Park Min-young: "I go the path that'll make me happiest when I do something." - Part 2

Park Min-young [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

<#10_QMARK#> How do you become your characters though when you have so little time to do so because you're always working?
Park: Well the first thing I do when a drama ends is send off my character thinking she will live happily ever after. And at the same time, I fill that emptied spot in my heart. It actually takes a longer time for me to let go of my character if I try to do the two separately. So I just let go of my characters and let in the next without too much haste. I don't think I'll be Jae-in completely for the first script reading of the drama either. I might be a kid who's trying to impersonate her. So I said this to the screenwriter as well. "I'm the type that goes slow with this." And she told me to just do what I need to get done before we go into shoot. (laugh) I'm also not the type that acts well technically. There are times my pronunciation is bad and sometimes, I just can't speak well when I need to talk fast because my body won't move as fast as my brain. There really just isn't much that I'm good at. But I do tend have more affection for my characters than what I have. So I really love the characters I play and try to understand them.

<#10_QMARK#> What type of scripts are you usually drawn to?
Park: I tend to think that if I have a good script in front of me, I'll find myself drawn to the emotions of a character and if it's a bad script, I won't be drawn to the emotions of any character, regardless of whether I'll be playing that character or not. In the case of "City Hunter," I was drawn to Lee Yoon-sung's character and it was fun. On the other hand, there were many characters in "SungKyunKwan Scandal" yet I couldn't help myself from being drawn to Yoon-hee's character, from beginning to end. Whether it's my character or someone else's, it's easier to empathize with the project when I'm drawn to someone's emotions and it becomes easier for me to approach the project as well because I get to think of what that character means to me.

<#10_QMARK#> Your career has been on a relatively fast growth track since "High Kick 1."
Park: I've been very lucky. From getting into college to getting into my agency to getting cast in "High Kick 1" and that sitcom doing well. And then I immediately landed the leading role in "I am Sam" so imagine how excited I must've been. I thought someone was placing me on top of the clouds. But that was as far as my luck went. After flying in the clouds without a sincere attitude toward acting, I felt myself run into a brick wall. So when I really wanted to act and be in projects, I had to take a break because I ran out of luck. If I hadn't gone through that phase and never gained that earnestness to act, I may have gone looking for something else to do. But I was handed "SungKyunKwan Scandal" after going through many ups and downs so I became keen to act because I poured forth everything I had saved up on. I become curious when I act and it's fun finding the answers to them on the way. I have good luck right now. I'm being handed roles that are larger than what I can do and I've achieved a lot as well.

<#10_QMARK#> I think you're strict on yourself or have high standards to feeling satisfaction.
Park: Only time will pass if I worry about things like, 'What should I do with having been given a role that is too good for me?' That's why I look for the roles that I can play. All I'm thinking is that I should be grateful for what I've been given and do well with it because I might run into that wall again if I don't do a good job. I rarely waver after being through a slump once. A lot of people may be saying nice things about me right now but I know that all that can change if I don't work hard so I try to maintain composure. And I know working hard won't be enough anymore. That's why I'm going to torture myself even more now. Because I know that now's the time for me to do really well.

<#10_QMARK#> It seems that you know what you want to do. Do you know what you want to do in the future?
Park: I'd like to be called by my name which would happen if I played my character really well but I try to do my best within the current situations I'm in than move according to plan. I think I tend to be on the simple-minded side. There was a time when I had too many thoughts but ridding myself of those thoughts has helped me focus on my acting quicker. I don't know what'll happen in the future but I try to go on the path that'll be fun and make me happiest right in the immediate future because nobody knows what'll happen next.

<#10_QMARK#> Korea demands a lot from actresses. You need to be a fashionista yet act well and at the same time, have a lot of limitations to what you can do. What does it mean to live as an actress?
Park: I had a hard time in the beginning with the things I have to bear with because I thought, "To this extent?" But I've rid myself of such thoughts because I just focus on my acting now. I think I'd think such things once I go on a break. I guess I could also start thinking, 'Till when will I be able to maintain this busy life as an actress?' but as of now, I'm happy and thankful that I have projects to do and have people rooting for me. There are many people who don't have what I have right now and I used to be one of them.

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