그녀는 2010년 SBS 드라마 “아테나: 전쟁의 여신”에 카메오를 시작으로 배우로서 브라운관에 데뷔했고 2011년 K팝 스타 시즌 1을 시작으로 지금까지 매년 베테랑 가수로서 심사위원 자리를 지키고 있다.
이제 첫 주연을 맡은 그녀는 “대본이 너무 좋았어요. 총 두 편인 드라마라서 스텝들과 동료 배우들에게 부담을 덜 주는 동시에 많이 배울 수 있는 기회라 생각해요,” 라며 목요일 드라마 제작발표회에서 배역을 맡게 된 소감을 전했다.
보아는 연애초보지만 로맨티스트인 ‘주연애’역을 맡아 연애전문가로부터 SNS 연애 코칭을 받는다. 연애전문가 역할로는 최다니엘이 캐스팅되었고 제국의 아이들 멤버 중 정시완은 주연애의 순진하고 믿음직스러운 정진국으로 열연할 예정이다.
총 2부작으로 이루어진 이 드라마는 주연애가 마음이 더 가는 차기대와 착한 남자 정진국 사이에서 벌어지는 사건들을 그려낸 작품이다.
보아는 이날 실제 연애스타일에 대한 질문에 “허당이다. 제대로 된 연애를 못해봤다”며 “밀당을 못한다. 너무 고수여도 말릴 것 같다. 순정남과 알콩달콩 연애를 하는 편이 더 나을 것 같다”라고 답했다.
보아는 최근 할리우드 영화 “메이크 유어 무브 3D”를 촬영하고 돌아왔지만 드라마로는 첫 주연이다.
역할에 대해 이야기하기 위해 감독님이랑 매일 만났다는 그녀에 대해 “연애를 기대해”의 이은진 감독은 보아를 캐스팅하기 위해 3주를 망설였다고 한다.
“주연애역으로 보아가 첫 후보는 아니었어요. 첫 대본 리딩을 했을 때 안될 수도 있겠다 생각이 들었거든요.”
하지만 이감독은 보아를 두 번째로 만났을 때 여주인공으로 마음을 굳혔다고 한다. “보아에게 연기점수로 75점을 주겠어요. 연기를 잘하고 못하고가 아니라 지금보다 앞으로 더 잘할 배우라는 것을 알기 때문이에요.”
보아는 “저는 아직 가수나 오디션 프로그램 심사위원으로의 이미지가 너무 강해요. 이 드라마가 끝나면 가수로서 보아가 아니라 저를 주연애로 봐주셨으면 좋겠어요.”라고 전했다.
드라마 ‘연애를 기대해’는 9월 11일과 12일 KBS 2TV 10시에 방영될 예정이다.
(영문: 오지은 기자/ 한글: 윤하연 인턴 기자)
<관련 영문 기사>
BoA makes drama debut
Director gives K-pop diva 75 points for first major television role
By Jean Oh
K-pop diva BoA is set to put her acting prowess to the test in her first major television drama.
Slated to star in KBS’ short, two-episode, rom-com “Expect to Date” (working title), this will be the 26-year old singer’s first small screen lead.
After making a brief cameo appearance in SBS’ “ATHENA: Goddess of War” in 2010, BoA continued to forge a career in television with SBS’ hit music reality show, “K-Pop Star,” earning credibility as a compelling judge in the singing competition.
Having established her position as a television personality through “K-Pop Star,” BoA is taking the next step, tackling a project that may launch a successful career as an actress.
“The main reason I chose to do this work is because the script was very good,” said BoA at the drama’s press conference in Seoul on Thursday. “Also because it is only two episodes long I felt I could learn a lot without being too much of burden on the crew and team.”
In the upcoming series, BoA plays Joo Yeon-ae, a romantic who finds herself continually kicked to the curb by a string of collegiate boyfriends. Determined to find a keeper, Joo signs up for dating advice from an expert via SNS,
The so-called expert, Cha Gi-dae, will be played by rom-com veteran actor Choi Daniel, who recently starred in KBS’ “School 2013,” while boy band ZE:A member Siwan will be playing Joo Yeon-ae’s potential boyfriend-for-keeps, Jung Jin-gook.
In the series, Joo finds herself falling for Cha though she feels that Jung, a somewhat naive and faithful boyfriend, would be the safe and wise choice.
In regards to dating, BoA herself admitted to being a bit like her heroine when it comes to matters of love.
“I don’t feel that I have really dated properly yet but I want to,” BoA confessed. “Truthfully, I am not good at playing the dating game, so I think that dating a pick-up artist like Cha would be a bit too much. I think it would be best to date a less experienced guy.”
Of how she prepped for her role, BoA started off by explaining that “I have been a singer for over a decade while this is my first time acting in Korea.”
Though BoA starred in a Hollywood dance movie titled “Make Your Move 3D” recently, this represents her first television drama lead.
“I met with the drama’s director everyday to discuss my role and practice acting,” BoA revealed.
On working with BoA, “Expect to Date” director Lee Eun-jin admitted to hesitating for three weeks before casting the singer.
“BoA was not the first up for the role,” said Lee. “When she did her first script reading, I thought that it might not work out.”
Lee then revealed that when she met the veteran singer for a second time she was impressed by BoA’s objective stance on the lead role and that helped her clench her decison to cast her as the drama’s heroine.
Of BoA’s acting, director Lee said, “I would give her a score of 75 points for her acting not because she cannot act but because I know she can do better given that this is her first time around.”
“I possess a very strong image as both a singer and a television show judge,” BoA said. “After the drama finishes airing, I hope to hear that viewers saw me as my character, Joo Yeon-ae, and not as myself.”
“Expect to Date” will run from Sept. 11 to 12 on KBS 2 TV at 10 p.m.
(oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)
