Director gives K-pop diva 75 points for first major television role

By Jean Oh

K-pop diva BoA is set to put her acting prowess to the test in her first major television drama.

Slated to star in KBS’ short, two-episode, rom-com “Expect to Date” (working title), this will be the 26-year old singer’s first small screen lead.

After making a brief cameo appearance in SBS’ “ATHENA: Goddess of War” in 2010, BoA continued to forge a career in television with SBS’ hit music reality show, “K-Pop Star,” earning credibility as a compelling judge in the  singing competition.

Having established her position as a television personality through “K-Pop Star,” BoA is taking the next step, tackling a project that may launch a successful career as an actress.

“The main reason I chose to do this work is because the script was very good,” said BoA at the drama’s press conference in Seoul on Thursday. “Also because it is only two episodes long I felt I could learn a lot without being too much of burden on the crew and team.”

In the upcoming series, BoA plays Joo Yeon-ae, a romantic who finds herself continually kicked to the curb by a string of collegiate boyfriends. Determined to find a keeper, Joo signs up for dating advice from an expert via SNS, 

The so-called expert, Cha Gi-dae, will be played by rom-com veteran actor Choi Daniel, who recently starred in KBS’ “School 2013,” while boy band ZE:A member Siwan will be playing Joo Yeon-ae’s potential boyfriend-for-keeps, Jung Jin-gook.

In the series, Joo finds herself falling for Cha though she feels that Jung, a somewhat naive and faithful boyfriend, would be the safe and wise choice.

In regards to dating, BoA herself admitted to being a bit like her heroine when it comes to matters of love.

“I don’t feel that I have really dated properly yet but I want to,” BoA confessed. “Truthfully, I am not good at playing the dating game, so I think that dating a pick-up artist like Cha would be a bit too much. I think it would be best to date a less experienced guy.”

Of how she prepped for her role, BoA started off by explaining that “I have been a singer for over a decade while this is my first time acting in Korea.”

Though BoA starred in a Hollywood dance movie titled “Make Your Move 3D” recently, this represents her first television drama lead.

“I met with the drama’s director everyday to discuss my role and practice acting,” BoA revealed.

On working with BoA, “Expect to Date” director Lee Eun-jin admitted to hesitating for three weeks before casting the singer.

 “BoA was not the first up for the role,” said Lee. “When she did her first script reading, I thought that it might not work out.”

Lee then revealed that when she met the veteran singer for a second time she was impressed by BoA’s objective stance on the lead role and that helped her clench her decison to cast her as the drama’s heroine.

Of BoA’s acting, director Lee said, “I would give her a score of 75 points for her acting not because she cannot act but because I know she can do better given that this is her first time around.”

“I possess a very strong image as both a singer and a television show judge,” BoA said. “After the drama finishes airing, I hope to hear that viewers saw me as my character, Joo Yeon-ae, and not as myself.”



“Expect to Date” will run from Sept. 11 to 12 on KBS 2 TV at 10 p.m.



(oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)