Late actor Choi Bool-am fondly remembered as father figure
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2026-10-30 14:17:43
SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- The public and fellow actors on Friday shared their grief and paid tribute to late actor Choi Bool-am, remembering him as a born actor with fatherly warmth.
Choi, known for his portrayal of father figures throughout his near 70 years of acting career, died at the age of 87 late Thursday, while receiving treatment at a Seoul hospital.
"In one word, he was the father of the nation," producer Pyo Jae-soon, who had collaborated with Choi on various works in the 1970s and 80s, told Yonhap News Agency by phone.
"He was an actor who lived up to any role, whether it be a father, an uncle, a brother or a grandfather ... he put in a lot of effort but he was likely a born actor."
Former culture minister and actor Yoo In-chon, who appeared as Choi's son in the country's longest running TV series, "Country Diaries" (1980-2002), said Choi was an exemplary figure, whom actors starring in the show had actually called their father.
"We learned a lot through his behavior at the production sets ... he also demonstrated what natural acting should look like," Yoo said.
Actor Park Sang-won, who also appeared as Choi's son in the hit drama series "You and I," praised Choi as an exemplary figure who was a rare actor that stood close to the public.
Park recalled how Choi had said actors are "clowns," who have to remove the thornbushes for the public, saying he hopes Choi, who had devoted himself to the public, will now rest in peace.
Composer Yoon Il-sang recalled how Choi was "always a part of people's lives," for a long time, sometimes as the righteous detective in the crime drama "Chief Inspector," and also as the reliable father in "Country Diaries."
"His hallmark big laugh, deep and warm voice and affection for humans will not be forgotten with the passage of time," Yoon said. "He was not only an actor of an era but someone who lived through the era with us and left warmth in our hearts."
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