Ktown213

Interview with Grace Park
John Lee

2005

The ever elegant Grace Park will return for the second season of Battlestar Galactica, a Friday night ratings juggernaut that has swept the SCI FI nation by storm. The Sci-Fi Channel has ordered 20 new episodes for this upcoming season, and Grace Park and the rest of the crew will begin production in Vancouver in March for a summer premiere. With the show's success and her eight page spread on the latest issue of Maxim magazine, the big media buzz surrounding Grace Park is quite apparent everywhere. Ktown213 and staff were at the press conference, and we seized the opportunity to find out more for our viewers. Through all the media frenzy, Grace was gracious enough to give us a one-on-one interview.

Ktown213: Grace, you have a lot of fans in the Koreatown community, how about a brief intro of your background and how everything came about.

Grace Park: Well, I was born in Los Angeles, but we moved to Canada when I was 22 months old. So I pretty much consider myself a Canadian native, but always Korean of course. In our home we speak about half Korean and half English. I went to school in Vancouver (UVC) and majored in Psychology. I also went to Yonsei during one summer for the Korean program, but sadly I was put in the first level and I guess I never got fluency from that. [laughs] After graduation I felt that maybe I wanted to start acting and I would just try it for a year. I ended up getting a teen show called Edgemont right away, but my parents wanted me to get another job or go to school or get something more professional. They just kind of waited for the phase to end. But I think them wanting me to stop doing that was like a mountain, like Everest. And you know Everest, you just want to climb it. So all I wanted to do from that point on was to make sure I succeeded. One day my dad asked me "How long are you going to do this for?" I told my dad "You know what, I'm going make a movie one day and make like 25 million dollars." And he laughed at me. So after that I knew I really had to do it, just to prove him wrong you know? After that, I think the turning point came when I did a screen test for show called Silicon Follies for ABC, and my dad saw the contract and saw how much I was going to get paid per episode, and his jaw just dropped. He put his arm around me and just laughed. [laughs] From that day on I think he looked at me differently. And when the show came out they were so proud, very ecstatic, and overjoyed. When season two came out they were even more ecstatic, much more than me. So this has been a really good thing for my family and it's been a really good thing for me now. But I told them not to watch one of the episodes because of the kissing scenes and they were like OK we won't watch, [laughs]...'cause you know, a conservative family and all.

Kt213: How do you feel about acting in general?

GP: Sometimes I feel like I'm a reluctant actor, I don't know why. Acting...when you're in the groove and it's going well you feel more alive than what you do in most days. When things are all aligned it thrills you, and when you see so many people climb to their stardom I guess that's alright too. But it's not even like that for me; I didn't want the attention. I wasn't doing it to be famous, I don't wish for people to see me in a glamorous way, or I didn't do it to make a lot of money or anything like that. [jokingly] But I was so naive back then. [laughs]

Kt213: You're sporting a ring on your finger, are you married?

GP: Yeah I just got married end of last year. He's Korean. [laughs] I know right? Let's see...we were dating for about 3 years. He was born in Korea came to Canada when he was eight. It's funny, I didn't think I'd ever want to marry a Korean person, in fact I was actually very adamant about it. But obviously he's very wonderful. He's a real estate developer, but when he was in college he wanted to be a director. So sometimes he talks to me about how I should play my character in a certain way, and he has very good insight on the show so it's very enlightening.

Kt213: You mentioned your family being conservative, so how did they take you posing for Maxim?

GP: Uh oh, they told me specifically not to talk about this. [laughs] Well I don't think I gave them too many options. I was thinking well my parents aren't going to ever see this on a magazine stand, and their friends aren't going to see this either and if they do, I have something on them. [laughs] They were the first ones I showed though, and they were speechless. It's funny 'cause my dad was a bit shocked. They are more open to things now 'cause I forced them to be. I told him it's OK 'cause I'm married now. [laughs] But I don't think that worked. They just told me not to shoot any more things like that. [laughs]

Kt213: So I guess Playboy's out of the question?

GP: [laughs] Yeah, my dad asked me, 'so if they want you to pose nude are you gonna do it?' And of course I told him no, and he was relieved. [laugh]

Kt213: Grace, you have a lot of fans talking about you on Ktown213 and they've sent me a list of questions for me to ask you.

GP: Alright great, let's do it!

Kt213: What do you do that reminds you that you're Korean, such as eating rice with spam, or watching Korean dramas?

GP: [laughs] Oh man, give me a second here. There are so many things. I don't eat rice with spam, but I'll have kimchee with mashed potatoes. Do you ever do that? 'Cause potatoes are so bland... So when you eat it with kimchee it's really good. Gosh that's just one, but I know I have a ton. I'm gonna have to tell you later when I think of more 'cause I know I'm gonna think of more on the plane ride home. [laughs]

Kt213: Alright, as a Korean-American in the entertainment industry, do you feel that you're a role model for fellow Korean-Americans?

GP: Hmm... I don't FEEL like I'm a role model, but if I am a role model that's awesome. I mean you never really know whose going to be someone that you would draw inspiration from, but if someone can draw inspiration from what I'm doing that's really cool. I know sometimes people will look at me and say well you're doing something you love and it must've been really hard, and you're in the industry where there aren't so many Asians, so kudos to you. And in that way yeah, it's good, I'm proud of the fact that I did that. It's hard, you want to see in the media people that represent you and your voice but there's not a lot of that out there. Like recently I got very irritated flipping through some magazine and looking through advertisements, and it's always these blonde babies out there, and I'm like what about the Asian babies, there are so many cute ones out there, use one of those! And then when I do see one I'm like there are so many cuter ones than that! [laughs] Yeah but if I am a role model, that's awesome.

Kt213: What is the funniest thing that happened to you during the set of Battlestar Galactica?

GP: Let's see...man, I gotta write these down when they happen 'cause on that set we all goof off like crazy! Like we were on the set and we were all super serious and somber because it was a funeral scene, and the wardrobe lady would come out and take our Polaroid's to match our outfits. And me, Starbuck, and Crashdown would all of a sudden pull some ridiculous poses.

Kt213: Sounds like a fun environment. Next question, what star would you desire to have an on-screen kiss with?

GP: Wow, I think a standard answer would have to be Brad Pitt. But I don't know he's just not doing it for me anymore. Am I allowed to say that? [laughs]

Kt213: Well...your husband.

GP: Yeah I know, wait a second... I think Jude Law's pretty hot right now. I don't know but I can't just kiss somebody if somebody's not into me you know? No matter how hot they are, I don't want to be trying to be intimate with them, it's just weird.

Kt213: But that's part of acting right?

GP: Yeah I guess so. [laughs]

Kt213: OK, last question. Are there any upcoming projects of films in the near future for you?

GP: Not right now because we're going into the second season, so soon. I just got married and I went away for 6 weeks so I'm just coming back home. So not right now.

Kt213: OK great! Well, thank you so much for your time.

GP: You're welcome, [laughs]...that was it? That was quick!