Edited by Hwang Hong Sun
Translated by Sally
Actress Park Bo Young is loved for her cute and bright image, which also won her the nickname Bobly (Park Bo Young + Lovely). Despite her youthful appearance, she is a veteran actress who have been continuously working on projects since her debut on EBS’ teen drama Secret Campus in 2006.
During her rookie years, Park Bo Young got her name known by playing the main leads’ younger selves. Although she received love for her cute image, there was a limit to being a child actress who only got to play the younger versions of the main leads. Scandal Makers was the movie that changed her career by allowing her to wholly portray and take responsibility for a complex character.
Scandal Makers, released in 2008, tells a story of Nam Hyun Soo, a popular DJ who used to be a famous idol star back in the day. The movie starts with Nam Hyun Soo meeting Hwang Jung Nam who appears out of nowhere claiming to be his daughter. Park Bo Young plays the role of Jung Nam, Hyun Soo’s daughter who also turns out to be a young single mom with a son of her own.
Scandal Makers �didn’t receive much of a spotlight before its release. The tacky title and its story about a father and daughter who both became parents at a young age made people perceive it as a third-rate film. However, the movie was praised for its quality and funny story line after its release, becoming a hit by selling over 8.24 million tickets.
And Park Bo Young was behind this success. Her character, Hwang Jung Nam, is a single mom who is raising her son while pursuing her dream of becoming a singer. The role called for exceptional singing abilities as well as the ability to express deeper emotions than an average person in that age group can. Park Bo Young was able to perfectly portray a tough, young mom raising a son while being frustrated at her father for denying her existence. And near the end of the film, she touched people’s hearts with a scene of her singing with hope after finally overcoming her sadness. Her spectacular acting in Scandal Makers �made Park Bo Young become wanted by many in Chungmuro. She received countless offers for projects and won many Best New Actress Awards the following year.
Park Bo Young proved to the audience with her work that her success in Scandal Makers �was not just a coincidence. She has been working on hit projects one after the other including A Werewolf Boy, Oh My Ghost, Strong Girl Bong-soon, and On Your Wedding Day. Although she had to step away from the spotlight due to her dispute with her agency after Scandal Makers �was released, she was able to make a grand return, making her success that much more valuable. Park Bo Young makes the viewers happy from just a glance at her smile, and her Bobly charms will continue to shine in the future.
