Actor Choi Bul-am, who was reported to be in poor health, returns with a documentary about a year after leaving Korean Table.
MBC's two-part Family Month special documentary Paha, Choi Bul-am will air on May 5 and 12, respectively. The special documentary Paha, Choi Bul-am is a radio-format documentary that retraces Choi Bul-am's life and acting world through music.
His decades-long acting career is organized into a single playlist, and with DJ hosting, his works and life are revisited through music. With a unique direction that feels like listening to a radio program, it is expected to offer an immersive experience differentiated from conventional documentaries.
Actor Choi Bul-am, who has long emphasized the "clown spirit" of actors. He says that actors are the ones who share the weight of people's lives and deliver laughter and comfort. While preparing this documentary, Choi Bul-am said, "I want to express my gratitude to the viewers who have loved me for a long time. That is the heart of a clown." He also reveals his unique acting secrets, and it will include the intense 고민 and efforts that completed the "Choi Bul-am style acting," from the details of each prop to the way he brings lines to life.
The documentary also reveals Choi Bul-am's surprising charm in his youth. Kim Chun-bok, a high school classmate of Choi Bul-am and a novelist, recalled of Choi Bul-am at the time, "He was a standout among his peers. He was similar to James Dean, who was an idol of young people," drawing attention. Actor Park Geun-hyung, who worked with him as a stage actor at the National Theater Company, also said, "I had never seen a man so handsome and cool," and shared stories of Choi Bul-am's youth that showed a different charm from the current "national father."
By contrast, actor Ko Doo-shim remembered Choi Bul-am from a completely different perspective. "When I think of Choi Bul-am, even if he is sitting in a corner, I just think of a savory, rustic, earthenware-like father," she said, adding, "a father who seems like he would listen to every story," a remark that drew attention. In addition, actors Chae Sira and Jung Kyungho, among others who have ties with Choi Bul-am, will also appear to introduce various stories and memories of the times they spent with Choi Bul-am, drawing attention.
Choi Bul-am's return to broadcasting comes about a year after leaving KBS 1TV's Korean Table. Earlier, in March last year, Korean Table said that Choi Bul-am, an emblematic figure of Korean Table, which began airing in January 2011 and for 14 years and three months roamed every corner of the country to portray Koreans' lives and culture at the table, would conclude his long journey.
Choi Bul-am, who had guarded Korean Table for 14 years, also took an extended leave in 2024. He returned on Jan. 3 last year but decided to step down about two months later. At the time, Choi Bul-am told OSEN, "I had a procedure on my spine and the recovery is slow. That doesn't mean I'm ending the journey because of this issue. After nearly 15 years, it's time to stop."
Later, in February on MBN's Exclusive World, actor Park Eun-soo cautiously said, "The seniors who have only a few years left are either passing away or in poor condition," and added sadly, "Choi Bul-am is also not in good health, and the seniors' health is generally poor, so I don't know how to view it," conveying an unfortunate update.
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by MBC
[OSEN]