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| Actor Park Bo-gum, who portrayed Crown Prince Yi Yeong in the recent KBS fantasy period drama "Moonlight Drawn by Clouds," poses prior to an interview at a cafe in central Seoul, Wednesday. / Hankook Ilbo photo by Choi Jae-myung |
Park Bo-gum says support from staff gave him confidence
By Park Jin-hai
Park Bo-gum, the star of recently aired fantasy period drama "Moonlight Drawn by Clouds" and best known for his great personality and killer smile, said he had a hard time adjusting to the role of Crown Prince Yi Young at first.
"When I received the scenario, I had confidence that I could portray the character well. But when I learned the names of the other cast members in the drama, who are for me like the Avengers of veteran actors and actresses, I quickly lost my confidence," said the 23-old actor during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Wednesday.
Through the 18-episode fantasy period drama, dealing with the romance between the prince and his eunuch servant Ra-on, Park has emerged as a national heartthrob for women of all ages, with the crown prince role inspired by Yi Young, also known as Hyomyeong of the late Joseon Kingdom.
Park portrayed the character sometimes as a mischievous and lofty prince but other times with confidence and charisma as well and was credited for the drama's huge popularity in the post-"Descendents of the Sun" era.
"Moonlight Drawn by Clouds" recorded high TV viewer ratings, with a peak of 23.3 percent which coined the term, "Bo-gum magic."
Park said he tried hard to act like a spoiled crown prince.
"The task of portraying spoiled royalty in the first part of the drama was hard for me. When I was monitoring myself, I felt ashamed," he said. "I should be the one who is fully immersed in the role, and getting viewers engaged in the drama, but I was not. It was my first period drama and I wasn't accustomed to its vocal tone, the costume style and everything else."
He said he received advice from other cast members. For instance, he was advised on the way the traditional hat should be worn to give him a better look, and then he self-monitored his tone, repeatedly listening to his lines and finding his version of Yi Young's voice.
Some of the scenes including the ones he shot in the government office in the first parts of the drama were re-filmed, he said.
"I couldn't play with the role. I was kind of locked in myself and didn't have it under my control to express it freely," said Park.
"It was from the scene that Lee was trapped in a deep pit, together with Ra-on. It was a really hard scene, but after that I felt that I truly became the crown prince," he said. "Through the drama, I have learned what diverse expressions a single line can have."
Asked about his favorite line, Park said it is "Yi Young. That is my name."
"It was the first line, revealing his identity and what he has in his heart, wanting to make friends with Ra-on," he said.
As for whether there would be any difficulty selecting possible roles in his future career, as the celebrity actor is known to spend his spare time listening to Christian contemporary music and playing basketball, Park says that it was the opposite.
"I think that it provides more opportunities to bring out another self, something hidden inside me," he said.
