We summarize the life of "national actor" Lee Soon-jae, who spent his whole life devoted to acting. It turned out that he devoted himself to acting even while fighting a difficult illness.
KBS 2TV's Celeb Soldier's Secret, airing at 8:30 p.m. on May 12, will spotlight the life of "the eternal active" actor Lee Soon-jae, who kept the stage until the end of his life. The program will cover his fiery passion, sustained for 70 years of acting by sheer determination, and the behind-the-scenes stories of his illness that had not yet been disclosed.
Debut 70 years later, KBS grand prize and the meaning of tears "I owe so much"
In January 2025, Lee Soon-jae won his first KBS acting grand prize, 70 years after his debut. It was his first grand prize awarded as a pure acting award, not a lifetime achievement award. He appeared frail on stage three months after halting activities due to worsening health and began his acceptance remarks calmly, saying, "Living a long life, a day like this comes." At the end he said, "I owe so much," and his eyes welled with tears. What did those tears mean? Why did he not put down the script even at 90?
The desperate struggle during the filming of the KBS drama Gaesori, which brought him the grand prize, is revealed. He was more eager than ever to take on the lead role after a long time, but it was hard to ignore his advanced age. During filming he was diagnosed with cataracts and needed immediate surgery. He flatly refused the production team's recommendation to rest afterward. He said it was because "I cannot cause harm to 70–80 staff members."
When he returned before the cameras after two weeks, his vision was poor. In addition, his hearing had worsened and he could not hear well. Meanwhile, because 70% of the filming took place in Geoje, he had to endure long-distance travel every time. In the extreme conditions of deteriorating sight and hearing, his determination to finish by memorizing lines read by his manager will be fully conveyed.
"Memory is also a skill" the secret of perfect memorization at 90
On the broadcast, Park So-dam, who performed the play Henri and the Grandfather with Lee Soon-jae, and his "eternal daughter-in-law" Park Haemee appear as guests to share special memories with Lee Soon-jae. In particular, Park So-dam recounted an anecdote about Lee Soon-jae's astonishing memorization skills that she witnessed from the script reading sessions when they staged the play together. According to juniors' testimony, Lee Soon-jae was someone who arrived at the set earlier than anyone and was an actor who rarely caused retakes.
The secret was not innate talent but rigorous self-discipline maintained throughout his life. In fact, he trained his memory by memorizing names in sequence, from U.S. presidents to British prime ministers. Added to that was his habit of avoiding alcohol and cigarettes, which helped him maintain the stamina of an "eternal active" actor. Meanwhile, MC Le Chanwon, known for enjoying drinks, joked in front of the set that, faced with Lee Soon-jae's strict self-control, "I still don't smoke," turning the scene into a sea of laughter.
Specialist Lee Nak-jun explained, "The habit of repeatedly memorizing specific information actually helps maintain or increase the brain's storage capacity." He added that maintaining such memorization would have been difficult without abstaining from alcohol and smoking. The endurance that allowed Lee Soon-jae to stand on stage for so long ultimately came from strict self-discipline and relentless effort. All of this was like a miracle born from Lee Soon-jae's desire to act until the moment he died.
An actor for whom acting was everything, Lee Soon-jae
His final performance at age 89 was the play Waiting for Godot. About two months after the production began, he headed straight to the hospital the day the curtain fell. It was pneumonia. As his hospitalization lengthened, one day a faint sound came from his hospital room. What was the identity of the sound that surprised everyone? The great actor Lee Soon-jae wanted to remain an actor until the last light of his life went out. People are curious about his great acting journey.
Meanwhile, Lee Soon-jae died in the early morning of Nov. 25 last year at the age of 91.
Born in Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province in 1934, he was registered on his family register as born in 1935 and was a "living history" who grew up with Korean broadcasting and was the oldest actor to remain active until the end. In his seventies he appeared in the sitcom High Kick Without Hesitation, and in his nineties he took to the stage in plays, earning the respect of juniors with an acting passion that disregarded age. Even when his illness worsened, he served as chair professor in the Department of Acting and Performing Arts at Gachon University, helping to train younger actors.
[Photo] KBS 2TV Celeb Soldier's Secret
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