South Korean film star Ahn Sung-ki, dubbed ‘The Nation’s Actor,’ dies at 74
By HYUNG-JIN KIM
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Ahn Sung-ki, one in every of South Korean cinema’s largest stars whose prolific 60-year profession and constructive, mild public picture earned him the nickname “The Nation’s Actor,” died Monday. He was 74.
Ahn, who had blood most cancers for years, died at Seoul’s Soonchunhyang College Hospital, his company, the Artist Firm, and hospital officers mentioned.
“We really feel deep sorrow on the sudden, unhappy information, pray for the everlasting remainder of the deceased and supply our heartfelt condolences to his bereaved relations,” the Artist Firm mentioned in a press release.
President Lee Jae Myung issued a condolence message, saying Ahn offered many individuals with consolation, pleasure and time for reflection. “I already miss his heat smile and mild voice,” Lee wrote on Fb.
From a toddler actor to a profitable grownup actor
Born to a filmmaker within the southeastern metropolis of Daegu in 1952, Ahn made his debut as a toddler actor within the film “The Twilight Prepare” in 1957. He subsequently appeared in about 70 motion pictures as a toddler actor earlier than he left the movie trade to dwell an peculiar life.
In 1970, Ahn entered Seoul’s Hankuk College of Overseas Research as a Vietnamese main. Ahn mentioned he graduated with high honors however did not land jobs at huge firms, who seemingly noticed his Vietnamese main as largely ineffective after a communist victory within the Vietnam Struggle in 1975.
Ahn returned to the movie trade in 1977 believing he might nonetheless excel in appearing. In 1980, he rose to fame for his lead position in Lee Jang-ho’s “Good, Windy Days,” a success coming-of-age film concerning the wrestle of working-class males from rural areas through the nation’s fast rise and transition. Ahn received the perfect new actor award within the prestigious Grand Bell Awards, the Korean model of the Academy Awards.
He later starred in a collection of extremely profitable and critically acclaimed motion pictures, sweeping greatest actor awards and turning into arguably the nation’s hottest actor in a lot of the Eighties-90s.
A few of his memorable roles included a Buddhist monk in 1981’s “Mandara,” a beggar in 1984’s “Whale Searching,” a Vietnam Struggle veteran-turned-novelist in 1992’s “White Badge,” a corrupt police officer in 1993’s “Two Cops,” a assassin in 1999’s “No The place To Disguise,” a particular forces coach in 2003’s “Silmido” and a faithful superstar supervisor in 2006’s “Radio Star.”
Ahn had collected dozens of trophies in main film awards in South Korea, together with successful the Grand Bell Awards for greatest actor 5 occasions, an achievement no different South Korean actor has matched.
‘The Nation’s Actor’
Ahn constructed up a picture as a humble, reliable and family-oriented superstar who averted main scandals and maintained a quiet, secure private life. Previous public surveys selected Ahn as South Korea’s most beloved actor and deserving of the nickname “The Nation’s Actor.”
Ahn mentioned he earlier felt confined together with his “The Nation’s Actor” labeling however finally thought that led him down the correct path. “I felt I ought to do one thing that might match that title. However I believe that has finally guided me in a great course,” Ahn mentioned in an interview with Yonhap information company in 2023.
In media interviews, Ahn couldn’t select what his favourite film was, however mentioned that his position in “Radio Star” as a devoted, hardworking manger for a washed-up rock singer performed by Park Jung-hoon resembled himself in actual life essentially the most.
Ahn was additionally identified for his reluctance to do love scenes. He mentioned mentioned he was too shy to behave romantic scenes and typically requested administrators to skip steamy scenes in the event that they have been solely meant so as to add spice to motion pictures.
“I don’t do properly on appearing like taking a look at somebody who I don’t love with loving eyes and kissing actually romantically. I really feel shy and may’t specific such feelings properly,” Ahn mentioned in an interview with the Shindonga journal in 2007. “Merely, I’m clumsy on that. So I couldn’t star in such motion pictures rather a lot. However finally, that was a proper selection for me.”
Ahn is survived by his spouse and their two sons. A mourning station at a Seoul hospital was to run till Friday.
