[INTERVIEW] Go A-ra opens up about 5 years of healing, return to acting

Actor plays princess in R-rated historical romance 'The Scandal of Chunhwa'

By Park Jin-hai

From a teenage star in "Sharp" (2003) to an easy-going engineering student in "Reply 1994" (2013), Go A-ra has steadily evolved as an actor. Now, after a five-year hiatus, she returns to the screen as a confident and vivacious princess in Tving's original "The Scandal of Chunhwa."

Since the 2020 KBS series "Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol," the 35-year-old actor took a break until joining this 19+ rated historical romance, in which she portrays Princess Hwari, a royal woman who defies her status to seek true love and choose her own partner.

"It feels like I waited patiently, handpicking projects, to find one as fun as this. Hwari starts as a somewhat immature character, but you'll witness her growth into a mature woman by the final 10th episode," she told The Korea Times in an interview Friday at a cafe in Seoul.

Addressing the drama’s mature rating, Go clarified that it is only one aspect of the series, not its defining feature. So, rather than feeling burdened by the level of maturity, she was more drawn to the message of the story.

"What's more important is that 'The Scandal of Chunhwa' features stories of many couples and the point was to express how those stories intersect and contrast with the perspective of love in the present era. I was truly captivated by that message," she said.

Amid the sensation caused by the scandalous romance collection "Chunhwa Love Story" sweeping through the city, the series unfolds as Princess Hwari, who failed in her first love, declares she will personally choose her husband, plunging her into a complex love triangle with notorious playboy Choi Hwan (Chang Ryul) and the most eligible bachelor Jang Won (Kang Chan-hee, also known as Chani of SF9).

Regarding her lengthy hiatus, Go mentioned that accumulated injuries required a period of recovery.

"I needed a period of recovery, and since I'm the type to fully immerse myself in a project, I wanted to focus on things I could dedicate myself to, so I put a lot of effort into recovering my physical health," she said.

She also shared anecdotes, such as injuring her adductor and hamstring muscles while trying to do a split during an audition scene because she thought she had to do it perfectly, even resorting to taking steroids during filming.

When playing a pole vaulter for "Pace Maker" (2012), she developed Achilles tendinitis from lifting weights she shouldn't have while being suspended on wires. Despite the pain, she wore a cast and even hid it with long skirts in her next historical drama.

"Continuing my acting career for so long, I always live in a way that helps my acting, even when a project isn't confirmed. Although it's been a long time since my last project, I could say I've been fully prepared," she added.

Unlike other roles that made her invest a lot of time into studying the role, playing Princess Hwari felt natural for her, according to Go. For instance, while preparing for "Reply 1994," telling the story of the time period she hadn't lived through, she had to do a lot of newspaper clippings and research, but still, acting the role had been difficult, but playing Hwari was different.

Go found Hwari's character more relatable as she drew parallels between the princess' restricted life in the palace and her own early fame in the entertainment industry beginning at 14, which brought both admiration and scrutiny.

"Everyone at school recognized me, and when I appeared, people would gather to see me, which was both good and scary at a young age. Because I was so popular, I worried, 'Am I causing trouble for others?' and I couldn't go outside freely. Seeing Hwari confined to the palace made me personally reminisce about when I was younger," she said.

She also praised the drama’s deeper themes, particularly its portrayal of women’s struggles within the royal court.

"There are heartbreaking love stories of many women who are oppressed within the royal court and unable to do what they want. As a woman, and with a female director, those points were well understood, so there were many parts where I could feel more moved from a female perspective. Filming this drama made our female actors even closer, and I think we grew closer because the story was fun and relatable."

The 10-part drama will air its last episode on Thursday.