Park Bo Young Sacrificed Her Natural Voice For Her Latest K-Drama

Actress Park Bo Young‘s latest K-Drama, Melo Movie, showed a different kind of character than the previous ones in her repertoire. In contrast to the bright-eyed portrayals she is best known for, in this drama, the actress took on the role of a cynical and emotionally guarded Mubee.

Not only is Mubee different from Park Bo Young’s previous portrayals, but she is also drastically different in nature than the actress’s actual personality. In a recent interview, she talked about how playing a cold and guarded character like Mubee helped her find relief from the compulsion to always stay cheerful.

I used to feel trapped, thinking I had to be cheerful every time I interacted with people. But through playing Mubee, I learned that it’s okay not to be bright all the time. It helped me accept that side of myself.

— Park Bo Young

To portray a somber character like Mubee, Park also had to abandon her authentic speaking voice, which is naturally high-pitched. While filming, the actress would consciously lower the pitch of her voice, sometimes even needing assistance to maintain it.

Since my voice is quite high, I focused on keeping my tone lower. Every time my natural pitch slipped out, the director helped me adjust.

— Park Bo Young

Despite the character demanding such radical changes, Park said that the experience of playing Mubee actually made her emotionally stronger and more comfortable in her own skin.

Over the years, I’ve tried different ways to improve my mindset — writing gratitude journals and setting yearly goals like ‘love myself more than I did last year.’ Now, I’ve learned to tell myself, ‘You’re doing fine just the way you are,’ and that has helped me feel much healthier inside.

— Park Bo Young

Meanwhile, Melo Movie was released on Febraury 14, KST,  and all its episodes are available for watching on Netflix.