In a recent TV appearance, veteran actor Park Geun Hyung got candid about his experience of sharing an on-screen kiss with a much younger, newly-debuted actress.
Park Geun Hyung
On the January 14 broadcast of Radio Star, the actor talked about the juniors he worked with during his long career. He recalled an episode from the melodrama Rosy Life, where he played the husband to an actress 30 years his junior. The actress was none other than Kim Hye Soo.
Kim Hye Soo
Park got honest about his discomfort in the casting, stating, “I wondered if the production team was out of their minds. Because of the age difference, I couldn’t immerse myself and felt embarrassed.” He added that he felt sorry for Kim Hye Soo entering the industry so young and looked at her as a daughter figure.
In the 1991 MBC drama, Park played a film producer, and Kim Hye Soo played a rookie actress who eventually got married to the producer. The setup itself was extremely daring for the social atmosphere of its time. It also featured some bold scenes, portraying the two lead characters kissing. However, filming those scenes required some tricks to make it work without things getting too uncomfortable.
“If there was a kissing scene,” Park recalled, “we would turn our heads to suggest it indirectly.” At other times, he would place a finger on her lips while pretending to kiss her. “If it had been a real kiss, I wouldn’t have been able to do it,” the actor confessed.
When asked if he still kept in touch with Kim Hye Soo, Park gladly revealed that they were indeed good friends. “Whenever I perform in a play, she always comes to watch. I’m very grateful,” he added.