Lee Chan-won expressed his anger after hearing about Olivia Hussey's casting experience.
On the October 14th episode of KBS 2TV's 'Celebrity Soldier's Secret,' stories of Hollywood top stars who battled breast cancer were revealed, including an episode about Olivia Hussey that left Lee Chan-won furious.
During the broadcast, Park Eun-hye shared, "I've been looking forward to talking about people I've admired since childhood," adding, "The broadcast is in October, and there's a story that must be remembered during this time, and I'm excited to share it." In response, Lee Chan-won mentioned, "October reminds me of senior Lee Yong's 'Forgotten Season,'" and sang a line from the song.
Park Eun-hye laughed, asking, "Are you old enough to remember that song?" to which Lee Chan-won jokingly replied, "He's a direct senior." Lee Nak-jun added humor by questioning the age of Lee Chan-won, born in 1996, making the studio burst into laughter.
The episode's focus was on British actress Olivia Hussey's casting and filming behind-the-scenes for the movie 'Romeo and Juliet.' In a small theater dressing room in London, about 800 girls were vying for the role of Juliet. At the time, 15-year-old Olivia Hussey was nervously adjusting her ill-fitting dress belt. Suddenly, director Franco Zeffirelli entered the audition room, approached Hussey, and parted her hair down the middle, saying, "A perfect face shouldn't be hidden; it should be revealed honestly." Hussey, who was emulating actress Brigitte Bardot's hairstyle, was cast as Juliet and became an overnight star.
However, behind her glamorous debut lay a shocking reality. Park Eun-hye revealed, "Hussey, a minor at 15, faced unfair treatment during the film's preparation." In a cramped dressing room, Hussey resisted wearing a deeply cut dress to appear slimmer, refusing to tighten her corset. Yet, director Zeffirelli reportedly made inappropriate comments, calling the young actress "my cute chest."
Lee Chan-won expressed his outrage, stating, "This is something that would never happen in modern times," and called it "blatant sexual harassment." It was also revealed that production staff forced the underage Hussey to take diet pills, leading to side effects like lethargy and tremors, until her mother intervened.
The broadcast also covered Shirley Temple's story, the first Hollywood actress to publicly battle breast cancer. Park Eun-hye explained, "In those days, breast cancer in Hollywood was seen as a stigma, with femininity equating to marketability." Jang Do-yeon admired Temple's courage, saying, "It was an incredible choice at the time, even if the word 'courage' seems light now."
Finally, Lee Chan-won shared, "My mother watches all my broadcasts, but I especially want her to see this one," emphasizing, "These stories must be remembered across generations and eras."
Reporter Chaeryeong Lim, TenAsia syjj426@tenasia.co.kr