Career boost
ACTOR Lee Byung- hun and soprano Sumi Jo attended the 88th Academy Awards, with Lee becoming the first Korean actor to present an award at the Oscars.
Lee, a widely recognised star in South Korea, has appeared in a number of Hollywood movies, including the G. I. Joe series, Red 2 and Terminator Genisys.
Standing next to Lee at the award presentation for the category of foreign language films was Colombian actress Sofia Vergara, best known for her role in the sitcom Modern Family.
Lee’s invitation to present at the Academy Awards is considered ered an important milemile stone for the acto or, who suffered a slump last year in n the aftermath of a personal blac ckmail scandal.
Late last year, h he redeemed himself in the pub blic eye with his excellent t performance in the hit f film Inside Men, followed by the announcement off the Oscar presentation.
The fact that Le ee presented at the Osca ars this year, when the aw wards had been criticise ed for excluding minori ities, is also significant.
In addition to L Lee and Vergara, this year’s list of presenters included Indian actress Priyanka Chopra, , British actor Dev Patel and numero ous African- American n names, including Kerry Washington and WhoopiW Goldberg – a dive erse list in stark contrast tot the all- white nominee es in the major awards s categories, stirring su uspicions that the rac ially diverse list of pre esenters was meant to quell some of the anger r over the “# OscarsSoWhite ” controversy.
This year also s saw a nomination for best original songg for David Lang’s Simple Song # 3 onn the soundtrack of f Paolo Sorrentino’ ’ s Youth, performedd by Jo. Although Kore ean fans had been looking forward to seeing the coloratura soprano perform on the Oscars stage, she was not able to reach an agreement with the ceremony’s organisers to cut the six- minute song into a shorter format.
Mummy issues
HERE’S a common dilemma that Korean actresses face: when to start playing mums.
Actress Kim So- yeon says she had to think long and hard about whether she should accept the role of Bong Hye- ryeong, an unhappy housewife in the upcoming drama Gahwamansaseong. The title is a Korean s saying that roughly translates as “a happ y family makes for an easy life.”
The 35- year- old is better known for her reality sh ow appearances. She was on MBC C’s Real Men - Female Soldier Special, in which she got a taste e of the Korean military life, and d We Got Married, where she w was virtually married to actor r Kwak Si- yang. “Since las st year, I started telling myselfm I shouldn’t miss out on good shows just be ecause I’d be playing a a mother,” she said at a news conference in SeoulS recently. “I’ve do one that in the past and regretted it.”
She says she was worriedw the role wouldw set a precedentd for all her future ones.
“I was worried I’dI never be cast into a younger role afterward,”a she said. “But now I’m like -- what was I thinking?”
Actor Lee Sangwoo will play the handsome neurosurgeon who introducesd an element of excitement to Bo ong’s otherwise unhappy marriage to Yoo Hyeon- gi ( Lee Pil l- mo). – Korea Heerald/ Asia News Ne etwork