[SBS Star] "I've Come a Long Way from Where I Began" Lee Seon-kyun's Last Interview Unveiled

Following the passing of actor Lee Seon-kyun, best known for his role in the Oscar-winning film 'Parasite', his last recorded interview has been released.

On December 27, News Magazine Chicago, a media outlet, posted a video interview with Lee Seon-kyun on their YouTube channel; the interview, which took place on October 7, has been described as the last interview he gave.

This interview happened after Lee Seon-kyun attended Asian Pop-up Cinema in Chicago, Illinois, a non-competitive film festival, where he was given the Award for Excellent Achievement in Film.

The interviewer, announcer Kim Ho-jung asked Lee Seon-kyun, "It's been over 20 years since you started your career in acting. How much do you have grown as an actor since you started?"

"Things went exceptionally well.", Lee Seon-kyun answered, beaming.
"I had some amazing experiences that I never could have imagined. I went to the Academy Awards, where 'Parasite' won the Best Picture award and was applauded by Hollywood stars. When heading to the Academy Awards, it felt like I was in a dream. It felt like I was on an amazing package vacation. I've come a long way from where I began.", he remarked.

The announcer told Lee Seon-kyun, "You've come this far because you constantly improved your acting skills."; the actor replied humbly, "Winning that award felt like my perseverance and the relentless efforts I put into acting had been recognized, so it felt extra special and meaningful."

When asked what kind of character he would like to present in the future, Lee Seon-kyun compared portraying a character to writing a journal and said, "I intend to continue adding new pages to the journal. I don't desire to only work on a certain project or a character. Every project and character is a step forward to the next one. So I'm determined to make the most of every opportunity and to improve my acting one step at a time."
Finally, Lee Seon-kyun was asked, "What does acting mean to you right now?"

"When I encountered this kind of question in the past, I used to think of acting as a task that was constantly assigned to me. I'm not big on making plans, so I don't do a lot of preparation or checking when working on a project. But I always intend to do it right since it's my assignment.", he said.

"After completing a certain assignment, one acquires a bigger knowledge and a greater understanding of the subject. I believe that's what happened with my acting skills. Acting used to be the driving force in my life, but now it feels more like writing a journal."

"If this award were given to me today because people looked through all my efforts, pages after pages of my journal, and thought it wasn't so bad and recognized the hard work I put in, I'd be glad to continue writing the next chapter of the journal, and write it well.", he added.
On December 27, Lee Seon-kyun was found dead in his car in apparent suicide.

▶ [SBS Star] Lee Seon-kyun Found Dead Amid a Police Investigation over Suspected Drug Use

(Credit= 'News Magazine Chicago' YouTube)

(SBS Star)