Lee was born on December 15, 1972, inJung District, Seoul.[9] He enrolled atDongguk University, and was awarded hismaster's degree from the university's Department of Theater & Film Art in the Graduate School of Cultural Arts, in August 2008.[10] He made his first foray into theater in December of that same year, taking on the titular role inHamlet in Water. The play ran for four days at hisalma mater's Lee Hae-rang Theater.[11][12]
Lee was discovered by designer Ha Yong-soo while he was working at a café inApgujeong-dong (located inthe Gangnam District), then worked as a fashion model for a number of years. Upon making his acting debut with the 1993TV dramaDinosaur Teacher, Lee became a star practically overnight, and was almost always cast in lead roles thereafter. A year later, he received favorable reviews for his first big screen role inBae Chang-ho'sThe Young Man, but it was the 1994 hit campus dramaFeelings that made him a household name.[13]
In 1995, what was supposed to be a small supporting role as the heroine's silent, devoted bodyguard in ratings behemothSandglass turned Lee into a national heartthrob, such that his screen time was increased throughout the series' run.[14][failed verification]
However, that success would be cut short because shortly after, he would be called up forNational Service.
In 1997, following his return from the military, his career went into a slight decline. It was then he decided to return to acting school by enrolling intoDongguk University's Department of Theatre & Film.[15]
Though his time-travel romanceIl Mare was not a popular success in 2000, since then it has developed a loyal fan base a laSomewhere in Time and attained the status of a minor classic among Korean cinema fans (Keanu Reeves played Lee's role in the 2006 HollywoodremakeThe Lake House).[17] Lee followed up with melodramaLast Present alongsideLee Young-ae[18] and action mysteryThe Last Witness directed by Bae Chang-ho.
In 2003, he starred oppositeLee Beom-soo inOh! Brothers, a comedy about two brothers, one of whom has an unusual disease. The film was one of Lee's biggest hits ever, topping three million admissions at the local box office.[16] Nonetheless, he remained out of the limelight for the next couple years. Finally at the end of 2005 he returned inTyphoon, a big-budget action blockbuster byKwak Kyung-taek, the director ofFriend.[19]
Lee's much-anticipated return to television a decade after his memorable turn inSandglass (1995) was not successful ratings-wise;Air City (2007) andTriple (2009).[20][21]
With the period action comedyThe Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan, Lee said he wanted to try his hand at playing a different kind of role, a comical loose cannon type of character.[22] Though it was not successful at the box office, he still considers it one of his most memorable films.[23]
El Fin del Mundo ("The End of the World") is a 13-minutesplit screen film made by visual artists Moon Kyung-won and Jeon Joon-ho, which depicts the destructive environmental changes the world faces in the future and the subsequent end of art and birth of new art based on dialogue between two artists in different times and space, played by Lee andIm Soo-jung.[32] The film was screened atdOCUMENTA in 2012, considered the world's most prestigious and innovative contemporary art platform.[33][34][35] A longtime art collector and honorary ambassador for theNational Museum of Contemporary Art in 2011–2012, Lee also narrated the 2013TV documentaryContemporary Art, Bury the Boundary which highlighted homegrown Korean artists.[36]
Lee then starred in his first Chinese film, the crime dramaTik Tok.[50][51] He returned to the Korean screen with the box office hit,Operation Chromite, playing a South Korean lieutenant in the navy, the man responsible for reversing the tide of theKorean War.[52][53]
Lee during aSquid Game interview in September 2021
In September 2021, Lee starred asSeong Gi-hun, the main protagonist ofNetflix's hit survival dramaSquid Game. Series creator and directorHwang Dong-hyuk said he chose to cast Lee as Gi-hun as to "destroy his charismatic image portrayed in his previous roles".[60] Inthe first season, Gi-hun is a gambler down on his luck who gets recruited to play in a series of deadly childhood games (including "Red Light, Green Light", "Tug of war", "Marbles" and theeponymous Squid game) for a high cash prize, and ultimately becomes the winner of the game.
