“Emily in Paris”' Ashley Park Says Performing Topless Scene Was Like Living Out 'Every Actor's Worst Nightmare' (Exclusive)

Park's character, aspiring singer Mindy, performs at the iconic Parisian cabaret Crazy Horse in the Netflix series' fourth season

Ashley Park is opening up about the "stressful" experience of filming her topless scene in Emily in Paris.

In episode 8 of season 4 of the Netflix series, Park's character, aspiring singer Mindy — who is on a mission to raise money for her band to compete in Eurovision — agrees to perform at Crazy Horse, an iconic Parisian cabaret known for its nude female dancers.

Speaking with PEOPLE at a press event for the show in Rome, Italy, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, the 33-year-old actress described performing the scene as "every actor's worst nightmare."

"We have this recurrent memory of being onstage, not knowing what you're doing, in your underwear," Park explained. "And that is what I was living out actually, but surrounded by the most beautiful dancers in the world around me."

Related: See Photos of Lily Collins, Ashley Park and More Stars Arrive for the Emily in Paris Season 4, Part 2 Premiere

Park said she struggled to get the job done. "It was so stressful and so hard to do," she told PEOPLE of the Crazy Horse scene. "If it had not been for the choreographer, Kyle Hanagami, coming in and my team around me, I don't think I would've gotten through it."

In the episode, Mindy experiences similar nerves about having to strip down onstage — and she even discovers during rehearsals that her singing voice is affected when she's topless. In the end, she comes up with a creative solution to get her through the performance comfortably. As she dances topless to the Britney Spears hit "Oops!... I Did It Again," she has BFF Emily (Lily Collins) throw her different purses from off-stage to use to cover her body.

Ultimately, Park told PEOPLE, she is "actually really proud of [the scene] now," noting that it's one acting experience she "will never forget doing."

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The Beef actress also spoke about another memorable singing performance she did in Emily in Paris' latest season. During a visit to Rome with Emily in the final episode, the two friends are walking through a piazza at night, when something Emily says about the magic of Rome gives Mindy a spark of inspiration for a song she's in the middle of writing.

She runs up to a street performer at a piano and asks the man if she can use the instrument. She sits down and sings an emotional ballad — which she and Emily later name "Beautiful Ruins" — as a crowd gathers around her to listen.

Related: Emily in Paris Creator Reveals Why He Chose Rome as Emily's New Destination (Exclusive)

"The final song in Rome is special, just because it was original. It's one that Mindy wrote," Park told PEOPLE of the moment, adding, "[Songwriter] Freddy Wexler did such a beautiful job at infusing what felt like truth in my life into what was happening for the character."

At the red carpet premiere of part 2 of season 4, Emily in Paris creator Darren Star explained his choice to take the show — in which Paris plays a central part of the narrative — on the road to Rome. He told PEOPLE he "wanted to expand the footprint of the show" and "broaden out the universe."

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"But also, Rome to me is like the other great romantic city in Europe, and it's a bit of a yin and yang to Paris," Star added. "And also the story took us here. You know, Italy is — just like France — sort of known for fashion, design, style, in a different way."

Star also shared his hope that the show, which premiered in 2020, gets a fifth season. "I hope so," he said, noting he already has "some ideas" for what could be next for Emily, Mindy and the other main characters. "It's really a fun story to keep telling."

Parts 1 and 2 of Emily in Paris season 4 are now streaming on Netflix.

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