An MBC documentary memorial special depicted the late Lee Soon-jae holding a trophy in his hospital bed.
On the 28th, MBC aired the documentary memorial special - "Actor Lee Soon-jae, I owe you a lot".
The late Lee Soon-jae was a popular culture figure who portrayed countless characters across media for more than 70 years. His fiery passion for acting was unmatched by anyone. There is an anecdote that he lay still for 18 hours for an anatomy scene during "Heo Jun." It was also reported that he spent a whole night lying on the cold cave floor in midwinter.
Jeon Kwang-ryul, who appeared in "Heo Jun," recalled, "Even though it was cold and hard, he did not complain a single word, which moved me as a junior."
A filming anecdote from the drama "Yi San" was also shared. Lee Seo-jin recalled, "The shoot lasted a staggering 28 hours. Even in the bitter winds and snow of midwinter, the teacher, who had only a few lines, did not leave his place and stayed with all the actors until the end," and "He did not spare harsh words for junior actors who were not diligent."
In fact, the late actor said during his lifetime, "When one project raised my status and I asked an actor who was late in the morning why he was late, he said he was a heavy sleeper. I asked if he was sleepy and told him not to say such ridiculous things."
Despite that, Lee Soon-jae was more a warm elder than a harsh one to many juniors. So Yoo-jin recalled, "When I went up to ask a question, he would go back to the rehearsal stage and show me each thing one by one," and Oh Man-seok also recalled, "I remember that even after shooting he watched my monitor," and "It wasn't easy, but he cared for and loved juniors, so it was possible; I cannot forget it." Song Ok-suk recalled, "Even at this age, when I confided that I felt awkward about my age, he said I had the makings of a good actor," and "He told me that without effort and actors, it won't work and urged me to keep worrying."
Lee Soon-jae was a man whose words and actions matched. At award ceremonies he performed long theatrical monologues in front of juniors, and the younger actors often showed their respect with standing ovations.
Above all, the broadcast also revealed footage of him proudly holding what became his last award in life, the '2024 KBS Drama Awards' trophy, from his hospital bed. The words "It's heavy" carried 70 years of time and acting.
[photo] "Broadcast screen"
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