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Among the many influencers in Celebrity, Seo Ah-ri stands out as a new face. In a world where people are classified on whether their followers are numbered in thousands or millions, Seo Ah-ri draws people's attention with her distinctive, unadorned attractiveness, without purposely embellishing her life to earn fame. Rather of being mired in sponsored commercials, she puts emphasis on creating her own brand and becomes a well-known personality with 1.3 million Instagram followers. This is exactly the kind of appeal that graced Park Gyu-young, when she featured on the cover of College Tomorrow magazine as a student majoring in Clothing and Environmental Studies at Yonsei University and later earned a casting opportunity to begin her performing career as an actor. 

She was a rookie actress who, rather than pretending to live a luxurious life, seemed relaxed and serene and was approaching everything with genuineness. She began with a few music videos and supporting roles in dramas that marked the beginning of her career, and her screen presence was spotted by some who paid attention. (By the way, when Celebrity Seo Ah-ri gradually begins to make her name known, her Instagram profile image is an old shot Park Gyu-young previously used on social media that the production team recycled.) After playing the nurse Joo-ri in It's Okay to Not Be Okay, and the tough baseball bat-wielding bassist Ji-soo in Sweet Home, Park Gyu-young, who is top-billing Celebrity, has recently made her name known as the female lead in the casting lineup for Squid Game Season 2. She does, however, remember instances when she would quietly acquire experiences in unknown projects and wait for her next role in a calm manner rather than excitement. 

Photography by Choi Sung-youl 

Your first encounter with the film weekly magazine Cine21 was in 2018 as a rising star, and in 2021, you were featured on the cover of the magazine along with with Song Kang, Lee Do-hyun, and Go Min-si for Sweet Home. This time, you are posing alone in the cover photo for Celebrity.

Having my name mentioned in Cine21 has been one of my dreams and bucket list items ever since I made my debut. It felt really good when I appeared on the cover with my friends for Sweet Home, but this time it feels even better because both the cover and the interview are about me alone. 

You seem to be the kind of actor who worked their way up one step at a time until they could land a lead role in a Netflix series. How did you feel like when you received the role offer for Celebrity?

I'm delighted this is how you define the way I work. I've always gained experiences in my own manner, even in works that were never shown, but when the screenplay for the lead character in a Netflix series arrived, I couldn't believe it. I had a lot of doubts about my capacity to pull it off. That being said, I enjoy pushing myself by setting goals that are somewhat higher than what I am capable of, and I had no doubt that the director's instruction and the writer's screenplay would be extremely helpful. At that point, I could finally tell myself that I had worked hard to get this far, even if no one else had any idea about that.

Being a celebrity necessitates making strategic use of social media. It could not have always been simple to distinguish between the world represented in Celebrity and reality.

Because my occupation is to be a celebrity, there were few obstacles in creating this fictional figure to communicate the message. Celebrity presents a single tale from several viewpoints through its broad ensemble of characters, and I just saw my role, Ah-ri, as one of them. But, in order to guarantee that I stayed loyal to the original message and did not tint it with my own quick judgements, I played the role while constantly soliciting feedback. But now that I have the opportunity to discuss this story as an actor, it's a little more challenging for me. Celebrity clearly has a message it wants to convey with Ah-ri, but if you asked me, Park Kyu-yong, what my thoughts are on this, I wouldn't know what to say. I came up with this thought that it's a work with several points of view on the subject of social media, and it's up to each individual to decide what they want to take away from it.

There were several variations in the ways you had to represent that character. There is the Seo A-ri who sold cosmetics door-to-door before becoming an influencer; the Seo Ah-ri who became famous by chance after meeting her high school friend Min-hye (played by Jeon Hyo-sung); and the Seo Ah-ri who announced that she will reveal the truth through a live broadcast.

I concentrated solely on the shifts in A-ri's attitudes and situations toward the many persons with whom she encounters. As the narrative progresses, A-ri grows increasingly confident and self-assured. She has gotten so determined that she is ready to divulge what she thinks to the world when she does the final live broadcast. On the surface, there may be tiny tone variations that make her appear darker, brighter, or just like a celebrity, but her underlying confidence pervades the entire situation.

