Cha In-pyo plays mentor onstage, questions whether he is one offstage
Every night at curtain call, the flowers go to Cha In-pyo. Thirty-three years into an acting career that has made him one of the most recognizable faces in the country, that is simply how it works. Lately, however, the flowers and cheers have started to bother him. "I already have fans. When a show ends, I get piles of gifts and bouquets," Cha said at a press conference held Tuesday in a…
After three decades of a thriving acting career, Cha In-pyo finds himself questioning his role as a mentor both on and off stage. Thirty-three years into his craft, he has become one of the country's most recognizable faces, consistently receiving flowers and gifts from fans at curtain call. Yet, lately, the adulation has begun to weigh heavily on him.
"I already have fans," Cha remarked during a press conference held at NOL Theater Daehangno Woori Card Hall in central Seoul. "When a show ends, I get piles of gifts and bouquets. A lot of the young actors in the team don't. I feel bad about it, and I keep asking myself what I could do to change that."
Cha is currently playing the lead role in "Dead Poets Society," a production that runs until September 13. In the role of John Keating, an English literature instructor who encourages the boys of Welton Academy to seize the day and think for themselves, Cha embodies the archetype of a mentor. However, offstage, at the age of 59, he finds himself uncertain if he deserves the title.
"For the adult I believe in," Cha stated, "it's not about taking the whole harvest, but standing one step back and sharing with the people coming up."
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
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