In April 2022, Hwang confirmed that the characters of Gi-hun and the Front Man will return forthe second season. In the second season, Gi-hun dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of₩45.6 billion.[68][69] During Netflix'sTudum: A Global Fan Event in June 2023, Lee was confirmed to reprise his role alongside Lee Byung-hun,Gong Yoo andWi Ha-joon. On June 29, Netflix released more info on the new season's cast, which includesKang Ha-neul,Park Sung-hoon,Im Si-wan,Yang Dong-geun,Park Gyu-young,Lee Jin-wook,Won Ji-an,Jo Yu-ri,Kang Ae-shim,Choi Seung-hyun,Lee David, andRoh Jae-won.[70] Filming was reportedly underway in August 2023, andwrapped on July 2024, being filmedback-to-back along with the third season.[71][72] It was released on December 26, 2024.[73] He is set to reprise the role a final time in the show's third season in June 2025. His portrayal of Gi-hun in the second season was more mixed, with critics suggesting his character's actions were frustrating and didn't make sense. Despite these criticisms, Lee has been praised for shifting from a more lighthearted character to a darker one in the second season. Commenting on the reaction to Gi-hun's actions in season 2, which were described as frustrating, Lee expressed regret that he did not do better in the role, but believed that people's doubts would be resolved by the release of season 3.[74]
Apart from acting, Lee is known for launching a chain of upscale Italian restaurants in Seoul named after his filmIl Mare. Having studied interior design, he assumed responsibility for designing the interior of his restaurants.[16][82] Lee also founded the real estate development company Seorim C&D in 2008,[83] and owns several businesses with actorJung Woo-sung, a close friend whom he first worked with on the filmCity of the Rising Sun.[84]
In May 2016, Lee and Jung established and became CEOs of their entertainment labelArtist Company.[85]
On March 8, 2022, Lee additionally donated₩100 million to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association along withJung Woo-sung to help the victims of the massivewildfire that started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk and had spread to Samcheok, Gangwon.[86]
On August 3, 2022, Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association announced that Lee along with Jung Woo-sung joined the Hope Bridge Honors Club, a group of major donors with more than ₩100 million donations.[87]
In 1999, Lee was charged withdriving under the influence (DUI) after crashing his BMW into a car in the adjacent lane. Hisblood alcohol content was 0.269%. As a result, his driver's license was revoked.[88][89] He also got another DUI in 2002 that led to his license being revoked again.[90]
^"イ・ジョンジェ、『イカゲーム2』撮影2日休んで来日 初監督映画「作ってよかった」" [Lee Jung-jae took two days off from filming "Squid Game 2" to come to Japan. "I'm glad I made it", he said of his first film as a director].ORICON NEWS. September 4, 2023.Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 5, 2023.
^Jo Ji-young.[단독] 이정재 첫 연출작 '헌트'로 칸영화제 진출..'깐부' 정우성과 칸 레드카펫 밟는다 [[Exclusive] Lee Jung-jae's first directing 'Hunt' advances to Cannes Film Festival] (in Korean). April 14, 2022.Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. RetrievedApril 15, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Hong Se-young (February 26, 2022).이정재 美 CAA와 계약, 브래드 피트와 한솥밥 [공식] [Lee Jung-jae signed a contract with CAA, Brad Pitt and Rice Bowl [Official]].스포츠동아 (in Korean).Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 26, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Bae Hyo-joo (December 27, 2022).오징어게임' 이정재·황동혁 감독, '문화예술 최고' 금관문화훈장 수훈 ['Squid Game' directors Lee Jeong-jae and Hwang Dong-hyuk, awarded the Golden Crown of Cultural Merit for 'The Best in Culture and Arts'] (in Korean). Newsen.Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. RetrievedDecember 27, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Yoon Sung-yeol (March 8, 2022).이정재X정우성, 나란히 1억씩 기부..산불 피해에 기부ing [공식] [Lee Jung-jae X Jung Woo-sung, donate 100 million each side by side..donating to the damage of forest fires [Official]] (in Korean). MT Star News.Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. RetrievedMarch 8, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Lee, Sun-myung (August 3, 2022).정우성-이정재 '몰래 고액기부' 들통 [Jung Woo-sung and Lee Jung-jae's 'secretly large donation' caught] (in Korean).Sports Kyunghyang.Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. RetrievedAugust 3, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Jung il hyun (September 14, 1999).탤런트 이정재 음주운전 사고.The Chosun Ilbo, scrapped in navernews library.Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. RetrievedOctober 4, 2021.
