In 2017, thanks to the low-budget film “Anarchist from Colony”, actress Choi Hee-seo received two major awards at the Grand Bell Awards: Best New Actress and Best Actress, despite being a first-time nominee.
Overwhelmed with joy and honor, Choi Hee-seo shared during her acceptance speech:
“I don’t think I’ll ever have the chance to stand here again, so my speech might be a bit long.”
Encouraging her, MC Shin Hyun-joon reassured the young actress, “Feel free to express everything you want to say. It’s all okay.”
However, as Choi Hee-seo was sharing her thoughts, backstage staff voices were heard criticizing and berating her, with notable comments being, “Who does she think she is?”, “It’s like we’re going to be here all night because of her. Who does she think she is?”, “For God’s sake, stop already!”, and “She’s driving me crazy.”
Even when the camera panned to director Lee Joon-ik, who helmed “Anarchist from Colony”, offensive comments could be heard, “Lee Joon-ik is sitting in the audience. The bald guy in the back, is that him?”
Attendees of the event and hundreds of thousands of viewers were shocked by the profane remarks that aired live. Netizens fiercely criticized the staff of TV Chosun for their disrespect toward the artist.
However, Chosun TV did not issue an apology to those who were subjected to the disrespectful comments. Instead, they simply deleted the clip containing the background noise and replaced it with an edited version.
The network offered a vague explanation, stating,“To provide these video clips, we use various equipment for live broadcasts. It seems background noise was accidentally picked up.”
According to Naver, this embarrassing live incident reflects the broadcast staff’s blatant disregard for the actress. Previously, the Grand Bell Awards also faced backlash for announcing, “If the winner does not attend the ceremony, the award will be given to someone else.”
Due to disorganized management and recurring controversies, the reputation of this once-prestigious awards show has steadily declined in the eyes of the public.
Born in 1987, Choi Hee-seo began her acting career in 2012. She grew up with a deep passion for the arts. She pursued her education at Yonsei University, majoring in Life Science and Biotechnology, a surprising choice considering her later career in acting. However, Choi’s love for acting led her to study further at the Korea National University of Arts, where she trained in film and theater, preparing herself for a serious career in the entertainment industry.
She is known for her work in productions such as “The Asian Angel”, “Stranger 2”, “Big Forest”, “Mistress”, and “Now, We Are Breaking Up”. In addition to her television work, Choi Hee-seo has also made a name for herself in high-quality artistic films like “Okja”, “How to Break up with My Cat”, “Anarchist from Colony”, “Deliver Us From Evil”, and “Our Body”.
