Lee Quickly-jae, one among South Korea’s most beloved actors, died on Tuesday on the age of 91, his company introduced.
In a profession spanning greater than 70 years throughout movies, tv and the stage, Lee was fondly referred to as the “nationwide TV dad” for his many roles as a smart, older man.
This included two of his best-known performances – as a strict father within the 1991 cleaning soap What on Earth is Love, and a foolish however lovable grandpa within the widespread sitcom Excessive Kick! which aired from 2006 to 2012.
Information of his demise has sparked an outpouring of tributes from younger celebrities, together with Okay-pop singers, talking of his heat and kindness, to President Lee Jae Myung.
“From theatre to movie and tv, he introduced us laughter, emotion, consolation and braveness,” the president wrote on Fb.
Lee was appearing till final yr, when he received the grand prize on the KBS Drama Awards for his lead function within the comedy sequence, Canine Is aware of All the things. He was the oldest South Korean actor to ever win the honour.
“You turn out to be previous once you sit down and count on to be waited on,” he advised fellow senior actors on the journey present Grandpas over Flowers.
The 2013 present, which revolves round senior stars making strenuous journeys overseas, grew to become a cultural phenomenon.
Born in 1934 in Hoeryeong, a county now in North Korea, Lee was simply 4 years previous when his household moved south to Seoul.
He was working in his grandparents’ store within the capital’s Namdaemun market when Korea was liberated from Japanese rule in 1945.
Lee studied philosophy on the prestigious Seoul Nationwide College however ventured into theatre and, ultimately, TV and movies. He stated he was impressed to behave after watching Sir Laurence Olivier play the title function in Hamlet.
Lee appeared in some 140 TV exhibits via his profession and continued to behave on stage till October 2024, when he withdrew midway via the run of the play Ready for Godot due to an sickness. He reappeared in public on the awards in December.
He additionally had a short foray into politics. In 1992, he was elected as a member of parliament for the conservative Democratic Liberal Celebration, however on the finish of his four-year-term he didn’t run once more.
Lee’s prolific profession meant he has remained a family identify for a a long time, simply as acquainted to youthful audiences and at a time when Korean leisure is among the nation’s largest exports.
His movie star has even spilled onto the web the place scenes of him from Excessive Kick! have resurfaced as memes on TikTok lately.
Actor Yoo Yeon-seok, who studied below Lee, stated he “exemplified appearing” and Lee Quickly-jae’s Excessive Kick! co-star Jeong Bo-seok described Lee not simply as a mentor within the trade, however a “true mentor in my life”.
He wrote on Instagram: “Trainer, thanks a lot for all the pieces. I realized and felt a lot from you – not solely about appearing, but in addition about life and the angle of an actor.”
Extra reporting by Rachel Lee
