South Korean actress Jo Bo Ah had a sudden change of personality recently, and found herself being rude to her family and friends.
Fame was not getting to her head. The actress was simply too immersed in her character as an obnoxious rich man's daughter in the K-drama Monster.
In an e-mail interview, she says: "My character Do Shin Young is insensitive to those around her, reckless and princess-like. Audiences will see me portraying a haughty and arrogant Do.
"While practising my script, I felt that I was slightly influenced by her negative traits in real life. For instance, I accidentally became impolite to friends and family."
The 24-year-old actress also found Monster's plot intriguing.
The melodrama chronicles the revenge of former medical group heir Kang Ki Tan (Kang Ji Hwan), who loses his parents in an accident and his fortune to the unscrupulous. The spoilt Do ends up falling for the vengeful Kang.
Actress Jo made her acting debut in sitcom I Live In Cheongdam-dong (2011). She went on to play a wide range of roles, from a mermaid-turned-human in rom-com drama Surplus Princess (2014) to a sultry student engaged in an affair with her teacher in romance thriller movie Innocent Thing (2014).
The fresh-faced actress admits to having felt unsure about pursuing acting when she first started out.
"At first, I was not confident. But I met many good people who helped to encourage me. As time went on, I started to gain a thirst for acting.
"The more I acted, the more I learnt, and the more I wanted to continue. Acting can be fun but is difficult at the same time," adds Jo, who is reportedly dating her Surplus Princess co-star On Joo Wan.
Having acted for the past five years, she dishes that her secret weapon is her pair of expressive doe eyes: "Since my eyes are big, I can express feelings and deliver required emotions better."
She adds: "On the other hand, if I act poorly or awkwardly, my poor acting is easily shown.
"I am still brushing up my acting and part of it includes a better control of my eyes."
•Monster airs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8.55pm on Oh!K (StarHub TV Channel 816 and Singtel TV Channels 525 and 611 ).
