Lee Jung-jae
Biography
Lee Jung-jae is a South Korean actor born on December 15, 1972, in Seoul, South Korea. He began his career as a fashion model before transitioning to acting in the early 1990s, quickly becoming one of South Korea's most prominent leading men with roles in numerous Korean films and television dramas.
Lee achieved unprecedented global recognition as Seong Gi-hun (Player 456), the down-on-his-luck gambler and protagonist of the Netflix series Squid Game (2021-present). His nuanced performance anchored the show, which became the most-watched series in Netflix history. The role earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2022, making him the first Asian actor and first non-English-language performer to win in that category.
Beyond Squid Game, Lee is one of South Korea's biggest stars with acclaimed roles in films like Il Mare (2000), City of the Rising Sun (1999), Assassination (2015), Along with the Gods (2017-2018), and Hunt (2022), which he also directed. He has won numerous Korean film and television awards throughout his three-decade career.
Known For
Other Notable Roles
- Director and star of Hunt (2022)
- Park Yi-tae in Assassination (2015)
- Gang-lim in Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017)
Awards & Recognition
- 🏆 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Squid Game, 2022) - first Asian actor to win
- 🏆 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series (Squid Game)
- 🏆 Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Actor (multiple wins)
Frequently Asked Questions
Lee Jung-jae is best known globally for playing Seong Gi-hun in Squid Game (2021-present). He is also one of South Korea's biggest film stars.
He became the first Asian actor and first non-English-language performer to win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Yes, he directed and starred in Hunt (2022), a Korean spy thriller.