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| yna@yna.co.kr 2025-02-19 09:31:13
SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Yonhap) -- "I do think looking young is an advantage. But at the same time, I've always had this lingering anxiety—should I keep going with this image?"
Actress Park Bo-young is known for her youthful and adorable image, breathing a lively charm into every role she takes on. Even in her thirties, the nickname "Po-bly" (a combination of "Park Bo-young" and "lovely") still follows her.
But recently, her filmography has been a series of transformations. She played a survivor of a catastrophic disaster in Concrete Utopia, a patient with severe depression in Daily Dose of Sunshine, and a nurse who came back from the brink of death in The Lighting Store. Now, once again, she has chosen a character that defies her previous image.
Meeting with reporters at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, on the 18th to mark the release of Netflix's new series Melo Movie, Park Bo-young shared, "I've always wanted to show a different side of myself beyond my bright and lovable image."
"I've been working steadily to change my image, and now I feel like the results are starting to show. It really feels like I'm stepping into the second act of my career," she added with a smile.
Melo Movie is a romance drama that portrays the struggles, confusion, and anxieties of young people as they navigate their dreams and love lives.
Park Bo-young plays Kim Moobi, a character defined by her calm and cynical demeanor. Afraid of getting hurt, she keeps her distance from everyone and refuses to open her heart easily.
"When I first got the script, I asked, 'You're giving this to me?' I couldn't believe it because it was exactly the kind of role and project I'd always dreamed of," she recalled.
"As I've gotten older, I've wanted to take on more mature romance stories—ones that reflect the experiences of people in their thirties. Melo Movie was exactly that. For me, Kim Moobi felt like a gift, a stroke of luck."
"Normally, I act with a tone that's a bit brighter than my real personality. But this time, I brought it down a notch. At the same time, I didn’t want it to feel unnatural, so I worked closely with the director to find the right balance."
Moobi, who has built walls around her heart, unexpectedly crosses paths with Go-gyeom (played by Choi Woo-shik), a struggling actor with an energetic and persistent personality. At first, she finds him irritating as he keeps following her around and striking up conversations—but eventually, he wins her heart.
"This story is both a love story and a growth drama," Park Bo-young explained. "Through Go-gyeom, Moobi finds the courage to take small steps forward, and in doing so, she grows. I think her journey of struggling, learning, and chasing her dreams and love will resonate with many people."
Debuting in 2006 with the EBS drama Secret Campus, Park Bo-young is best known for works such as Oh My Ghost, Strong Woman Do Bong-soon, A Werewolf Boy, and On Your Wedding Day.
Later this year, she will return to television with the upcoming tvN romance drama Mystic Seoul.
"I've been doing a lot of calm and heavy roles lately, and now I suddenly feel like going back to the bright and playful acting I used to do," she said with a laugh. "It's funny how people's hearts change like that."
"When I was doing cheerful roles, I longed for more serious ones. Now it's the opposite. I don’t know if I can pull off that bubbly energy again, but I want to challenge myself with a fresh, fun role once more."
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