[Interview] Taking on Comedy Acting Full Force! Park Ji-hyun ① in

Park Ji-hyun’s recent moves come as a surprise. The elegant yet mesmerizing character in 〈Hidden Face〉 that earned her the Best Supporting Actress award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, a terminally ill role in 〈Eunjoong and Sangyeon〉 that spans her life trajectory from her 20s to her 40s, and even a “troubled-but-absolute-charm” turn as Byun Domi in 〈Wild Sing〉. Crossing between the big screen and the TV set, she plays characters armed with strong individuality, and she said she’s just now started to discover the taste of comedy acting.

A comedy film, 〈Wild Sing〉, opens on June 3. It follows the three-member mixed-gender dance group “Triangle,” which once swept the music scene but gets pulled into an unexpected incident and disbands overnight. Now, with the chance at a comeback after 20 years, they take on a reckless challenge. Actress Park Ji-hyun plays the center of “Triangle” and takes on the role of Byun Domi, the absolute-charm member, delivering a standout performance. Domi was the group’s power figure and main vocalist, but after retiring, she becomes the daughter-in-law of a chaebol family known for “absolute wealth,” living a refined life.

Byun Domi in 〈Wild Sing〉 turns the polished image the public expects from actress Park Ji-hyun into something comic by using it against her. Burdened by her stifling life as a pressured daughter-in-law, Domi launches into a dazzling sprint toward the spotlight with a binge of rebellion after 20 years. Park Ji-hyun’s Byun Domi shatters the actress’s previously held elegant image and delivers a thrilling sense of catharsis. Having taken on comedy acting headfirst, what kind of mindset did Park Ji-hyun bring to this distinctive film, 〈Wild Sing〉? On the afternoon of the 26th, at some place in Jongno-gu, Seoul, she tells her candid story without holding anything back.

After last week’s press screening, the reactions to the film have been hot. What are your thoughts ahead of its release?

Honestly, after the music video came out, a lot of people started saying, “Is this really true?” and they were entertained. The response has really exceeded my expectations. When I watched the film, it seemed even more fun than I had imagined, so I’m even more excited.

At the 〈Wild Sing〉 press conference, you expressed some regret, saying you thought, “I should’ve gotten even more ruined.” What did you mean by that?

To be honest, I always feel that way. No matter what role or what project I do, there always seems to be a point afterward that I regret. In this film, the seniors did so incredibly well. I also found myself thinking that it would’ve been even better if I had taken on more of the center role even more distinctly on stage. (Eom) Tae-gu, and (Gang) Dong-won, the seniors, got so deeply into the character and acted so well that it made me feel envious. Also, the filming days were way shorter than the stage-rehearsal period we prepared for, so I think that was a bit of a letdown. I wanted to do more on stage, but I filmed within the limited time. It felt like I was caught in the thought that “If I filmed one more time, I could’ve done it even better.”

What kind of side of yourself did you want to show more on stage?

I feel like I should’ve shown more varied expressions. When I saw Tae-gu senior boxing in the music video, I thought, “How did you even come up with something like that?” So I felt like I should’ve done more things—maybe I should’ve done ballet there too. (Everyone laughs.) Anyway, I ended up thinking things like, “I should’ve been a bit more mischievous,” and “I should’ve shown off more flair.” The regret was so big that I even thought I wanted to re-record it. On the flip side, after filming wrapped, it seemed to get more embedded in my body, and I ended up dancing a lot while humming along.

Was there any particular aspect you put extra care into to become the center of “Triangle”?

At first, I thought that if I’m the center, I’ll probably need confidence—that was the biggest thing I felt. I worried a lot. I had absolutely no stage experience, and also, because people with outstanding looks were right next to me. In the end, I thought, “Let’s go with a bright, fresh vibe. Let’s have as much confidence as possible.” So I tried to get rid of self-consciousness as much as I could by watching videos of many artists, and I decided to let everything go and just put down the steel plate and enjoy it. I tried to make sure I didn’t mess up the choreography as much as possible, and I tried to match the movement paths as much as I could, but more than that, I still ended up thinking, “I should’ve just gotten even more immersed.”

I heard you also received vocal training for quite a while. Are you now at a level where you can do live singing?

I always need someone to guide me, even if it’s just to check. (Laughs.) When I did vocal training, I focused less on the technical side and more on how to deliver the message well. The truth is, it’s impossible for me to master the technique of flashy vocals in a short period of time. So I tried to convey the meaning of the lyrics in a cuter way. (Laughs.)

Unlike the other actors in “Triangle,” Park Ji-hyun isn’t someone who directly lived through that era. You must have done a lot of research to get in step with the members.

I actually liked the music from that time as well. So I knew quite a bit about the sensibility of the era, including people who debuted in the early 2000s. So I don’t think it was that difficult to pick things up. I did a lot of research into materials and referred to many singers from that period. I also tried to recreate the kind of hair styles and outfits that were popular then. Plus, in music show interviews, the way people speak tends to be similar. I wanted to try using that speaking style on a music show too. Also, a lot of staff members recreated that era through art and props, so it felt like I was simply existing in that time. In the stage where they announce No. 1, there are people wearing outfits similar to those of Fin.K.L and Shakra. That’s why I kept thinking, “How did they bring it to life down to such details?”

Was there any particular singer you looked to when building the character of Domi?

I focused most on Lee Hyo-ri from Fin.K.L. In the film, the “Triangle” members debuted with a fresh and pure concept, but for their second album they transform their image with intense, flashy performances. Even Lee Hyo-ri’s Fin.K.L era and her solo era were different—when she was active with Fin.K.L, it was a concept similar to our first album, but during her solo activities, she was sexy and performed with a more intense concept. So I thought it would be good if I could show both sides in the Domi character.

During an interview, actor Dong-won Kang said he was surprised that “Park Ji-hyun finds her camera so well and has innate star quality.” What did you think about the other members’ sides that you saw?

First of all, I feel like Dong-won senior is really exceptional at dancing. I watched him pull off break dancing and head spins—much higher-difficulty than the kind of dance we do—in a short time. I honestly couldn’t even imagine that he would do it himself. Whenever he went into the practice room, he would come about 3 to 4 hours earlier than us, and he’d always be there drenched in sweat. He probably practiced for around 6 to 7 hours every day. I was really amazed by how passionately he worked, and I thought he would’ve succeeded even if he had done something purely in the dance world. As for Tae-gu senior, to be honest, I don’t really know much about dance. (Laughs.) The moment Tae-gu senior gets on stage, he becomes a completely different person. I think Tae-gu senior truly has the right stage temperament. It even made me feel like, “I got hit from behind,” or something like that. (Laughs.) Tae-gu senior does a wink a million times during the rap part. So if I end up winking from the back too, it would overlap too much. That’s why I thought, “It’s like I got everything taken away from me.” (Laughs.) You could tell he’s flying on stage.

※The Park Ji-hyun interview about 〈Wild Sing〉 continues in Part 2.