Lee Byung-hun
Biography
Lee Byung-hun is a South Korean actor born on July 12, 1970, in Seoul, South Korea. He graduated from Hanyang University with a degree in French and began his acting career in the early 1990s, becoming one of Korea's biggest stars by the 2000s with leading roles in film and television.
Lee portrays the mysterious Front Man in the Netflix series Squid Game (2021-present), the masked overseer of the deadly games whose identity is revealed in a shocking twist. His menacing, authoritative performance added gravitas to the show's exploration of power and exploitation.
Lee is one of the most internationally recognized Korean actors, with significant Hollywood credits including G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), RED 2 (2013), Terminator Genisys (2015), and The Magnificent Seven (2016). In Korean cinema, he is renowned for his roles in A Bittersweet Life (2005), The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008), I Saw the Devil (2010), and Inside Men (2015). He won the Grand Bell Award for Best Actor multiple times.
Known For
Other Notable Roles
- Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
- Kim Sun-woo in A Bittersweet Life (2005)
- Lee Jang-hyeok in I Saw the Devil (2010)
- Goodnight Robicheaux in The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Awards & Recognition
- 🏆 Grand Bell Award for Best Actor (multiple wins)
- 🏆 Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Actor
- 🏆 Asian Film Award for Best Actor (A Bittersweet Life)
Frequently Asked Questions
Lee Byung-hun is known globally for playing the Front Man in Squid Game and Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe films. In Korea, he is one of the most celebrated actors of his generation.
He has appeared in the G.I. Joe franchise, RED 2, Terminator Genisys, and The Magnificent Seven.
His most acclaimed Korean films include A Bittersweet Life (2005), The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008), and I Saw the Devil (2010).