Blood cancer-battling veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki gives update on his health

▲ This file photo shows actor Ahn Sung-ki during an interview. (Yonhap)

▲ This file photo shows the posters of Ahn Sung-ki at the interview venue. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki, who stands as one of the nation’s most respected actors, has recently opened up that he has been battling blood cancer. Since then, when the actor made appearances in public from time to time, the actor was not who the public was used to finding on the big screens.

For several months since his diagnosis last year, the actor wore a wig or hat as he lost his hair due to chemotherapy. It was as if the gloomy shadow of the fatal cancer was drawn over his swollen face.

As an actor who has credits in more than 130 films during his acting career of over 60 years, Ahn has made a remarkable name for himself and was commonly referred to as the nation’s top actor. After he spoke publicly about his chronic ailment, everyone hoped to see him return to the screens once again.

During an interview at the office of the Shin Young-kyun Foundation for Arts and Culture, the actor gave the public an update on his health, appearing to be in a little better shape than four months ago. The swelling of his face seemed to have gone down, and he looked even more cheerful.

When asked about his recent health condition, a smile spread under his black baseball cap. His iconic warm smile was back.

During the interview, the 71-year-old actor cleared his voice, gently lifting his cap and pointing to his hair. His once bald hair was covered with thick white hair once again, which the actor saw as an omen of his recovering health.

When asked whether his hair was finally growing back after finishing his chemo, the actor gently nodded and said, “I have recovered a lot. I am now in good shape. I still do not go out much but I do work out for an hour every day at the fitness center in my apartment complex.”

Before fighting cancer, Ahn has long been reclaimed as the nation’s best and top actor also of his physique. The action scenes he played in the mega-hit films “Nowhere to Hide” (1999), “The Warrior” (2000), and “SIlmido” (2003) witnessed his weeks of intense workouts.

Ahn added, “These days, I walk on a treadmill for about 30 minutes, and I do weights for another half an hour.”

The actor was first diagnosed with blood cancer in 2019, and he promptly went into treatment and was completely cured in 2020.

However, he found out that cancer returned as he visited the hospital every three to six months to get a check-up. Since then, he has been bravely going up against the fierce cancer cells for more than 2 years.

“The hospital told me to take hematopoietic stem cell treatment, but I thought it was unnecessary back then. Even though it was not something for me to decide. So, I have been going through the same process once again, which is certainly very tough.”

Born in 1952, the actor made his screen debut as a child actor in the Korean-made film “Twilight Train” in 1957 when he was only five years old. As an actor with a 67-year-long career, he said that he certainly misses his lifelong workplace, which the film set.

“I do miss it. I have been watching the works that I have not watched yet these days, so I do think about the film set more often. Now that I have grown old, I guess I will have to play a role that suits me.”

After fighting against cancer, the actor had to give up acting for a while. However, he had credits in four Korean-made films that hit the box office last year, including the drama thriller “In the Name of the Son,” the human drama “Cassiopeia,” the war action film “Hansan: Rising Dragon,” and the adventure drama “Birth,” which he finished shooting before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world.

Having appeared in more than 130 films, the actor said that he had no more cravings for a specific role. Since he has already played so many different characters in numerous works, the many-sided actor expressed that he wishes to play a given role and act accordingly.

“There is no more role that I wish to play. I even had the role of the president,” the actor said with a smile.

Ahn, who has been working in the film industry for a long, has always stayed above the fray. He is portrayed as an upright and genuine actor who conveys his joy and emotions through the screens.

The actor also added that he never once regretted his life as an actor for more than half a century, but the heavy title of “nation’s top actor” was somewhat burdensome. However, he looked back and said that the title did have some positive influence on his life.

“The word ‘nation’ was definitely overwhelming from time to time as if it was pressuring me to do something big. But in the end, it was that title that guided me to the right paths.”

Ahn also told his fans to wait for him. Although he is not yet set to star in a new work, he expressed his strong determination to recover his health and return to the screen.

“My conditions have gotten way better, but I think I am still not fully ready. I may find myself in better shape next year. Please wait for me, and I will get back with another good film.”

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)

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