Parasite’s Park So-dam: from the ‘Jessica jingle’ to modelling Gucci with a chainsaw, via the Oscars
From Ki-jung of the Kim’s half-basement apartment to art therapist Jessica, and now, internationally acclaimed star – here’s a closer look at the transformation of Korean movie sensation Park So-dam
She has worked as an actress since 2013, also hit a career slump, and now, has emerged as a new force in entertainment and fashion, we look back on the rise of a modern Asian icon.
From slump to bump
K-drama fans may recognise Park for her role in Cinderella with Four Knights, while regional film buffs may have followed her earlier projects including The Silenced and The Priests, both from 2015. Yet before Parasite, Park was actually in a career slump. “I was taking a break and trying to figure out my career and my path,” she told Forbes.
As well as its industry accolades, Parasite also saw Park gain a family in the acting industry: the relationship between the film’s cast – collective winners of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for best ensemble – is very close. Park proudly calls her on-screen dad, Song Kang-ho, “papa” behind the cameras.
She told Awards Daily: “To have him as a father and to be able to call him papa was such an amazing experience. He’s someone I’m going to hang on to for life because I want to learn so much from him and take from him.”