Born on December 15, 1972, in Seoul, Lee Jung-jae is one of the most renowned South Korean actors of his generation. Before becoming an international star, he began his career as a model in the 1990s before branching out into acting with the drama Dinosaur Teacher (1993) and the movie The Young Man (1994), which quickly earned him several awards for best newcomer.
After winning with Sandglass (1995), he cemented his reputation as a talented film actor with memorable works such as An Affair (1998), City of the Rising Sun (1998) or the cult romantic film Il Mare (2000).
In the 2010s, Lee Jung-jae enjoyed a second rise to fame with several major hits in Korean cinema: The Housemaid (2010), The Thieves (2012), New World (2013), The Face Reader (2013), Assassination (2015) or the fantasy saga Along With the Gods (2017–2018). In 2022, he also stepped behind the camera with Hunt, his first film as a director and screenwriter.
His career took on a global dimension in 2021 thanks to Netflix and the phenomenon Squid Game. His portrayal of Seong Gi-hun (Player 456) earned him historic recognition: he became the first Asian actor to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
He reprises this iconic role in Squid Game 2 (2024) and then Squid Game 3 (2025). At the same time, he joined the universe Star Wars with The Acolyte (2024) and returns to K-dramas with Nice to Not Meet You (2025).
In 2026, Lee Jung-jae remains a living legend of Hallyu, a symbol of a career that blends arthouse films, blockbusters, and global success.
