(Following [Interview②]) Park Jin-young has been the closest observer of Park Bo-young's challenge of playing two roles. He could guess how difficult it must have been for her just by looking at the script without even going to the set.
“80% of the lines were for Mi-ji and the future. It was amazing to see her memorize all of that. She had to manage the perspective between where Mi-ji was and where the future was. I had some difficult moments, but Bo-young was like a machine. There were times when I couldn't match my gaze and was looking into the air, and I felt like kneeling down. I was really sorry.”
Park Jin-young not only praised Park Bo-young but also showcased great chemistry with Kim Sun-young, who played his mother, and Lim Cheol-soo, who played a senior lawyer. Regarding his chemistry with Kim Sun-young, Park Jin-young said, “If I had the chance to speak, I really wanted to mention this.”
“In episode 11, there was a scene where I had a fight with my mother, but I couldn't express my emotions well. Maybe it was because it was near the end, and I was running out of energy. I was wondering what to do, but the senior quietly told me, ‘Don’t do anything, just look at me, Jin-young. I’ll give you everything,’ and we filmed it, and it turned out great. That one trustworthy line felt like the essence of our drama. I was really grateful.”
Lim Cheol-soo had previously gained attention for praising Park Jin-young's acting in an interview. Park Jin-young, who watched that article with gratitude, said, “I went to a performance in Thailand and gave him a nice whiskey as a gift, so I think he praised me a lot because of that,” which brought laughter.
“I spent a lot of time with Cheol-soo on set, second only to Bo-young, and he often told me that he believed in me. That didn’t feel like pressure; it felt like encouragement, and I wanted to do even better. I think he saw my genuine desire to do well, which is why he viewed me that way. I’ll give him another gift (laughs).”
‘The Unknown Seoul’ provided many viewers with empathy and comfort, and it was also a platform for Park Jin-young to grow. Previously, he focused on delivering his pre-prepared performance, but now he has become an actor who tries to listen to his co-stars as much as possible.
“I thought that if I had listened and reacted earlier, I could have delivered even better performances. I felt and experienced a lot through this work. However, just because I experienced it doesn’t mean I can do it again in the next project. It wasn’t that I succeeded by trying to be mechanical; it happened naturally, so I want to reach that level more comfortably in the next project.”
As Park Jin-young continues to thrive in various fields, what does he want to hear now? He said, “It might be a calming phrase, but I want to tell myself, ‘This has passed, and let’s prepare well for what’s ahead.’”
“In our profession, we have to bring our own style to the next project. I want to tell myself not to get too carried away and to ‘do your own thing.’ But... at the same time, I also want to hear, ‘You did well in this role’ (laughs).”
After successfully concluding ‘The Unknown Seoul,’ Park Jin-young expressed his desire to take on a more comfortable character and love line in his next project.
“I want to tell a love story where they understand each other's feelings a bit faster. I’ve always played difficult love stories in my works. In ‘The Witch,’ they only talked for the first time in the last episode, and Mi-ji and Ho-soo also struggled to hold hands until the end. In the next project, I want to explore a love story where they catch each other's feelings more quickly.”
Having spent a fierce and diligent teenage and twenties as a member of an idol group and as an actor, Park Jin-young has now entered his early thirties. He expressed his desire to work on projects like ‘The Unknown Seoul’ that involve collaboration and teamwork. With a part of Lee Ho-soo still within him, expectations are high for Park Jin-young's next endeavors as he shows a new side of himself.
[Kim Mi-ji, Star Today Reporter]
