Park Bo-young Reflects on the Challenges of Playing Four Roles in 'Our Unwritten Seoul'

Actress Park Bo-young shared her thoughts on taking on four different roles in the tvN drama 'Our Unwritten Seoul'.

Recently, at the BH Entertainment headquarters in Gangnam, Seoul, Park Bo-young discussed her experience starring in the drama. 'Our Unwritten Seoul' is a romantic coming-of-age drama about twin sisters who swap lives and discover true love and life through their lies. Park Bo-young plays four characters: the twins Yoo Mi-ji and Yoo Mi-rae, as well as Mi-rae pretending to be Mi-ji and Mi-ji pretending to be Mi-rae.

Taking on four roles undoubtedly came with its challenges. So why did Park Bo-young decide to take on such a demanding task? She explained, "The script was so good and solid. I thought it could resonate with many people. I jumped in and then thought, 'How do I handle playing two roles?' Before the first shoot, I wanted to run away. Even during filming, I faced many hurdles and failures, wondering if I could really do it. I think I had doubts until the very end," she smiled.

Discussing the differences between the characters Yoo Mi-ji and Yoo Mi-rae, Park Bo-young said, "The director and I spent time aligning our visions for the four roles. The director advised me not to try too hard to act differently for each role. I focused on subtle differences and avoided using tones I wasn't comfortable with. For emotional scenes, instead of forcing emotions, I expressed them in my own way. For instance, while I usually hold back tears, Mi-ji cries openly like a child, setting a different emotional baseline."

Park Bo-young also paid attention to external differences. "Mi-rae is meticulous with her makeup, even lining her waterline, while Mi-ji is not. This subtle difference in eyeliner created a different vibe in close-ups," she explained. "I realized these details could impact the overall atmosphere, so we aimed to find our unique details."

When asked if she would take on a script requiring four roles again, she laughed, "Even playing two roles was too challenging, so I don't think I'd do it again. They say ignorance is bliss. I chose it bravely because I didn't know, but once I understood the filming process, I realized I couldn't do it again. In scenes where all characters appear, there are so many technical challenges for the staff. If the distances or sizes don't match, CGI becomes impossible. I think playing two roles again would be too difficult."

By Kim Se-ah, TenAsia Reporter haesmik@tenasia.co.kr