Quick Facts
Biography
Lee Je-hoon (Hangul: 이제훈, born July 4, 1984) is a South Korean actor. He started his career in indie films, then went on to appear in commercial films like The Front Line (2011), Architecture 101 (2012) and My Paparotti (2013), and television series like Fashion King (2012), Secret Door (2014), Signal (2016) and Tomorrow With You (2017).
Career
Beginnings
When Lee Je-hoon realized that he wanted to go into acting, he dropped out of the Biotechnology major at Korea University and transferred to the School of Drama at Korea National University of Arts. From 2006 to 2010, Lee appeared in more than 18 student shorts and indie films, notably queer coming-of-age romance Just Friends?. He also appeared as an extra in a number of commercial films, including erotic thriller The Servant and romantic comedy Finding Mr. Destiny.
2011–2012: Breakthrough
Then Lee had his breakthrough in 2011. He received critical raves for his performances as a manipulative alpha-male in the haunting indie Bleak Night, and as a morphine-addicted squad leader in big-budget war film The Front Line. He gained mainstream popularity as a shy college student pining for his first love in box-office hit Architecture 101, and though the television series Fashion King was poorly received, his role as a struggling young chaebol heir in Korea's fashion industry further showcased his versatility.
Lee next starred opposite acclaimed veteran actor Han Suk-kyu in the comedy-drama My Paparotti, which focuses on the special relationship between a high school gang member who dreams of becoming a singer like the late tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and the music teacher who helps him pursue his dream. He next starred in Ghost Sweepers, dubbed the character Jack Frost for the Korean release of 3D animated film Rise of the Guardians, and featured in the crime thriller An Ethics Lesson.
2012–2014: Enlistment
Lee enlisted on October 25, 2012 for his mandatory military service as a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency riot police. He was discharged on July 24, 2014.
2014–present: Comeback and Success
For his comeback project, Lee chose Secret Door, a period drama about Crown Prince Sado who was controversially executed through death by starvation by his father King Yeongjo; the series reunited him with Han Suk-kyu. This was followed by the Jo Sung-hee-directed film Phantom Detective, a modern retelling of the eponymous folk hero Hong Gil-dong as a private detective in the 1990s.
In 2016, Lee starred in tvN's fantasy crime drama Signal together with Cho Jin-woong and Kim Hye-soo, which was critically and commercially successful.
In 2017, Lee starred in the fantasy romance drama Tomorrow With You opposite Shin Min-ah, portraying a CEO of a real estate company who has the ability to travel through time.
He then starred in the biographical period drama film Anarchist from Colony directed by Lee Joon-ik, playing the character of Park Yeol, a self-proclaimed anarchist and revolutionary activist during the Colonial Era of Japan. The same year Lee was cast in the film I Can Speak as a civil servant who also tutors English.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | They Live by Night | Private Shin | short film |
| Placebo | short film | ||
| Small Town Rivals | Chun-sam's friend | ||
| 2008 | Ah Man | short film | |
| Holy Vacation | Kang Young-woon | short film | |
| 2009 | Just Friends? | Seok-i | short film |
| 언어생활 | Kyung-min | short film | |
| When Winter Comes | short film | ||
| The Pit and the Pendulum | young Sang-tae | ||
| 2010 | The Influence | Sunjong | |
| The Servant | Hanbok maker | ||
| Finding Mr. Destiny | Woo-hyung | ||
| Maldives Express | Eun-seok | short film | |
| A Dog Came Into My Flash | Son/Twenty-something man | short film | |
| Miss Communication | Male book designer | short film | |
| Ghost (Be With Me) | Kim Se-young | segment: "Tarot 3. The Unseen" | |
| 2011 | Bleak Night | Ki-tae | |
| The Front Line | Captain Shin Il-young | ||
| 2012 | Architecture 101 | Lee Seung-min in the past | |
| Ghost Sweepers | Suk-hyun | ||
| Rise of the Guardians | Jack Frost (voice) | animated; Korean dubbed | |
| 2013 | An Ethics Lesson | Kim Jung-hoon | |
| My Paparotti | Lee Jang-ho | ||
| 늦은 후...愛 | short film (SMPA PSA); credited as assistant director | ||
| 2016 | Phantom Detective | Hong Gil-dong | |
| 2017 | Anarchist from Colony | Park Yeol | |
| I Can Speak | Park Min-jae |
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Three Sisters | Kim Eun-gook | SBS |
| 2012 | Fashion King | Jung Jae-hyuk | SBS |
| 2014 | Secret Door | Yi Sun, later Crown Prince Sado | SBS |
| 2016 | Signal | Park Hae-young | tvN |
| 2017 | Tomorrow With You | Yoo So-joon | tvN |
Variety show
| Year | Title | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Happy Together | KBS2 | Guest, episode 266 |
| 2016 | Running Man | SBS | Guest, episode 298 |
| Happy Together | KBS2 | Guest, episode 447 | |
| Please Take Care of My Refrigerator | JTBC | Guest, episodes 78 & 79 | |
| Infinite Challenge | MBC | Guest, episodes 495-497 | |
| 2017 | Three Meals a Day: Sea Ranch | tvN | Guest, episodes 4-5 |
Discography
| Year | Song title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "Love Like This" | Track from Fashion King OST |
| 2013 | "The Person That Makes You Happy" | Track from My Paparotti OST; Duet with Han Suk-kyu |
Goodwill ambassador
- 2016 Honorary Ambassador of Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) by Korean Film Council
- 2016 Honorary Ambassador of Korea National Police Agency's Human Rights
- 2016 Honorary Ambassador of Oxfam Korea
- 2017 Honorary Ambassador of Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Best New Actor | The Front Line | Won | |
| Best Dressed | N/A | Won | ||
| Best New Actor | Bleak Night | Won | ||
| Best New Actor | The Front Line | Nominated | ||
| Best New Actor | Won | |||
| Best New Actor | Bleak Night | Won | ||
| Best New Actor (Film) | The Front Line | Won | ||
| 2012 | Best New Actor | Bleak Night | Won | |
| Best Supporting Actor | The Front Line | Nominated | ||
| Best New Actor (Film) | Architecture 101 | Nominated | ||
| 20's Male Movie Star | Won | |||
| Fantasia Award | Won | |||
| 2014 | Best Actor in a Music Film | My Paparotti | Won | |
| Plaque for Rising Star in Independent Film | Bleak Night | Won | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | Secret Door | Won | ||
| Top 10 Stars | Won | |||
| 2016 | Best Actor | Signal | Nominated | |
| PD's Choice | Won | |||
| Best Celebrity Award, Actor | Nominated | |||
| Popular Star Award | Phantom Detective | Won | ||
| Actor Special Merit Award | N/A | Won | ||
| 2017 | Best Actor | Anarchist from Colony | Pending |