Lee Byung Hun's bio

Lee Byung-hun has starred in popular television dramas such as Iris (2009), All In (2003) and Beautiful Days (2001). Notable film roles include Joint Security Area (2000), A Bittersweet Life (2005), The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008) and I Saw the Devil (2010).

Career

Lee auditioned in the 1991 KBS Super Talent Audition and was accepted, making his debut in the television drama Asphalt My Hometown. His first breakthrough was in the 2000 film Joint Security Area directed by Park Chan-wook. He played a border-guard soldier who crossed to North Korea nightly and forged a friendship with a soldier on the opposing side. The film was a critical and commercial success and broke records as the highest grossing film in Korean history. He received Best Actor jointly with Song Kang-ho at the Pusan Film Critics Awards. He then filmed Bungee Jumping of Their Own, about a man whose girlfriend dies and is later reincarnated as a man.

In 2001 he played Lee Min-chul in Beautiful Days, a drama about a charismatic and arrogant businessman who falls for an innocent and caring orphan, played by Choi Ji-woo. He was then cast in Addicted as a man who falls into a coma and wakes up believing he is his dead brother. In 2003 he took the leading role in All In opposite Song Hye-kyo, where he played a man who becomes a millionaire through his amazing skills in playing poker. For his performance, he won the Grand Prize at the SBS Drama Awards and Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2004, Lee appeared in the romantic comedy Everybody Has Secrets, about three sisters who fall in love with Lee Soo-hyon.

In 2005 he starred in the film A Bittersweet Life which brought him international recognition and was screened out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Lee was nominated for Best Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards and Grand Bell Awards, and won at the Chunsa Film Art Awards, Baeksang Arts Awards and the Critics Choice Awards. His next role was in the romantic Once in a Summer opposite Soo Ae.

His first villain role was as "The Bad" in The Good, the Bad, the Weird, a Korean western which was directed by Kim Ji-woon and also starred Song Kang-ho and Jung Woo-sung. The film revolves around three men in a race to acquire a treasure map. The film was also another major success and was screened out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2009 he co-starred with Josh Hartnett and Takuya Kimura in the film I Come with the Rain. He also appeared as Storm Shadow in the American film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Sienna Miller and Channing Tatum.

In late 2009, Lee starred in the espionage action thriller Iris with Kim Tae-hee playing secret agents caught in a dangerous game of love, betrayal, and national security. It was one of the most expensive shows ever produced with filming locations in Hungary, Japan as well as South Korea. It was one of the most highest rated and acclaimed dramas of 2009 and for his performance he received the Grand Prize at the KBS Drama Acting Awards and Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards.

In 2010 Lee costarred with Choi Min-sik in I Saw the Devil, his third collaboration with director Kim Ji-woon. He played Soo-hyun, an intelligence agent who tracks a serial killer who murdered his fiance. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2011, he will reprise his role as Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe 2 directed by Jon Chu which will be released on August 10, 2012.

Other work

Lee has formed his own management company BH Entertainment which manages many actors including Han Hyo-joo, Go Soo, and Han Chae-young. He owns a shop BHNC which sells hats, scarfs and wallets and is involved in designing the products that are sold.

Personal life

He has a younger sister, Lee Eun-hee, who was Miss Korea in 1996. He graduated from Hanyang University with a major in French Literature and the Graduate School of Chung-Ang University with a major in Theater and Cinematography.

Lee and Song Hye-kyo became a couple after starring in the TV series All In. They broke up in 2004. close