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French actor Gaspard Uliel, 37, dies
Mourning for actors Kim Hye-soo and director Kim Ji-woon, domestic fans interested
Anthony Hopkins Young Acting in ‘Hannibal Rising’
Midnight Man in Marvel Universe ‘Moonnighter’
≪Noh Kyu-min’s Movie People Story≫
Kyu-min Noh, the film team leader of Ten Asia, tells stories about people in the film industry every Sunday morning. Among the members of the film ecosystem, such as actors, directors, writers, translators, and production companies, we focus on exploring ‘insiders’ of the future as well as today.
“too early”
Actress Kim Hye-soo mourned the death of a French actress who died in an accident. Director Kim Ji-woon of ‘Nom Nom Nom’ and ‘Spying’ revealed the story behind this actor being cast as the main character in his directorial work. Actor Gaspard Uliel, who passed away at the young age of 37.
On the 19th (local time), AFP news agency reported that Gaspar Uliel died in an accident at a ski resort.
Gaspard Uliel, who was skiing with his 6-year-old son at a ski resort in La Rogière, Savoie, France the afternoon before collided with another skier and sustained serious head injuries, according to AFP news agency. Afterwards, he was transported to Grenoble University Hospital by helicopter, but he could not open his eyes.
The news of the sudden death of famous actor Gaspar Uliel shocked filmmakers and fans around the world. In particular, the condolences of director Kim Jee-woon, who directed the movies ‘Nom Nom Nom’ and ‘Spy’, drew attention. Director Kim posted on his personal SNS on the 20th, “It is no exaggeration to say that I spent half of 2019 in Paris. It was also almost in the final stage.” He said, “As the male lead, Gaspard Uliel, well known for ‘Hannibal Rising’, ‘Saint Laurent’ and ‘Engage’, was finally selected. After that, I returned to Korea.”
Director Kim continued, “If it wasn’t for the pandemic, I might have been working with him by now. He passed away yesterday (19th) in a ski accident. The way he was seen flickers in my eyes. I pray for the well-being of the deceased.”
Previously, director Kim directed the Korean-French joint drama ‘Klaus 47’ (working title) in 2019. ‘Klaus 47’ is based on the true story of a Taiwanese weapons lobbyist who shook up French politics. As director Kim took over the directing role, a Taiwanese lobbyist changed the setting to a Korean lobbyist, and actress Lee Ha-nui considered the female lead role. Filming is scheduled to go back and forth between Korea and France in 2019, but production has been delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
It was only after his death that the secret story that Gaspar Uliel almost appeared in the work of director Kim Jee-woon was conveyed, adding to the sadness. Earlier in 2015, Gaspard Uliel said in an interview with a Korean media that “I like Korean movies and I respect Bong Joon-ho and Kim Ji-woon.”
Gaspard Uliel, who made his debut in 1997, made his name in films such as ‘Engagement’ (2004), ‘Hannibal Rising’ (2007), ‘Ultimatum’ (2009), ‘Saint Laurent’ (2014), and ‘Just the End of the World’ (2016). announced Especially in Korea, he made a mark with ‘Hannibal Rising’.
‘Hannabal Rising’ was the last of the four Hannibal Lecter series (Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon, Hannibal Rising), but was released as part 1 in terms of content. It deals with the youth of Hannibal, a rare serial killer.
In this work, Gasper Uliel showed his acting skills by convincingly portraying a person who was innocent as a child until he became ‘Hannibal’, a murderer who was twisted through an incident after World War II. However, there must have been a lot of pressure in the beginning because I had to draw Hannibal’s warrior drawn by world-famous actor Hansoni Hopkins. Although the work itself received critical acclaim, as a result, Gasper Uliel made his presence known to audiences around the world.
The day before Gasper Uliel’s death, Disney+ released a teaser poster and trailer for the new Marvel series ‘Moonnight’. ‘Moonnight’ drew a lot of attention by foretelling a new and powerful story that will change the MCU’s game with the transcendent hero ‘Moon Knight’ awakened by darkness as the main character.
Oscar Isaac, who rose to the ranks of top actors in the ‘Dune’ and ‘Star Wars’ series, and Ethan Hawke, who has many fans for his unrivaled acting skills, took the lead roles. Here, Gasper Uliel is on the lineup of performers after them, adding to the fans’ expectations.
Gasper Uliel is known for playing the Midnight Man in the original comics. The Midnight Man is not the main villain, but is portrayed as a thief with excellent martial arts skills. It is not yet known how much Gasper Uliel’s weight is. ‘
In particular, Gasper Uliel was not very fond of appearing in commercial films. Even so, the fans’ expectations were higher that they decided to appear in ‘Moon Night’. Moonnight’ is in post-production and is scheduled to be released on Disney+ in March.
“It is with great sadness that we learn of the tragic death of our friend and colleague Gaspar Uliel,” a Disney spokesperson said.
Reporter Noh Kyu-min, Ten Asia pressgm@tenasia.co.kr
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