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| Actor O Yeong-su, left, features a poster for a theatrical show "Last Session." Yonhap |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Actor O Yeong-su, 78, is a late bloomer who eventually saw the dramatic rise of his career against all odds in his sunset years.
Debuting as a theater actor in 1963, he has appeared in over 200 productions, including theatrical shows, movies and TV series. Among other works, he appeared in late director Kim Ki-duk's 2003 romance film, "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring," and the 2009 TV series, "Queen Seondeuk." In those works, he played a Buddhist monk.
Despite his prolific career mostly in theatrical shows, O has been an obscure actor for the most part of his nearly six-decade acting career, and like many other theater actors who helplessly endure "cold and starving days" as a result of their choice to live a life by their passion, he barely made ends meet.
The Netflix original series, "Squid Game," has become a game changer in his life. His career took off as the Netflix show became a global sensation. There he played Oh Il-nam, also known as Player 001, who befriended the lead character, Seong Gi-hoon (played by Lee Jung-jae), and he has become a well-known actor since then.
After the Netflix series, O earned the nickname, "gganbu," (true friend or partner), a term he used in the sixth episode of the show.
His "stardom," however, has not changed his character. Although he has become famous, he has refused to ride on his popularity for TV commercials. He turned down an offer to appear in a TV commercial from a fried chicken label dubbed "gganbu," noting he had no plan to "use" the buzzword that made him famous for his personal gain.
Regarding his versatile roles in 200 plus theatrical works, O said his decades of stage experiences enabled him to live over 200 different lives, and he came to learn a precious lesson from them. "Do as you want and go for it with confidence no matter what you choose. This is what I learnt," he said in a media interview.
After winning the Golden Globe in the best supporting TV actor category for his role in "Squid Game," he said in a statement written in Korean released by Netflix that "Upon hearing the news, I was able to tell to myself for the first time in my life that I am a fine fellow."
He went on to say that with "Squid Game" winning the Golden Globe, now it's better to say, "The world is within us, rather than we are part of the world." "Cherishing the fragrance of our culture with love for our family in the deepest part of my heart, I thank you all for your support," he said.
