[Asia Economy Online Issue Team] Actress An So-young candidly shared her life story, from behind-the-scenes tales of the movie Emmanuelle Madam to the identity of her child's father.
On the 23rd broadcast of KBS 2TV's Park Won-sook's Let's Live Together Season 3, An So-young met with Saseonnyeo and said, "I think my image has been misunderstood since I was young. People see me as very sexy. Maybe I look sexy," adding, "It was like that even before Emmanuelle Madam, back when I was in school."
She continued, "Directors declared that they 'couldn't touch me' after Emmanuelle Madam. It was mentally tough," and lamented, "Even now at this age, people only see me as 'Emmanuelle Madam.' They don't see me as actress An So-young." Then she added, "People see me as very glamorous, but actually the glamorous one is Park Won-sook," which embarrassed Park Won-sook.
An So-young revealed behind-the-scenes stories of Emmanuelle Madam. She said she got the role through a recommendation from the director's wife, who was a senior in her theater troupe. "Actually, the first Emmanuelle Madam has an original work. At that time, a movie called Emmanuelle was famous, and the director used that movie as a motif, making it like a 'Korean version of Emmanuelle,'" she explained. "I was quite disappointed at the premiere. I didn't think the movie would succeed. So when the movie was released, I went on an overseas trip. But people recognized me abroad," she said, feeling the film's overseas popularity. An So-young said that articles about Emmanuelle Madam even appeared in Middle Eastern newspapers. "When I arrived in Korea, the director was speechless," she said. "The director made me a complete Korean sexy actress. That's how I became a sexy actress."
An So-young confessed that she did not get along well with the director during the filming of Emmanuelle Madam. She said, "Actors work based on the script, but when I went to the set, there were scenes in the storyboard that weren't in the script." She added, "The director kept demanding strange things, so I became enemies with him. I communicated with the assistant director for all the shoots and stayed like enemies with the director until the movie ended."
She also said there were several dangerous situations during the filming of Emmanuelle Madam. An So-young said, "I almost died three times while filming Emmanuelle Madam." She explained, "I rode a horse completely nude and was told to ride without a saddle. After filming that, I had a lot of bleeding. I even said, 'If I can't have children, you have to take responsibility.'" She also mentioned that the car fell into water during filming. At the time, An So-young, a beginner driver, was driving on an unpaved road at 100 KM/h as instructed by the director. She got scared and turned the steering wheel, causing the car to fall into Paldang Lake. She recalled, "I lost consciousness for a moment, then suddenly thought, 'Heaven hasn't let me die yet,' and when I opened my eyes, I was underwater." She added, "People were searching for me and it was chaos."
In response, Park Won-sook said, "You can overcome anything from now on," but An So-young shook her head and said, "I don't want to overcome it." Then Park Won-sook empathized, "I understand that feeling. I once prayed, 'Please let me overcome it,' but then I prayed, 'Don't give me the strength to overcome it,' too."
On that day, An So-young expressed a desperate wish to break free from the Emmanuelle Madam image. She said, "I've dreamed of being an actress since I was young and wanted to be an actress, but being highlighted by one image, I feel regretful that I couldn't try various things. If I had become the actress I wanted, I don't think I would have such feelings, but if I die without trying, it would be very unfair."
Meanwhile, when Park Won-sook cautiously asked about the identity of the father of An So-young's son, who she raised alone, An So-young replied, "I like skiing, and I went skiing with the child's father, and that's how I got pregnant." She added, "At first, I thought the child's father was divorced, but it turned out he was not divorced but in a fake divorce state." She continued, "I couldn't give up the child, so I decided to give birth alone. I erased the name An So-young and went to the United States to live diligently as a mother."
An So-young said she tried not to show a weak side to her son, saying, "Trying not to show weakness, I gradually became like a man. Rather than showing a fragile side, I tried to show a strong, father-like side, so it naturally became that way," expressing bitterness.
Park Won-sook said, "It looks glamorous and smooth, but hearing your story, it seems you tried very hard and lived righteously despite difficulties," showing sympathy. An So-young said, "Having a child made me scared to live easily. I didn't know what to leave for my child, so I really tried hard to live. It's not so much a mother's strength as a mother's responsibility that is scary. Every time I see my son, I feel guilt and remorse. That's why I try even harder to raise him."
In response to An So-young's honest confession, Park Won-sook said, "You've lived wonderfully well. I feel so good and want to cheer for you. I really hope things go well," offering support. An So-young replied, "You've been so warm that I'm holding back tears. Seeing Saseonnyeo living together, I was envious. People living alone have unspeakable loneliness, but being able to embrace each other even just during this time in loneliness is somehow happiness," she responded.
She added, "Thanks to Young-ran today, I forgot complicated things, laughed a lot, felt warm, and had a really happy time. I hope the painful times fly away and spring comes to me too," sharing her thoughts on the appearance.
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