Park Bo-young, fresh off her successful drama 'Strong Woman Do Bong-soon' has talked about her popular image among fans and viewers versus her actual personality. She also revealed what she looks for in a script before accepting a role in a project.
Website Soompi notes that in a recent interview, actor Park Bo-young talked about her cute and adorable image everyone is familiar with, thanks to her dramas. However, she said she doesn't really consider herself to be all that cute.
"I always thought that I wasn't the type of person to show off my cuteness. I broadcast myself on Naver's V App and recently saw that someone commented on my voice being too high pitched and annoying to hear. I didn't know I had this habit, so I re-watched my V App broadcast and thought to myself, 'Wow, yesterday I really tried to act all pretty.' I reflected on this and I think this is the way my voice is in public," she said.
Previously, Bo-young had said that many have pointed out that the actress had been choosing similar roles and added she plans to eventually get rid of the cute image she has. Also, in another very recent interview she said, "I saw Song Hye Kyo once and she was so pretty. She was bare-faced and I was wearing full makeup, yet she still looked prettier than me. After seeing her, I told myself that I should just focus on my acting. That's why I always work really hard [as an actress]."
It seems no matter what she thinks, her viewers find her pretty. However, she will have to overcome that image to avoid getting typecast in the future.
She was also asked how she balances what her own acting goals are as opposed to how her fans and viewers want to see her. She responded, "When I am filming a movie, I think I tend to do what I want with my character. When I am filming dramas, I lean towards doing what the public wants to see from me. But I think in 'Strong Woman Do Bong Soon,' I was able to do both because our preferences aligned."
She also revealed that her agency often restricts her from experimenting with new roles, thinking she won't be able to deliver it. "When I was on break, I had the opportunity to take on many projects, but my company was against it. It was like this during 'Oh My Ghostess,' too, where my company didn't want me to take the role because it would be too difficult for me. But I ended up doing so anyways because for me, the story and script is my number one priority," Bo-young said.
As to what attracted her to Do Bong-soon's character, Bo-young said it was her strength; that she doesn't need others' help. "Because I have a small frame, people try to do things for me. When I first came across Bong Soon, I wished that I could have her strength. I liked how powerful and independent she was," she said, adding, "I also liked how she wasn't a passive female character. I'm not sure if I should say this, and it might sound arrogant of me, but I think there is a tendency to view female characters as consumer products. I was determined to find a project where this wasn't the case."
Well, she is definitely not wrong about how the entertainment industry treats women; objectifies and commodifies them. This is apparent mostly in advertisements as well in television and cinema. However filmmakers and producers have grown increasingly sensitive to this issue and lately, female-centric stories that focus more on women as personalities rather than objects of others' interest have been gaining prominence. Current K-drama 'Whisper' is a case in point.
Well, Bo-young's co-stars are incredibly grateful to her for helping them out with their acting anxieties; Park Hyung-sik is one of them. "Park Bo Young was like a teacher to me. Personally, we were good friends but, at the same time, I admired her acting and learned a lot from her," he said.
We sincerely hope to see Park Bo-young in a very non-cutesy, powerful role in the future and inspire her fellow actors and others.
