Biography
Who is Clara Lee?
Early life and education
Clara Lee was born in Bern, South Korea. Her father, Lee Seung-kyu, was a member of the bilingual musical group Koreana. She spent a portion of her early childhood in South Korea. Her mother encouraged her to pursue a career in acting from a young age.
At the age of 14, she moved to California in the United States to learn English. She lived there for six years away from her parents. Clara eventually earned an associate degree in Fashion Design at El Camino College.
Rise to fame and stage name
She began her career in entertainment in 2005 using her birth name. Her first film appearance was in 2009 in the movie Five Senses of Eros. In January 2012, she officially adopted the stage name Clara. This change was announced at a press conference for the drama Take Care of Us, Captain.
Clara chose this name because her birth name, Sung-min, sounded like a male name. She had also used Clara as her English name for a long time. In May 2013, she gained sudden online fame. This happened after she threw a ceremonial first pitch at a professional baseball game while wearing leggings.
Television and legal disputes
She took supporting roles in the 2013 television series Goddess of Marriage. In 2014, she appeared in the show Emergency Couple. She later played a leading role in the 2015 sex comedy film Casa Amor: Exclusive for Ladies.
In December 2014, Clara Lee filed a lawsuit against Polaris Entertainment. She sought to nullify her contract due to sexual harassment by president Lee Kyu-tae. Polaris denied these claims and accused Clara of blackmailing the agency to end her contract early.
Chinese cinema and awards
After 2015, she changed her professional focus to the Chinese film industry. She starred in the 2016 romantic comedy Some Like It Hot. This movie was a major success at the box office in China.
She continued working in Chinese-language films. These included the 2019 action thriller Bodies at Rest and the 2023 science fiction movie The Wandering Earth 2. These projects increased her recognition in China.
Marriage and divorce
Clara married a businessman from a Korean-American background in January 2019. The couple ended their marriage in August 2025.
Birthday and age
Clara Lee was born on January 15, 1986, which makes Clara 40 years old today. That birthday falls under the Capricorn sign. Clara shares the date with 31 other famous people.
Explore more









