Recently, YouTube channel DOMINAS released an online chat program with actress Jang Nara.
The show described Jang Nara as "the symbol of eternal youth". When asked if she ever felt pressured when people kept commenting on her youthful appearance, Jang Nara replied: "To be honest, I've been through a very difficult time."
She explained that the roles she is assigned are often limited by appearance issues.
"The characters I get are always the same. I always ask: Is any role a little different from the previous one? That has become the criterion for choosing my role.
I have a young face, so making big changes is very difficult. Therefore, I have had to make small adjustments for a long time, the actress said.
Jang Nara added that she has spent many years struggling with public perception: "I was very worried about my image and where to go next. Even now, I'm still not sure what I should do next."
The actress also emphasized the psychological burden of having to meet other people's expectations: "People expect certain things, such as 'She must be very kind' or 'She will never be angry'.
That can be very difficult at work. Even if I express my legitimate concern, if it does not match the image that people still think of me, it will still be a problem.
Born in 1981, Jang Nara debuted as a singer in 2001 through her debut album " burying My Face in Tears". She also developed her acting career in parallel with singing.
In particular, 2005 was a turning point in Jang Nara's career. Thanks to playing the main role with To Huu Bang in the Chinese drama "The stubborn princess", Jang Nara has become one of the most famous Korean stars in the country of a billion people.
Jang Nara is the only foreign star invited to participate in the classic MV "Bac Kinh Welcomes You" - the theme MV of the 2008 Beijing Olympics - along with dozens of other famous Chinese stars such as Thanh Long, Huynh Hieu Minh, Vuong Luc Hoanh, Ha Nhuan Dong, Tran Khon...
After returning to work in the Korean market in 2011, Jang Nara has maintained a regular schedule of acting in 1-2 films a year, but the works have not exploded.
In 2018, Jang Nara made a remarkable change when she played the female lead in the drama The Last Empress, which achieved a rating of 15.8% on SBS.
The role of Oh Sunny in the film shows Jang Nara's change in acting. From an innocent, gentle image, she switched to a role with a stronger mentality and depth.
Last year, Jang Nara continued to transform when she took on the role of divorce lawyer in the drama "Good Partner".
The drama achieved a rating of 17.7% on SBS, helping her nominated for Best Actress at the Baeksang Arts Awards and won the Daesang Award at the 2024 SBS drama Awards.
