Grace Park plays Cylon Humanoid Model 8 in the hit Sci Fi series Battlestar Galactica. Although there are hundreds of copies of number 8 there are two which play a pivotal role in the series, they are known as Sharon Valerii (Boomer) and Sharon Agathon (Athena).
Sharon Valerii is a sleeper agent planted by the Cylons, she does not know her own identity and believes she is human. Working as a pilot on Galactica she becomes romantically involved with Galan Tyrol (Aaron Douglas). Activated by the Cylons Sharon begins to execute acts of sabotage on the ship, but her programming does not allow her to remember what she has done. She even goes as far as to make on assasination attempt on Commander Adama. Eventually her identity is revealed and she is arrested, in a scene not dissimilar to the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald, she is gunned down by Cally Henderson. But as with all Cylons she is resurrected and becomes the leader of the 8's.
Sharon Agathon is also a pilot on Galactica but is fully aware of who she is from the beginning, she pretends to be Boomer initially and joins Karl Agathon when he is stranded on Caprica. They grow closer as they work together to survive, and one thing leads to another as they say and she becomes pregnant with the first Cylon/Human hybrid. A child who becomes the hope of mankind and cylonkind. Sharon and Agathon fall in love and despite initial undertstandable reluctance is accepted as a member of the crew of the Galactica. A member who proves her loyalty over and over again in the fight against her own kind.
Grace Park was born in Los Angeles on March 14th 1974, shortly afterwards her family moved north to the Canadian city of Vancouver. Grace says that she considers herself to be a native canadian rather than an american, but always Korean first. On leaving high school Grace Park decided she wanted to try acting for just a year, to see if she liked it, almost by fluke she landed a role in the successful teen TV show Edgemont as Shannon Ng, almost immediately and has never looked back.
Edgemont ran from 2001 to 2005 but Grace worked outside the show during this period, appearing in shows like LA Law, The Outer Limits, Star Gate and Andromeda. Grace Park landed her multiple roles in Battlestar Galactica in 2003, and has been a central member of the cast throughout the series. Her final appearance as No.8 in all her guises will be seen in the yet to be broadcast "The Plan" which we at Playback hope to bring you in the new year.
Despite working hard on Battlestar Galactica, Grace Park has also worked on leading roles in the following series, The Cleaner, as Akani Cuesta 26 episodes, and The Border as Special Agent Liz Carver, 7 episodes.
Grace Park is married to Phil Kim and lives in Canada.
Grace Park is quoted as saying about the show Battlestar Galactica "Whatever you want to see or whatever you're struggling with in life, you can see there, whether it be politics or terrorism or war, hope, faith, struggle, love. It's all in there. Or if you just want plain action and neck-snapping plot twists, you've got that, too."
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