Esophageal Cancer Battle Ends with Death on 26th
Actor Known for 'Waikiki Brothers' Voice Acting and More
‘Waikiki Brothers (2001)’ is a film that embraces people who do not give up even at the dead end of life. The comfort it offers is neither warm nor gentle. It simply cries alongside from a distance. In the space between, hope often sprouts. Even when another downfall is foreshadowed in a cyclical manner, it encourages finding a hopeful meaning.
The fantasy-like interpretation is partly due to the protagonist Seong-woo’s expression. Despite the harsh life repeating in a nightclub in Yeosu, he smiles brightly while looking at his old love In-hee (Oh Ji-hye). Director Im Soon-rye wished the emotions to be shown with a bit more restraint. However, due to lack of time for reshoots, the possibility of interpreting it as hope was left open.
Actor Lee Eol (real name Lee Eung-deok), who wanted to convey hope to those trapped in harsh realities, passed away on the 26th. He was 58 years old. According to his agency Starit Entertainment, he died in the morning after battling esophageal cancer following the filming of the drama ‘Voice’ Season 4 last year.
The late actor began his acting career on stage in 1983. He gained fame on the screen. Starting with ‘The End of a Short Trip (1993)’, he appeared in ‘No Emergency Exit (1995)’, ‘Festival (1996)’, among others. His representative work is undoubtedly ‘Waikiki Brothers’. His image, which exudes a passive yet melancholic atmosphere, perfectly matched Seong-woo, whose life does not go as planned.
He often mentioned this role as his favorite during his lifetime. He recalled, "While filming ‘Waikiki Brothers’, I often thought, ‘If I make ten films like this, shouldn’t I be satisfied as an actor?’" He added, "If I were to play Seong-woo again, I would want to portray him more brightly, but honestly, I’m not confident I could do as well as then."
Thanks to his impressive acting, he consecutively appeared in ‘Addiction (2000)’, ‘H (2002)’, ‘Do You Like the Bear on Spring Day? (2003)’, ‘Samaria (2004)’, ‘Holiday’, and ‘A Good Rain Knows (2007)’. Struggling with an acting dilemma, he settled in Jeju Island for six years and ran a personal business.
He resumed acting upon the suggestion of Director Chang, with whom he worked on ‘Gosa: Blood Midterm Exam (2008)’. He portrayed various roles across screen and television in dramas such as ‘Live (2018)’, ‘Stove League (2019)’, ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020)’, and films like ‘Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 (2019)’, ‘Night of the 8th Day (2021)’, and ‘The Policeman’s Lineage (2022)’.
The funeral hall was set up in Room 3 of the Seoul Medical Center Funeral Hall in Sinnae-dong, Jungnang-gu, Seoul. The funeral procession will be held on the 28th, and the burial site is Seoul Municipal Crematorium.
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