During the press tour for Special Cargo (now internationally re-titled as Special Delivery), So Dam has interviewed with TV Report in a written format. See below full interview.
Be Aware of Spoiler In Interview
Park So-dam, who challenged her first one-top action, is drawing highly praises such as “fantastic vehicle chase, watch Park So-dam” and “the pinnacle of Girl Crush!” by perfectly performing high-level car-chasing and striking actions.
The movie Special Delivery is a crime entertainment action depicting a chase that takes place when Eunha, a specialized express driver with a 100% success rate, is caught up in an unexpected delivery accident.
Q. As far as I know, you are recovering your health, so please give me a brief greeting on how you have been doing, such as New Year’s greetings.
A. Hello, I’m Park So Dam. First of all, happy new year! I have to meet you in person and say hello, but I’m sorry that the situation is not favorable. When I was interviewing while promoting Parasite, you were very curious about my hair color, but now I can talk about it. Now I see you again at Special Delivery. I think I said goodbye and left [the movie set], and it’s already been two and a half years. I’m sorry to say hello like this. But I’m really happy to tell you what happened while filming Special Delivery and what I felt. It was a work that received a lot of help, and I wanted to talk a lot about Eunha and Special Delivery.
Q. Above all, I’m so sorry and sorry that I couldn’t participate in the promotional activities of Special Delivery. I’m recovering well thanks to many people’s support. Once again, thank you for your support and encouragement!
A. In order to do what I really want to do and what I like, I need to be very healthy as an actor and a human – Park Sodam. I’ve always thought about it, so I was surprised and scared to learn about my condition, but I think they gave me time to look back and take care of myself, so I’ll recover well and take care of myself and greet you in a much healthier way than before! Until then, please stay healthy both physically and mentally! Thank you!
Q. The movie was released after a long time after filming, and I wonder how it feels as the first one-top lead.
I’m really embarrassed to hear that I’m the one-top main character. It’s my first time seeing my face on a poster, so it’s fascinating, grateful, and exciting to see my face hanging very big in the theater. As it is a Special Delivery created by many people with passion and effort, I am very happy to be able to see it being release and meet the audience, and I am excited and curious about doing a new work [Special Delivery] with responsibility as I played the lead role!
Q. I think you must have been excited and burdened because it was your first one-top lead, but please tell me what was difficult and how you tried to overcome the difficulties.
A. It was my first time to start the first scene with my face and end with my face until the end of the movie, so of course, I felt pressure to lead the work to “Jang Eun-ha,” but I think I felt more grateful than stressed. I was so grateful to the director for giving me this opportunity, and I really want to do well as much as you trusted me and entrusted me with the Eunha. I was very grateful to meet Eunha. The biggest reason I was able to cheer up was that everyone with me always cheered for me.
In particular, Kim Eui-sung and Song Sae-byeok sunbae-nim always encouraged me from the first script reading, saying, “Sodam, we will help you,” “Jang Eun-ha,” and “We will help you do well.” Yeom Hye-ran unnie, Oryung, Hyun-min, and Hyun-jun, who acted together, always gave me strength every moment and smiled brightly at me and shouted “Fighting!”
From the pre-production to the moment at the set, all the actors and staff helped me. That’s why I was able to do the “Eunha” with more confidence and joy. And after hearing the news that I was doing “Eunha,” I think I received the coffee and snack bars from many people who have been working with me! I couldn’t take pictures properly because there were many days when I was dressed up in blood, but after it’s released, it’ll be possible to reveal it, so I’m going to open it little by little.
And the makeup team also had a hard time dying the hair colors. We rented a hair salon in Busan and dyed my hair. While filming, I spent the most time with the costume and makeup team, and the costume and makeup team that always took care of every little thing when I played the character Eunha next to me. I’d like to say thank you so much for holding my hand when I’m cold, hot, anxious and nervous. Thanks to them, I felt that I was not alone in front of the camera, and I was able to overcome a lot of pressure. Also, while filming Special Delivery, I was filming tvN entertainment program “Three Meals a Day,” so I think many people were curious about my hair color at that time. I was really happy and grateful to film Special Delivery while watching the sea in Busan and go to Jeongseon to eat three meals in the mountains. Whenever I filmed “Three Meals a Day,” I would like to say once again that Jungah-unnie and Seah-unnie took care of my small wounds during the action and were always worried and cared for me.
Q. There were many scenes where you drove like a professional driver, and I wonder how your actual driving skills are.
A. My actual driving skills are to the extent that I can take my grandmother to the hospital, take my parents to eat something delicious, leave anywhere if I want to get some fresh air, and help if someone needs my pickup. Before the filming of Special Delivery, there were actually traffic accidents in the past, so I was a little afraid of riding in a car, but I had to keep riding while working, so I always covered my front with curtains. In the meantime, I met the best driver Eunha, and thanks to Special Delivery, I drove under the protection of many people, so my previous fear disappeared and I think I drove more in my daily life. After getting rid of my fear, there were parts that I could help while driving, and I felt small happiness, and there were many things I was grateful for. So it was a big challenge for myself.
Q. The unconventional driving skills reminiscent of “Furiosa” of “Mad Max” stood out, and I wonder if there was any pressure on the car-chasing action. If there is anything you paid attention to character expression, please tell me.
A. Thank you so much for reminding me of Furiosa in Mad Max! When Mad Max was released, I shaved my head. People around me told me a lot about Furiosa, and I really wanted to play that role someday, so thank you very much. It’s an honor. I’ve driven in car-chasing action, but I’ve done a lot of research to make it look professional and natural as it should naturally be applied to the character of Eunha, a special driver.