Many details of Seo A-ri's life after her parents' business failed remain unknown. What do you suppose she was like back then? How has it changed her personality?

A-ri has to have felt defeated at some point. It's difficult to go from having something solidly established to losing it all in an instant and back to a mundane life. During such times, she must have faced reality and suffered greatly. Then, while seeking for work, she began selling cosmetics door-to-door, and while she worked hard to do her best, she honed her survival instincts. That experience has resulted in her being able to fully concentrate on herself. Even if Ah-ri is cornered, she is strong enough to conquer it.

Photography by Choi Sung-youl 

Unlike influencers who amass hundreds of thousands of followers over time, Seo Ah-ri rose to prominence swiftly. The former are members of a community that are accustomed to following certain guidelines in order to achieve success as an influencer, whereas Ah-ri is not. There were bound to be disparities in their personalities and views. Seo Ah-ri has a special charisma that sticks out without even trying, much like the people you think of following on social media for no reason.

When I notice people who have a unique personality and who I want to keep seeing, I follow them with my private account. (Laughter) These days, some individuals choose to be true to themselves rather than jump on the bandwagon when something becomes hot in order to capitalize on it. People who have their own ideas pique my interest. Ah-ri also has a real quality about her, which was externalized by having the character wear a Lego figurine-like haircut. Because of the complex interplay of the context of the time and the events that occurred, all the stars aligned for her to succeed.

You've recently been posting a lot on Instagram about Carey Mulligan's films, namely Never Let Me Go (2010) and Drive (2011).

I've long admired this actress. I've rewatched Never Let Me Go multiple times in the previous several years, and I recently shared again sequences that left an effect on me. Mulligan has a childlike face yet a tremendous force within her. She holds the interest of the audience. There was a story surrounding her casting in which The Great Gatsby director Baz Luhrmann asserted that Carey Mulligan is an actress who makes you want to protect her. Those remarks delighted me.

You've been in a number of Netflix shows, including Sweet Home, Celebrity, and the forthcoming second season of Squid Game. Overseas audiences have also seen you in It's Okay to Not Be Okay on Netflix. You've worked on projects that gained quick acclaim from audiences all across the world.

I was only able to receive these amazing possibilities due of fortuitous timing, with Netflix entering the Korean market just as I was working on one project after another. With the diversification of platforms, more filmmakers and screenwriters have the opportunity to explore more original narratives, and as an actor, I've got the opportunity to play a wider range of characters. The word "thanks" carries more weight with every role.

Aside from your more well-known works, you have regularly worked on multiple projects that have never been show. In retrospect, how was that journey, particularly in terms of your triumphs, disappointments, and trials? 

Throughout the ups and downs, I had a steady mentality. I don't have any expectations. I try to focus as much as possible on the task and character in front of me, blocking off any other ideas. That has been the driving force that stops me from being frustrated or disillusioned. I realized I could play these characters exactly because I was continually preparing myself in this manner. Acting is not something you can do merely for enjoyment. The more you do it and the more difficult it becomes, the more you want to improve, which may be unpleasant. You must, however, embrace the pressure and stress that come with acting. Fortunately, with the help of the crew on site, the production employees, and fan support, I was able to rise again.

What can we expect from Today, I Love, and the 2nd seasons of Sweet Home and Squid Game?

Characters and genres vary from work to work. In Today, I Love, I play a lady who is cursed to become a dog if she kisses someone. She kisses a man by mistake and must kiss him again to break the curse, but this man is afraid of dogs. Sweet Home Season 2 builds on the previous season's scope and includes new characters. Squid Game Season 2 was well-received by audiences globally, so I'm hoping this season will be equally well-received.

It's easy to see you, already a rising star, reaching much higher following the release of these titles. It might be an exciting time for you.  So, how are you now spending your time?

I appreciate your compliments on the casting. As a result, I'd want to convey my thanks once more. I know, though, that when my heart gets thrilled, I start to botch up what I need to do. This is an unbreakable rule. So I try to concentrate on what has to be done right now and avoid thinking about anything else.

Interview edited by Im Soo-yeon