SINGAPORE - South Korean actress Park So-dam may be the breakout star of the Oscar-winning film Parasite (2019), but she is the one doing the gawking in the series Record Of Youth.
The 29-year-old plays Jeong-ha, an aspiring make-up artist who meets her favourite male model through work.
She says over e-mail that in real life, she is a huge fan of the veteran actress Kim Hye-soo, known for K-dramas like Signal (2016) and Hyena (2020).
"I would really like to work with her and have many conversations with her some day. I've only been able to greet her at awards ceremonies so far, but I'm thankful because she always cheers me on and holds my hands warmly.
"I would like to look into her eyes and feel and learn when I watch her act in person, because I've always felt moved by her energy," she says.
Record Of Youth, which recently premiered on Netflix and is a top 10 title for the platform in Singapore, is a coming-of-age romance set in the competitive modelling and entertainment industry.
Park So-dam teams up with actors Park Bo-gum and Byeon Woo-seok, who both play up-and-coming male models.
Byeon, himself a model-turned-actor who made his name with series like Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency (2019), drew on his own experience for the role.
The 28-year-old says: "I watched a lot of videos of my past runway walks and I practised a lot through simulations."
He adds of his character: "He's someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth and so he's very free and optimistic as a result.
"However, he can't stand the scrutiny surrounding the benefits he gets from his wealthy background and he must work to overcome that."
While modelling is something Byeon already knows, playing a make-up artist was an eye-opening experience for Park So-dam.
"When Jeong-ha works at the salon, she wears a wireless earpiece for communication. This made me think of the staff who actually have to wear them, and how difficult and hectic it must be working at a salon. They may not be able to hear well and might feel uncomfortable wearing an earpiece for a long time," she says.
The other leading man of the series, Park Bo-gum (Love In The Moonlight, 2016), enlisted for his mandatory military service at the end of last month (August) and did not take part in the interview with regional press.
Still, the 27-year-old star shared some of his thoughts about filming the series in a press release.
He says: "We were always so happy on set that sometimes we weren't able to stop laughing and then we would have to retake scenes. I was very joyful every time I was on my way to filming."
Record Of Youth is available on Netflix.
