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| Oscar-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung in a scene from the 2009 film "Actresses" / Yonhap |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Youn Yuh-jung, 73, has achieved a feat that no other Korean actor has ever done in the 102 years of Korean cinema history ― winning an Oscar ― a half century after her big screen acting debut in 1971.
Her life and career has parallels with director Lee Isaac Chung's award-winning film "Minari," the movie that rocketed her acting career to the world stage.
Like the low-budget film that has surprisingly drawn the global spotlight by grabbing hundreds of awards at film festivals held around the world, Youn was once a needs-driven actor who returned to the small screen to make ends meet and raise her two sons, but later successfully transformed herself into the crown jewel of Korean cinema.
Just as the plant ― minari ― of the genus water dropwort is popular among Koreans with its multiple uses as a side dish and ingredient for Koreans' staple side-dish kimchi, Youn's acting knows no boundaries even in her sunset years from a foul-mouthed grandma to a chic and cool senior who hangs out well with young actors in their twenties and thirties in reality shows.
As minari grows well in places where no other plants will, the Korean actor has deepened her performances, against all the odds, and lifted them to the level of artistry.
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| Youn Yuh-jung / Yonhap |
She won numerous awards both at home and abroad for her role in the movie.
Her successful career, however, came to an abrupt end in 1975 when she married then-famous singer Jo Young-nam. The couple had two sons and lived in the United States until 1986, a year before they divorced.
Her ex-husband, Jo, recently confessed on a TV show that he was responsible for the breakup. "I was in an extramarital affair at that time… I don't know why I did that. I had two sons. I was stupid," he said, expressing his regret.
After the divorce, Youn returned to the small screen in hopes of making a living. But her comeback was not smooth. She was a divorcee, a trait which was uncommon here in the 1980s when the nation was even more conservative than today. She was not the archetypal actress of the time. Her relatively ordinary looks and husky voice set her apart from other celebrities at the time when looks were valued over talent. With such traits, she was far from the highest of in-demand actors of her time.
After several failed attempts, she managed to be cast in a small screen role in 1986 as a supporting actress in MBC's megahit "Love and Ambitions," written by popular drama writer Kim Soo-hyun. Youn and Kim were close friends and they even exchanged letters when the actor lived in the United States.
As she put it in several interviews, Youn was a "needs-driven" actor.
"I was hungry and had to make money because I had to raise my two sons. People lauded me for my acting. But for me, acting was a tool to earn an income. I think art is cruel," she said in an interview. "Actors can perform well when they need money."
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| Youn in a scene from the 2016 film "Ladies of The Forest" / Yonhap |
Youn is outspoken, straightforward and realistic ― she has said that she didn't want to be a popular actor. "For pop artists, the general public is important. They can make or break actors. Sometimes I saw people who rose to sudden stardom due to an inflated reputation that was created and exaggerated by the public only to fall from popularity all of a sudden after the public directed its anger at them," she said. "I've experienced the peaks and valleys in my career and life. So for me, what matters is my reputation. If people in the entertainment portray me as a reliable and diligent actor who does my best to realize the character given to me through my performance, I consider this an unparalleled compliment."
After her small screen comeback, she broadened her fandom with her appearances in numerous TV dramas and movies.
Youn is a rare actor who has enjoyed steady popularity in her sunset years.
As her acting career has reached its peak with a string of successful of several TV shows, she said she now has the luxury of choosing which roles to play and who she works with ― a perk she now enjoys after reaching her 60s.
She has appeared in a number of hit reality TV shows, including tvN's "Youn's Restaurant" and "Youn's Stay."
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