TV
Sung Byung-sook shared her thoughts on acting alongside Byun Woo-seok
On the TV Chosun show 'Perfect Life' aired on the 21st, Sung Byung-sook appeared as a guest. She is known for her stellar performance as Sol's grandmother, who suffers from dementia, in the drama 'Run Away with the Prey.' Sung revealed, "When I look into Seon-jae's (Byun Woo-seok) eyes, emotions come naturally."
Sung also disclosed that her mother passed away in 2012 after battling dementia for a decade. "She had Alzheimer's for 10 years," she said, adding, "My acting is deeply influenced by my mother."
Sung admitted to frequently forgetting things and losing items, expressing concerns about her declining memory. When asked by a doctor about her sleep habits, she replied, "I fall asleep as soon as I lie down and wake up at 5:30 AM. I go to bed around 10-11 PM." The doctor advised, "It's not about sleeping long hours but sleeping well."
Sung and her daughter, Seo Song-hee, went on a trip to Hongcheon for a 'digital detox,' enjoying nature and healing. When panelists suggested she still treats her daughter like a child, Sung reminisced, "My father used to give me gifts and money on Children's Day until he had a stroke. I was 55 then, and I still remember it vividly."
The mother and daughter shared a conversation before bed. Seo joked, "I'm getting more forgetful as I age, and it's all because of you, mom." Sung reflected, "I felt the same watching my mother. She was a strong woman. Taking care of my father after his stroke led to her depression and possibly triggered her dementia. I witnessed it all." When panelist Lee Seong-mi commented on the difficulty of caring for a dementia patient for 10 years, Sung responded, "I received so much love from my parents that it wasn't hard at all. My mother's dementia journey was exactly like what you read in books."
MC Hyun Young cautiously asked if it was painful to watch her mother suffer. Sung recalled, "My mother used to organize everything around her, even in other patients' rooms. But one day, she got scabies. It was hard because she shouldn't have been moving around and touching others' belongings. I cried a lot then."
When her mother passed away, Sung felt, "It was like the world ended. It felt like the Earth had closed its doors." She added, "I kept all of my mother's clothes for 10 years and only recently sorted them out. I used them when playing grandmother roles. Now, I've let go of many things," expressing her deep longing for her mother.
Kim Ji-won, TenAsia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr
