Lee Byung-hun
| Lee Byung-hun | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lee Byung-hun in 2014 | |
| Born |
August 13, 1970 Namhansanseong-myeon, Gwangju County, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea (now Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea) |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Occupation | Actor, singer, model |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Agent | BH Entertainment |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| Spouse(s) | Lee Min-jung (m. 2013) |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | www.leebyunghun.kr |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이병헌 |
| Hanja | 李炳憲 |
| Revised Romanization | I Byeongheon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ri Pyŏnghŏn |
Lee Byung-hun (Hangul: 이병헌; born August 13, 1970 (July 12, 1970 in Lunar calendar)) is a South Korean actor. A popular and acclaimed actor in South Korea, he is best known for Joint Security Area (2000), A Bittersweet Life (2005), The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008), the television series Iris (2009) I Saw the Devil (2010), and Masquerade (2012). In the United States, he is known for Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and its sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), and starring alongside Bruce Willis in RED 2 (2013). He portrayed a T-1000 in Terminator Genisys (2015).
Lee has four films Masquerade, Inside Men, Joint Security Area and The Good, the Bad, the Weird in the List of highest-grossing films in South Korea
Lee is the first Korean actor to present an Oscar at the annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles.[1]
Lee, along with Ahn Sung-ki, are the first Korean actors to imprint their hand and foot prints on the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
Career
Lee made his debut in the television drama Asphalt My Hometown after auditioning in a KBS talent audition in 1991.[2] He continued to act in a string of various television dramas until he made his big breakthrough in 2000 with Joint Security Area directed by Park Chan-wook. The film broke the box office record and became the highest grossing Korean film at the time.[3] Lee played a border-guard soldier and won Best Actor at the Busan Film Critics Awards for the role.[4]
In 2001, his popularity continued to climb when he played the lead alongside Choi Ji-woo in the melodrama Beautiful Days. In 2003, he received the Grand Prize at the SBS Drama Awards and Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards for his role in the poker drama All In.[5]
From 2005, he focused on film, earning critical acclaim for his performance in A Bittersweet Life directed by Kim Jee-woon which was screened out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival.[6] Lee was nominated for Best Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards and Grand Bell Awards, and won at the Chunsa Film Art Awards, Baeksang Arts Awards and the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards.
He reunited with director Kim Jee-woon in The Good, the Bad, the Weird, taking on his first villain role.[7] The film was screened out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival.[8] The following year he appeared in I Come with the Rain opposite American actor Josh Hartnett and Japanese actor Takuya Kimura. He then made his Hollywood debut as Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, also starring Channing Tatum and Sienna Miller.[9]
Lee returned to television in late 2009 in the espionage action thriller Iris as a secret agent who finds himself at the center of an international conspiracy. It was one of the most expensive shows ever produced with filming locations in Hungary, Japan as well as South Korea.[10] It became one of the highest rated dramas of 2009 and his performance earned him the Grand Prize at the KBS Drama Awards and Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards.[11]
In 2010 Lee starred in I Saw the Devil with Choi Min-sik, his third collaboration with Kim Jee-woon, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. His portrayal of the intelligence agent won him the Grand Prize at the Baeksang Arts Awards.[12]
In 2013, he reprised his role as Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: Retaliation.[13][14] On June 23, 2012, Lee, along with Ahn Sung-ki, became the first Korean actors to leave their hand and foot prints on the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. He was recognised as an emerging star in Hollywood for his role of Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and its sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation.[15] In October, he won Best Actor at the Grand Bell Awards for his dual role in the lavish period drama Gwanghae.[16] The film was a box office hit, becoming the 7th film in Korean history to surpass 10 million admissions.[17]
Lee co-starred in the American film RED 2 (2013), the sequel to the 2010 action-comedy hit RED, alongside Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Helen Mirren, and John Malkovich.[18][19] Lee played a T-1000 in Terminator Genisys (2015), opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger.[20] Lee and Schwarzenegger previously met in 2010, when Schwarzenegger visited Korea while Lee was the Californian Tourism Ambassador.
On 28 February 2016, Lee attended the 88th Academy Awards and presented the "Best Foreign Language Film" award with actress Sofia Vergara. He was the first Korean actor to present an award at the Oscars.[21]
Other work
Lee formed a management company BH Entertainment which manages many actors including Han Hyo-joo, Go Soo, and Han Ji-min. He owns a shop BHNC which sells hats, scarfs and wallets.[22]
Lee Byung-hun most notably in the video game industry provided his likeness for the main character Wayne Holden, in the 2006 Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, for the Xbox 360, PS3 & PC.
Personal life
Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea. He has a younger sister, Lee Eun-hee, who was Miss Korea in 1996. He graduated from Hanyang University with a major in French Literature and the Graduate School of Chung-Ang University with a major in Theater and Cinematography.
Lee dated his All In co-star Song Hye-kyo; they broke up in 2004. In his spare time, Lee Byung-hun practices taekwondo.[23][24]
Lee married actress Lee Min-jung on August 10, 2013 at the Grand Hyatt Seoul.[25] The couple had briefly dated in 2006, then resumed their relationship in 2012.[26] Lee's wife gave birth to their first child, a son, Lee Joon-hoo born on March 31, 2015.[27]
In September 2014, Lee was embroiled in a legal battle with two women, singer Dahee from K-pop girl group GLAM and model Lee Ji-yeon who blackmailed him for large sums of money in exchange for not revealing a compromising video of the actor Lee making sexual jokes. The two women were sentenced to a year and a year and two months in jail respectively, both suspended for two years.[28]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Who Drives Me Crazy | Lee Jong-du |
| Runaway | Lee Dong-ho | |
| 1996 | Kill the Love | Love |
| 1997 | Elegy of the Earth | Park Jong-man |
| 1999 | The Harmonium in My Memory | Kang Soo-ha |
| 2000 | Joint Security Area | Lee Soo-hyeok |
| 2001 | Bungee Jumping of Their Own | Seo In-woo |
| 2002 | My Beautiful Girl, Mari | Adult Nam-woo (voice) |
| Addicted | Dae-jun | |
| 2004 | Everybody Has Secrets | Choi Su-hyeon |
| Three Extremes - segment "Cut" | Ryu Ji-ho | |
| 2005 | A Bittersweet Life | Kim Sun-woo |
| 2006 | Once in a Summer | Yun Suk-young |
| 2007 | HERO | Kang Min-woo (cameo) |
| 2008 | The Good, the Bad, the Weird | Park Chang-yi, the Bad |
| 2009 | I Come with the Rain | Su Dongpo |
| G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra | Storm Shadow | |
| 2010 | Iris: The Movie | Kim Hyun-jun |
| The Influence | W | |
| I Saw the Devil | Kim Soo-hyeon | |
| 2012 | Masquerade (Gwanghae: The Man Who Became King) | King Gwanghae, Beggar Ha-sun[29] |
| 2013 | G.I. Joe: Retaliation | Storm Shadow |
| RED 2 | Han Cho-bai | |
| 2015 | Terminator Genisys | Cop / T-1000[30] |
| Memories of the Sword | Deok-gi / Song Yoo-baek | |
| Inside Men | Ahn Sang-goo | |
| 2016 | Misconduct | The Accountant |
| The Magnificent Seven | Billy Rocks |
Television
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Asphalt My Hometown | |
| Family | ||
| Flower That Never Wilt | ||
| 1992 | Wild Sunflower | |
| Days of Sunshine | Choi Hyung-man | |
| Dawn | ||
| Tomorrow Love | Shin Bum-soo | |
| 1993 | The Sorrow of the Survivor | Ja-myung |
| Police | Oh Hae-sung | |
| 1994 | The Fragrance of Love | Kim Jun-ho |
| 1995 | Asphalt Man | Kang Dong-joon |
| Son of Wind | Chang Hong-pyo | |
| 1997 | Beautiful My Lady | Hwang Jun-ho |
| I Do | ||
| White Sand | ||
| 1998 | White Nights 3.98 | Min Gyeong-bin |
| 1999 | Happy Together | Suh Tae-poong |
| Love Story - Story 1: Sunflower | Tae-sung | |
| Sally is Back | ||
| 2001 | Road | Woo-sik |
| Beautiful Days | Lee Min-chul | |
| 2003 | All In | Kim In-ha |
| 2009 | Iris | Kim Hyun-jun |
| 2011 | Diplomat Kosaku Kuroda | John (cameo) |
Other
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Lost Planet: Extreme Condition | Wayne Holden |
| 2013 | CGV 4DX trailer | Himself[31] |
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album Name |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Lee Byung Hun - To Me |
Single
| Year | Single Name |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Itsuka (Someday) |
Soundtrack
| Year | Track | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Stay" | Iris OST |
| "Endless Road" | Iris OST |
Awards and nominations
References
- ↑ http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2016/01/201_196171.html
- ↑ http://www.yesasia.com/us/yumcha/lee-byung-hun-man-of-the-world/0-0-0-arid.209-en/featured-article.html
- ↑ "Joint Security Area". koreanfilm.org. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
- ↑ http://www.korean-drama-guide.com/List-of-Pusan-Film-Critics-Awards.html
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0001111/2006
- ↑ "Festival de Cannes: A Bittersweet Life". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
- ↑ Obsessedwithfilm.com
- ↑ "Festival de Cannes: The Good, the Bad, and the Weird". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
- ↑ IESB.net - Movie News, Reviews, Interviews and More! - UPDATED WITH STUDIO CONFIRMATION - GI Joe Casting!
- ↑ "Lee Byung-hun in Expensive Spy Drama Series IRIS". Beyond Hollywood.
- ↑ http://www.mb.com.ph/node/236653/gi-joe-
- ↑ http://sundance.slated.com/2011/films/isawthedevil_sundance2011
- ↑ Park Soo-mee. "Lee Byung-hun to Reprise 'G.I. Joe' Role". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ↑ "‘G.I. Joe 2′ Gets a Release Date; But Will We See The Cast Return?". The Film Stage.
- ↑ "Ahn Sung-ki, Lee Byung-hun to Leave Handprints in Hollywood". Chosun Ilbo. April 26, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- ↑ "'Gwanghae' sweeps Korean Oscars". The Korea Times. October 31, 2012.
- ↑ Lee, Rachel (October 21, 2012). "'Masquerade,' 7th film to reach 10 million viewers". The Korea Times.
- ↑ http://collider.com/red-2-cathertin-zeta-jones-bruce-willis/165440/
- ↑ Schwartz, Terri (2012-05-11). "'Red 2' Adds Catherine Zeta-Jones, Byung-Hun Lee". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
- ↑ Kitfirst=Borys (March 31, 2014). "'G.I. Joe,' 'Mad Men' and 'House of Cards' Actors Join 'Terminator: Genesis' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
- ↑ http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160229000672
- ↑ http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SH/SH_EN_7_2.jsp?cid=1017491
- ↑ "Byung-Hun Lee Talks Storm Shadow and "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
- ↑ "Q&A - G.I. Joe Star Byung-hun Lee Explains Storm Shadow's Martial Arts Style". ACMTV. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
- ↑ Lee, Eun-ah (10 August 2013). "Lee Byung-hun, Rhee Min-jung Walk Down the Aisle Today". 10Asia. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
- ↑ Cho Chung-un, Lee Woo-young (19 August 2012). "Top actors say they are dating". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ↑ Choi, He-suk. "Lee Min-jung gives birth to son". The Korea Herald. The Korea Herald. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ↑ "Lee Byung-hun's blackmailers get suspended jail terms". The Korea Herald/Yonhap News. The Korea Herald. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ↑ "Lee Byung-hun to star in ‘The Prince and the Pauper’ remake" JoongAng Ilbo 15 November 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-23
- ↑ "'Terminator: Genesis' Call Sheet Reveals Byung-hun Lee's Role As T-1000". screenrelish.com. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
- ↑ Lee Byung Hun in Absolute Cinema Experience
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lee Byung-hun. |
- Official website (Korean)
- Lee Byung-hun at the Internet Movie Database
- Lee Byung-hun at the Korean Movie Database
- Lee Byung-hun at AllMovie
- Lee Byung-hun at HanCinema
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