Biography
Who is Lee Jung-jae?
Early life and education
Lee Jung-jae was born on December 15, 1972, in the Jung District of Seoul, South Korea. He attended Hyundai Senior High School for his secondary education. Following his graduation from high school, he enrolled at Dongguk University to study theater and film. He eventually earned a master's degree from the university's Department of Theater and Film Art in the Graduate School of Cultural Arts in August 2008.
Acting career beginnings
Lee was discovered by designer Ha Yong-soo while working at a café in Apgujeong-dong, located in the Gangnam District. He began his professional career as a fashion model. He made his acting debut in the 1993 television drama Dinosaur Teacher. He quickly secured lead roles, receiving positive reviews for his first big screen performance in The Young Man. The 1994 campus drama Feelings helped establish him as widely known in South Korea.
Filmography and business ventures
Throughout the 2000s, Lee appeared in various genres, including the time travel romance Il Mare, the comedy Oh! Brothers, and the action film Typhoon. In 2010, he starred in the erotic thriller The Housemaid, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival. He was part of the ensemble cast for the 2012 heist film The Thieves, which became one of the highest-grossing movies in Korean cinema history. In 2013, he played a police officer in the crime thriller New World and portrayed Prince Suyang in the period film The Face Reader. He won Best Supporting Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards and the Baeksang Arts Awards for his performance in The Face Reader.
International recognition
In 2021, Lee achieved international fame for his role as Seong Gi-hun in the Netflix survival drama Squid Game. The show creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, chose him to subvert his previous charismatic image. His performance in the first season was widely recognized, leading to nominations for a Critics Choice Television Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He made history as the first male actor from Asia to receive individual nominations in these categories across all four major awards shows.
Birthday and age
Lee Jung-jae was born on December 15, 1972, which makes Lee 53 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Lee shares the date with 31 other famous people.
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