doing what I do, I wouldn’t be able to do it. If I
become completely exhausted, I don’t think I’d be able to stand up again. I
hope that I’ll continue to love my work. Even if I become tired, I’d like to
have the strength to still enjoy my work.
Source : http://www.dramabeans.com/2016/10/drinking-interview-with-cinderella-park-so-dam/