After five years of cult stardom, Battlestar Galactica’s sexiest spacewoman is heading into the great unknown: fame.

Interview by Tim Leong; Styling by anoma Ya Whittaker; Photographs by Miko Lim

Grace Park has a body. she even shows it off sometimes. We were surprised too—enjoy it while you can, because there’s a good chance it might not happen again. And that’s exactly what’s so sexy about the stunning actress (you know, besides the obvious): Her rise in Hollywood hasn’t left her Korean integrity¹ lying by the wayside. The girl sticks to her guns. And even though that usually means disappointment for our collective libido, we still respect her.

Already well-known in her native Canada², she shot to cult stardom in 2003 with Battlestar Galactica, in which she plays the robots-in-disguise Boomer/Athena³. (We hear you laughing—go frak yourself, it’s a good show.) Right now BSG is in its final season, which makes this an interesting time for the 34-year-old beauty: What happens when the show that made you a star ends? (Richard Grieco, anyone?) The thing is, even though she’s got another show starting in July—A&E’s extreme intervention drama The Cleaner⁴—fame isn’t the name of the game. For her, there’s such a thing as “too famous too fast,” and she’s willing to put the brakes on acting if that happens. Keep your 100 mph Hollywood hoes; we’re going to slow our roll and put it in Park. Well, not literally. You know what we mean. Reeeeal respectful-like.

The success of Battlestar kinda came out of nowhere, and now everyone on the show is a star in their own right; how have you dealt with the fame and fans?

Grace Park: One of the things I like about Battlestar is that we’re a cult hit. We’re not on Lost, and not every single person is pointing fingers at us. I went out with Daniel Dae Kim [Jin on Lost]—we hosted a show together, and we were sitting at some restaurant. And everyone that walked by would wave at me like, “Congratulations, you know Daniel Dae Kim,” or “I know him too!” He’s in a much more high-profile position, so he’s dealing with the public a lot more. I love not doing that as much, just to have your anonymity.

Are you good with the public?

Grace Park: I think so. I hope so.

No fistfights?

Grace Park: Not yet. Don’t mess with me.

Have you ever hit somebody?

Grace Park: No, I’ve never. [Pause.] OK, guys, but mostly in the chest.

Like, playful, or actually hitting them?

Grace Park: Well, the cover is playful, but really I try to hit them as hard as I can.

And they’re like, “Oh, I’m sorry, did you touch me? I didn’t feel that.”

Grace Park: Then I have to pick them up off the floor.

“And then I gotta go pick ’em up at the morgue.”

Grace Park: [Laughs.]

Battlestar was your big hit. And it’s ending. Have you thought about that? What happens when it ends?

Grace Park: I guess we see other actors and we associate them with one TV show, and then maybe you don’t see them again for a long time. I’ve never really thought about that.

You haven’t thought about that?

Grace Park: Thanks! Because I think what usually happens is that once you enter the machine and you get on a hit show, and it starts to end, managers, publicists start to say, “OK, let’s get you on another show, it’s time to capitalize on what you’ve got.” But I don’t understand why people want to be famous.

But you were a model.

Grace Park: Yeah, but models don’t do it to be famous. They do it to make money. Home // GIRLS // COVER GIRLS // GRACE PARK