Q. From the start, I was impressed by the neat car-chasing and duress actions. As far as I know, I’m curious how long and how you prepared and how much you did it yourself.
A. I’ve loved running and using my body since I was young, so I think I wanted to try more diverse actions. Eunha in Special Delivery had more hunger and wanted to express it well because she could challenge both bare-body action and car-chasing action. I started physical training twice a week for three months before the filming, and I acted in what I could do, and I got help from an expert in dangerous scenes. I trained with the martial arts director and my unnie, who served as my stand-in, and I always learned a lot from the side. I want to say once again that I was very grateful to my unnie for her hair color and her hair splits due to bleaching throughout the filming period, and cheering for me saying, “You can do it,” and that I was able to do it thanks to her.
Q. While filming the car chase scene and action scene, I wonder if there are any memorable episodes and favorite action scenes.
A. I remember the action scene with Kyeongpil in the second half of the Baekgang Industry because many people had a hard time and spent the most time together in that space. As tremendous things happened in the most important spaces of Eunha, CEO Baek and Asif, it was the part where I had the biggest emotional change while playing Eunha. Although she is not a professionally trained person, she always holds the screw driver she uses to open the car door and is most familiar to, and it is not easy to control the speed and express actions because she has to deal with many people alone. So, the action scene with Kyeongpil inside the junkyard was modified to suit the situation at the scene in the previous part, so the martial arts team had rented the hotel conference room for practice the day before.
Q. The reunion with actor “Parasite” Jung Hyun-joon was also noticeable. I wonder if Hyun-joon has changed or grown more compared to then, or if there was an episode while filming. Please tell us what you tried to draw the emotional line in your relationship with Seowon.
A. I think Hyun-joon still gave me bright energy. I think he always called me Ms. Jang Ha and cheered me on as Ms. Jang Ha more than anyone else. Thanks to this, other staff members also called me Ms. Jang Eun-ha, so I was able to laugh a lot throughout the shoot, and I felt every moment that I really wanted to protect this child. When I filmed underwater, I was honestly afraid and had difficulties, but Hyun-joon smiled brightly in the water and told me to come in quickly, so I was able to do so with courage. Hyun-joon must have had a hard time acting, but I’m really grateful to Hyun-joon for always smiling, playing around, and not giving me time to be nervous. There were many parts where Eunha lived alone by herself and was wary of others, not easily trusting or giving affection, but I naturally wanted to protect her with more responsibility and the energy that Hyun-joon gave me stayed with me throughout the shoot. As Park So-dam and as Jang Eunha, I would like to say thank you to Hyun-joon.
Q. It is the 10th year since the debut of the first full-length film “INGtoogi” (2013). I wonder what is the same and different when comparing the actress you drew at the beginning of your debut with the present you actually achieved. Please tell me if there is any change in your thoughts or rules about acting.
A. I always told myself, people around me and fans, “Let’s be healthy in body and mind,” but I think my health condition has changed a lot and I’m upset because I didn’t keep that part myself. It hasn’t been long since I started, and I want to take care of myself and work for a long time.
It’s amazing and grateful that a poster with my face was hung in the theater in the 10th year of my debut. I want to take a lot of proof shots. I look for all of them because I’m curious, and I’m watching them all because many people sent them. I look forward to the day when I can recover and meet you in person and talk more about acting.
Q. I wonder what your own secret is in selecting works and acting.
A. I think it’s the most exciting and nervous moment when I read the work, continue to wonder about the character, and feel the want to challenge. The first moment when I meet a character in person. I try not to forget the feelings that I felt then, and from the moment I met her, I think I talk a lot with the director and the people I’m working with. I can’t make the work by myself.
Q. I wonder if there are any changes in selecting works or accessing characters after “Parasite,” or if you want to participate in overseas works.
A. I’ve said it in an interview during the “Parasite” promotion in the U.S., and of course, I want to participate (in overseas works)! But I have to prepare a lot. In order to make it when the opportunity comes, I think you have to prepare yourself well until the opportunity comes. Since “Parasite,” there has been no change in choosing works or accessing characters. I think I learned little by little about my work during “Parasite,” because so many people helped me as I stood in front of the camera. So I’m always grateful to all the actors and staff I’m working with, and I think, “I should do better,” and “I want to do really well because you gave me a chance!” I want to prepare more and spend those times well with everyone on the same boat to make it work.
Q. What role and ultimate goal do you want to challenge in the future as an actor?
A. My goal is to stay healthy. As I always said, “Healthy body and mind,” I want to do what I want to do for a long time and experience many things. There are so many things I haven’t done yet. I want to live a long, healthy and fun life. I want to look back on everything I haven’t done and couldn’t take care of so far, recover well, and experience everything.
Q. Special Delivery 2 is an expected ending. I wonder if you have ever imagined a later episode with a rather adult Seowon.
A. I’m really looking forward to Special Delivery too. If Seowon grows up, wouldn’t Seowon protect her in a wonderful way like Eunha protected him?
Q. What is the charm of Special Delivery that actor Park Sodam thinks?
A. Special Delivery is a movie with a great sense of speed, and I think it can entertain the eyes and ears of the audience. Above all, I think the car-chaining scene can cool you down.
Q. Please say a word to the audience waiting for the movie.
A. I’m excited and nervous to think of visiting the audience through Special Delivery and Eunha. It’s a film that I also filmed with excitement, fun, and hard work. It’s a film that can entertain you with thrilling speed and overflowing energy, so please look forward to it. Stay healthy both physically and mentally! See you at the theater in good health.
So Dam(n) In Love 