^Ko, Mi-seok (November 4, 1994)."TV스타들 영화로 대거 진출".The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean). p. 35.Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. RetrievedMarch 31, 2022 – via Naver News Library.
^Ha Soo-jung (February 27, 2019).'어쩌다, 결혼', 염정아부터 이정재·정우성..초특급 하객군단 포스터 ['Marriage by Chance', Yeom Jeong-ah to Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung... Super special guest group poster].The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). RetrievedFebruary 10, 2025.
^Kim Ji-hye (June 21, 2022).칸 매료시킨 '헌트', 8월 10일 개봉...이정재 연출력 빛 본다 [Cannes fascinated 'The Hunt', released on August 10th... I see the light of Lee Jung-jae's directing skills] (in Korean). SBS Entertainment News.Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. RetrievedJune 21, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Kim Seon-woo (November 23, 2023).[단독] 이정재 '리볼버' 특별 출연…전도연과 반가운 재회 [[Exclusive] Lee Jung-jae makes a special appearance in 'Revolver'... A happy reunion with Jeon Do-yeon] (in Korean).JTBC.Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. RetrievedJuly 14, 2024 – viaNaver.
^Bae Hyo-joo (August 11, 2021).이정재, 456억 향한 질주" 넷플릭스 '오징어 게임' 9월17일 공개[공식] [Lee Jung-jae, sprinting towards 45.6 billion" Netflix 'Squid Game' released on September 17th [Official]].Newsen (in Korean).Naver.Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. RetrievedAugust 11, 2021.
^Kim Joon-seok (June 18, 2023).'오징어 게임2' 이정재·이병헌·공유→임시완·강하늘·양동근 캐스팅 확정[공식] ['Squid Game 2' Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Gong Yoo → Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Yang Dong-geun cast confirmed [Official]] (in Korean).Sports Chosun.Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. RetrievedJune 18, 2023 – viaNaver.
^Kwak, Myeong-dong (April 8, 2023).이정재 '애콜라이트'서 제다이 마스터 연기, 데이지 리들리도 '스타워즈' 복귀[해외이슈](종합) [Lee Jung-jae plays Jedi Master in 'Acolite', Daisy Ridley also returns to 'Star Wars' [Overseas issues] (comprehensive)] (in Korean).MyDaily.Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. RetrievedApril 8, 2023 – viaNaver.
^Soo-jung, Ha (November 20, 2024).[단독] 이정재, '오겜' 이후 5년만에 韓드라마 출연..'얄미운 사랑' 남주 [[Exclusive] Lee Jung-jae to Star in Korean Drama After 5 Years Since 'Squid Game'.. Male Lead in 'Spiteful Love'].OSEN (in Korean).
^Son, Bong-seok (August 26, 2022).영화 '다만 악에서 구하소서' 스핀오프, OTT 시리즈 제작 [Produced as a spin-off of the movie 'Just Save Me from Evil', an OTT series] (in Korean).Sports Kyunghyang.Archived from the original on August 27, 2022. RetrievedAugust 27, 2022 – viaNaver.
^Hong Hyo-shik (December 22, 2021).배우 이정재, 2030 부산세계박람회 홍보대사 위촉 [Actor Lee Jung-jae appointed as ambassador for the 2030 Busan World Expo] (in Korean). Newis.Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. RetrievedDecember 22, 2021 – viaNaver.
^An Seung-jin (February 21, 2022).이정재, 2022년 '서울패션위크' 홍보 나선다 [Lee Jung-jae to promote 'Seoul Fashion Week' in 2022] (in Korean).Segye Ilbo.Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 21, 2022 – viaNaver.
.jpg)
_ribbon.PNG)
Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit (2022)
.jpg)
