PARK SO-DAM gained international recognition in 2019 starring as Ki Jung (Jessica, only child from Illinois Chicago) in the multi-awarded, record-setting film Parasite.
Not a lot of people know that she already had accomplished a lot in her career even before the international fame. Right now, she is creating buzz playing the lead female lead in ‘Record of Youth’ as Ahn Jeong-ha, a makeup artist who fangirls over a model/actor (Park Bo Gum) whom she will eventually develop feelings for.
‘Record of Youth‘ is now airing its first week on Netflix. Curious about our lead actress? Here are some of the things you may not know about Park So Dam.
1. She was born in South Korea on September 8, 1991.
2. She was the eldest among the three siblings. Her younger sister is said to be her biggest supporter and her best friend. Their youngest sibling is a male.
3. She never wanted to become an actress. Actually, she never had a dream before realizing that acting could be the path for her.
4. Only when she reached her first year in high school that she realized she could be an actress.
5. It was the legendary musical “Grease” that made her reconsider to pursue acting as a profession. She was smitten on how happy the cast members look while performing.
6. Her parents didn’t initially supported her dream, and were against her pursuing an acting career. They wanted her to live an ordinary life.
7. Despite her parents’ opposition, So-Dam, the go-getter that she is, believes that a life without acting is a life no meaning.
8. She consulted her two youngest siblings on their advice towards her pursuing an acting career. They told her to follow her dreams.
9. She enrolled in the Korean National University of Arts after high school. Even before she graduated, she already accomplished a lot – 15 independent movies.
10. In 2016, she said that she auditioned for about twenty different roles in a single month. All of these roles she did not get.
11. Because of this, she pursued independent roles instead. This decision made her career better, gaining recognition from experts in the field.
12. During her University years, she was classmates with equally talented actresses – Kim Go Eun and Lee Yoo Young.
13. Among her many setbacks in her career, her show Beautiful Mind, where she played the role of Gye Jin Sung, was cancelled with only just 14 episodes in 2016.
14. During the same year, she starred as Eun Ha Won in a Korean romantic comedy series Cinderella and The Four Knights together with veteran actors, Jung Il-woo, Ahn Jae-hyun, Lee Jung-shin, Choi Min and Son Na-eun.
15. It was the Oscar winning director Bong Jong Ho who contacted her on the phone inviting her to audition for a role in his upcoming movie. She didn’t hear from him for two months. Eventually, she landed the role of Jessica in the iconic film Parasite.
16. She managed to keep her dating life a secret. Even in her Instagram account (sodam_park_0908), there is no hint of a romantic relationship among other actors.
17. 2019 and 2020 had been a whirlwind of activities for her, promoting the movie parasite locally and internationally.
18. On her downtime, she spends her spare time with friends and family. Among the difficulties is that her close friends are also in the acting world, making scheduling conflicts very common. So she spends some of her down time with her high school friends.
19. Among the many interesting things with Park So Dam is her monolid. According to reports, she has been encouraged numerous times to undergo surgery. But she said she does not want to get any plastic surgery done.
20. Among her many idols, she was most excited to have met Charlize Theron, during the Governors Awards. In fact, she said that Charlize was behind her waiting in line for photographs.
21. Her newest film Fukuoka recently premiered in the Berlin International Film Festival.
22. She still wants to branch out. Apart from being an actress, she is also a talented singer. She dreams of starring in a musical someday.
‘Record of Youth‘ is shown every Monday and Tuesday nights on Netflix. Don’t you just love our current KDrama Princess?
