Actor Park Jin-young discussed the details of his role as a lifelong single in the drama 'Unknown Seoul' and his actual dating style.
In an interview held on the 1st at BH Entertainment in Gangnam, Seoul, after the conclusion of the tvN weekend drama 'Unknown Seoul', Park Jin-young expressed his heartfelt thoughts, saying, "It was a work that I filmed with really good people and had fun on set, so I was already happy with that, but receiving so much love feels like my sincerity was conveyed, and I am truly grateful and just happy."
'Unknown Seoul' is a romantic coming-of-age drama about twin sisters who, apart from their faces, are completely different and find true love and life through a lie that swaps their lives.
Park Jin-young played the role of Lee Ho-soo, a lawyer who has a disability on the left side of his body due to an accident in his childhood and is a high school classmate of the twin sisters.
Park Jin-young, who was drawn to the character of Lee Ho-soo, who is deaf in one ear but listens to the stories of victims and the weak more than anyone else, explained, "When Miji is having a hard time in the drama, instead of saying various things, he supports her by waiting by her side so she can overcome it on her own," adding, "Those aspects became more prominent as the story progressed, which I found even more appealing."
“While acting, I have experiences where a part of the character stays with me. It might be difficult for me to become a good person like Ho-soo, but I was drawn to the thought that it might be okay to live with some part of Ho-soo left behind while acting.”
After his military discharge, Park Jin-young has been receiving positive reviews for his acting in consecutive projects, and he credited the directing direction of director Park Shin-woo as the secret to his excellent performance in 'Unknown Seoul.'
“The first scene with lines was a conversation while knitting with Secretary Hwang. I acted by continuously reacting to what Secretary Hwang was saying, and the director gave me clear direction, saying, 'If you reduce that by half, it would feel like Ho-soo.' I trusted the director's direction 100% and acted, and I think those elements helped create Ho-soo.”
Lee Ho-soo is a character who exists on the boundary between disability and non-disability. He mentioned that he worked hard to express that middle ground, saying, “I felt this while working on the piece 'A Christmas Carol,' and I thought that if I were in the middle rather than at the extremes, I would try to appear as someone with no (disability).”
“I can hear, but I have the awareness that I hear less than others, so I think I would have self-censored a lot. You might not have felt it, but I started a bit slower on my own. Instead of reacting immediately after hearing, I instinctively thought, 'Am I speaking correctly before I speak?' and tried to articulate my thoughts.”
The pressure of being on the set of his first drama after military service also weighed heavily on him. Park Jin-young confessed, “Actually, when I was asked the same question before, I said I was comfortable and not nervous, but I was really quite nervous.” He credited his ability to overcome that pressure to his partner, actress Park Bo-young, and the director's direction.
“Park Bo-young is someone who makes her partner feel very comfortable. She doesn’t tell you how to act, but when I saw how she treated me, I felt at ease. In fact, I had just taken a break from acting, but the trust in my partner's gaze and the director's precise direction, along with the efforts of the staff, made me feel that they really cherished the script. So, the more I felt nervous, the more I felt like I would mess up, so at some point, I tried to relax, and it became natural.”
Especially, he felt comfortable and well-matched with Park Bo-young from the first time they matched their lines. Park Jin-young, who had to interact with four different versions of Miji—Miji from the future, Miji pretending to be from the future, and Miji pretending to be Miji—said, “At first, I was worried about how to react differently to each, but I realized that I didn’t need to think about it. I just had to react to her as that character.” He did not hold back in praising Park Bo-young's performance.
While acting as mutual 'lifelong singles' with Park Bo-young, Park Jin-young added fun to the work. He mentioned that there were some parts where he added details known only to him, which the director did not cut and were aired.
“There’s a detail that only I know, where Ho-soo slightly waves his hand while confessing to Miji. Big emotions are good, but when I looked at that 'lifelong single' aspect of Ho-soo on screen, I thought, 'Ah, that really felt like Ho-soo.' The director usually edits out anything he thinks doesn’t fit, but that scene remained. I felt it matched the director's vision of Ho-soo.”
Since they were both 'lifelong singles,' there were reactions after airing like, “If it were a real relationship, Miji would have been frustrated.” However, Park Jin-young defended Ho-soo, saying, “I think Miji would have liked Ho-soo just as he is. If he were a 'fox' Ho-soo, Miji wouldn’t have been attracted to him.”
When asked if his actual dating style is different from Ho-soo's, Park Jin-young momentarily donned his 'idol' persona and said, “As for how I am to my fans,” which brought laughter. After regaining his true self, Park Jin-young stated, “Honestly, I think I tend to express my feelings and thoughts openly.” (Continued in [Interview②])
[Kim Mi-ji, Star Today Reporter]
