StarryMag

GRACE PARK: MULTIPLICITY
Lisa Steinberg
2007

Q. What are some of the recent projects that you've been working on?

A. I did a film last summer in New York called West 32nd and it's about the seedier side of Korean gangsters and living in Manhattan. I get involved in that picture because my younger brother in the script is accused of murdering somebody and is involved in the underworld side. I am not one of the girls who is in one of the gangs. That's been recently finished and right now I'm doing a play called "The Boys Next Door" in Vancouver.

Q. What made you want to be a part of West 32nd?

A. When I read the script I felt really close to it, I understood it a lot. Half of it is in Korean and there is a Korean humor that is involved in it; which is different than American or Canadian humor. For me, I understood that and it was a totally different light. I really enjoyed that and I feel I haven't given that part of my life much attention. So, there was that and the characters, I really liked how they were so three dimensional, alluring and interesting. Plus, it was being shot in New York, you can't go wrong with that. When I went there it was an amazing experience.

Q. Did you have to learn Korean for the role or were you already proficient in it?

A. My parts were in both Korean and English so I had to learn a little bit. I am Korean so I did grow up hearing it and speaking it somewhat. Most of my daily living is done in English, so I definitely had to brush up on it. I was pretty straight with the director and I let him know where I was at. His Korean is worse than mine so I was like, "Score, he won't know how bad mine is." Everyone else was so I did do a lot of work on it and then we redid some things in ADR.

Q. Since you already spoke some Korean, was the language easier for you to pick up?

A. I certainly had it easier than other people. If I was Japanese, it would have been very, very difficult. I found some of the difficulties, I did know what the words meant, it was more showing up on the day and them changing the line. Or, them saying, "She wouldn't say this, it's too formal." Stuff like that would make me freak out a little because it's like, "Guys, I learned this, I don't know very much, I had this one down." That was a bit difficult and then when we redid them in ADR later that was weird. We had someone come in and she was helping me and she would say the phrase three or four times and then I would say it and she would say, "No." I would say, "What part can I change, should I slow down?" She goes, "I don't know." By some miracle I finally started getting them so that was the only explanation.

Q. When you first began working on "Battlestar Galactica" did you feel like it could become such a cult hit?

A. No not at all. Actually with all the backlash from the original fans, the last thing I thought was that we'd be a cult show. If anything we'd have to go underground and protect ourselves. Surely enough with the fantastic writing, directing, acting, the hard work of every single person who has come to the show, and you can see it, I don't think it would be such a cult hit if it weren't for that. I don't watch much TV but sometimes I catch a glimpse of a different Sci-Fi show, I think, "Huh, not that far off from our show. That could be 'Battlestar,' we could be very similar." I wonder what exactly separates us from them. It is definitely a very well thought out and planned vision that Ron Moore has made for us and laid down the initial foundation for us to all be able to grow. I don't think any of us thought it was going to be this much of a hit and especially critically either.

Q. How much of yourself do you invest in your character?

A. I invest a lot of myself into my character, it's pretty tough to not with a show like this with my characters to not be able to put all your energy in any kind of experience that I've had to be able to understand what has come up from the show and the storylines or the things that happen to Sharon. I think the only way for me is to very much draw from things I've read, seen or experienced and be able to pour that into my character.

Q. What can you tell us about the upcoming half of season three of the show?

A. The last half of season three is a bit of a mystery unfolding and we're given more pieces to clues of Starbuck's destiny, what happens with her and Lee. A big thing is what happens to Baltar, cuz at this rate it doesn't look good with him being back on Battlestar Galactica. You just sent in the lamb to the wolf, maybe it should not be that way, he's not really a lamb. He's in such an unfortunate position because of neglect he imposed upon the humans. So, I saw the episode yesterday when it aired and I totally forgot what happens to him. Sharon and Helo and Hera, they are growing back together and healing and there are some complications that may arrive for that and then there is a huge cliffhanger. I hate being hyped, it's okay, it's not as good as when I shot Adama but it's alright.

Q. What is it about your role that continues to challenge you?

A. Definitely having Sharon and Boomer in a scene together, that was a huge challenge to be able to do take this craft to another level and to be able to craft the differences between the two and really make it believable rather than a leap of faith. That's definitely a great challenge and it keeps me going. Also, I myself, don't have a family with children. I think anyone when they first get in that situation you're always growing trying to figure out the needs of your baby. Because we have these scenes with Hera, we're constantly evolving and growing learning how to manage another person like that to make the story move forward and keep it alive, those kinds of things. Most of all the scripts are so good, that alone keeps you entertained, we're frothing at the mouth for the next script outline. If you have that within your cast and you're entering into season four, it's a pretty good sign that it's a great show.

Q. What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?

A. Thank you for being such a vital part of the growth of Battlestar and keeping us on our toes and inspiring us to keep making interesting stories and keep pushing the envelope and to explore the final frontier which is not space, but ourselves, people and spirituality perhaps.