B&B's Romy Park Reveals Her On-Screen Family Dynamic

Jill Johnson/jpistudios.com

We Are Family: B&B's Romy Park (Poppy, r.) is a huge fan of her on-screen kin, Naomi Matsuda (Li) and Lisa Yamada (Luna).

Unlike many daytime newcomers, Romy Park came onto Bold and Beautiful as Poppy with a ready-made family — sister Li, played by Naomi Matsuda, and daughter Luna, played by Lisa Yamada. And while the dynamic between the trio of relatives was complicated right from the start, things have gotten a whole lot more complex — not to mention twisted! — with the reveal that Luna has actually framed her own mother for the murders she committed! Park tells Soap Opera Digest that she couldn't be happier to be playing out this soapy story in the company of two such fine actresses as Matsuda and Yamda.

Sister Act

The friction between Li and Poppy has been central to their dynamic since Poppy first came to town, but off-camera, it's nothing but love between Park and Matsuda. “Naomi is fantastic! I think we have a great dynamic,” Park declares. “She was one of my first friends early on; we were quite close [right away]. She's been nothing but supportive and just a fantastic person to have in your corner — always very positive, always very uplifting. And not to get too woo-woo, but always speaking positivity and how to keep your mind clear of things. She's given me some great life advice. I appreciate her so much.”

When it comes time to turn up their characters' sibling rivalry, Park says that Matsuda's total transformation into Li makes it a snap to embody their tense fictional relationship. “When the cameras are rolling, she just connects and she turns into Li,” Park explains. “It's quite extraordinary, that effect. Because a lot of times, as an actor, you have to use different skills and tools to get into a certain emotion. Especially on this particular show or any soap opera, probably, because the rate at which we shoot is at rocket speed. It's so unlike other sets, where you might be like, ‘Hey, just give me five minutes. Let me get into my own moment or let me do this.’ With Naomi, there's almost like a real sisterly bond that there's no prep necessary. I fall right into it. And it's just her and I connecting as sisters. And we just have at it!”

Park is especially tickled to have an on-screen sister because she doesn't have one in her own family tree. "I had a brother growing up and I always wanted a sister. Whether older or younger. I just like the dynamic of having a sister. So, it's nice having an imaginary sister!"

Mom’s the Word

When Park first joined the show, she leaned into the notion that Poppy and Luna were more like sisters than parent and child. She explains, "There was not much established about my character when I first came to play her. The producer said to me, ‘Okay, this is how it is. You had Luna when you were very, very young. And you are more like sisters, you know, and not like mother and daughter.’ And in real life, Lisa is more like a little sister to me.”

Off-camera, their bond is tight. “We are so close,” Park nods. “One time, we went out to lunch. We both had things to do afterwards because we're both busy, and we're like, ‘Okay, [we'll limit this to] an hour and a half.’ We were there for over four hours, just chatting, chatting, chatting1 And we couldn't stop talking."

They love to hang out outside of work whenever possible. "We were each other's date for the [show's] anniversary party. We were each other's dates for the Daytime Emmys, too. We were planning on getting ready together, and then Annika [Noelle, Hope] had invited us to get ready with her at the hotel. So we were a little trio, me, Lisa, and Annika. I absolutely love Lisa. And I have told her that I have her back no matter what, and that she can always turn to me. It's not like we talk every day, but I let her know it's very clear: If she ever wants to talk, my door is always open for her. And she really does appreciate that.”