Lee Sun Gyun
Encyclopedia
Lee Sun-gyun is a South Korea
n actor.
. In 2002, he debuted in the musical The Rocky Horror Show
.
Relegated to small supporting roles for many years, he achieved his breakthrough in 2007 with the critically lauded medical series White Tower
and the highly popular romantic drama The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince
. Besides Coffee Prince, he has worked with director Lee Yoon-jung two other times -- in the sports-themed Taereung National Village in 2005, and in slice-of-life drama Triple in 2009.
Lee was appointed as ambassador for the Health Insurance Review Agency in 2007, and won an award from the Korea Advertisers Association in 2008.
Despite his burgeoning fame, Lee then turned to low-budget arthouse film
s to polish his acting caliber. He starred in three projects by Hong Sang-soo
, a director renowned for his realistic portrayal of ordinary lives. Lee also headlined Paju
, the long-awaited follow-up to director Park Chan-ok's Jealousy is My Middle Name
. He later won the Best Actor award at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival
held in Spain for Paju
. Film distributor Myung Film quoted the judging committee as handing Lee high points for portraying the anguish his character felt for loving his wife's younger sister. This is the first acclaim that Lee has received at a film festival since his debut.
With Pasta
(in which he played a brilliant-but-abrasive chef opposite Kong Hyo-jin
) Lee successfully shook off his "gentle" TV drama image, and the series' popularity made him a bankable romantic leading man. Petty Romance reunited him with his My Sweet Seoul co-star Choi Kang-hee
, and one-upmanship
action comedy The Apprehenders soon followed.
Lee showed his support for the revival of Drama Special (formerly Drama City) by starring in Our Slightly Risque Relationship (for which he later won at the KBS Drama Awards). He has continually defended the importance of one-act dramas, acknowledging their contribution to his own career.
He recently finished filming mystery thriller Freight Car (the Korean film adaptation of Japanese novelist Miyabe Miyuki
's novel All She Was Worth
). Lee has been cast in All About My Wife, in which his character is married to an outwardly perfect woman who in reality is the worst wife possible (Im Soo-jung), but is too timid to divorce her.
, Romance Hunter) on May 23, 2009. Their sons were born on November 25, 2009, and August 9, 2011.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n actor.
Career
Lee studied theater at the Korea National University of ArtsKorea National University of Arts
Korea National University of Arts is a national university in Seoul, South Korea. Korea National University of Arts was established in 1993 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea as the only national university of arts with an aim to serve as a leading institution which cultivates...
. In 2002, he debuted in the musical The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals"...
.
Relegated to small supporting roles for many years, he achieved his breakthrough in 2007 with the critically lauded medical series White Tower
White Tower (TV series)
White Tower , aka Behind The White Tower, is a South Korean drama aired on MBC in 2007, based on the novel Shiroi Kyotō written by Toyoko Yamazaki, Japanese novelist.-Cast:*Kim Myung Min — Jang Joon Hyuk...
and the highly popular romantic drama The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince
The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince
The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince is a South Korean drama that began airing on July 2, 2007. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Lee Sun-mi...
. Besides Coffee Prince, he has worked with director Lee Yoon-jung two other times -- in the sports-themed Taereung National Village in 2005, and in slice-of-life drama Triple in 2009.
Lee was appointed as ambassador for the Health Insurance Review Agency in 2007, and won an award from the Korea Advertisers Association in 2008.
Despite his burgeoning fame, Lee then turned to low-budget arthouse film
Art film
An art film is the result of filmmaking which is typically a serious, independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience...
s to polish his acting caliber. He starred in three projects by Hong Sang-soo
Hong Sang-soo
Hong Sang-soo is a South Korean film director. Hong's directorial debut, The Day a Pig Fell into the Well , was praised by South Korean critics for its originality and won international film prizes...
, a director renowned for his realistic portrayal of ordinary lives. Lee also headlined Paju
Paju (film)
A 2009 South Korean film, Paju is the tale of a teenage schoolgirl and her complex relation to her older sister’s husband . Set in the city where it takes its name from – a longtime military area and now a developing city located close to the North/South Korean border – its elegantly complex...
, the long-awaited follow-up to director Park Chan-ok's Jealousy is My Middle Name
Jealousy is My Middle Name
Jealousy is My Middle Name is a 2002 South Korean film. It won Best Film honors at the Pusan International Film Festival and the Rotterdam Film Festival and was the directorial debut of Park Chan-ok. It was inspired by the poem of the same name by Ki Hyung-do....
. He later won the Best Actor award at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival
The Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival is an international film festival that is held in Las Palmas in the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. The festival takes place every year...
held in Spain for Paju
Paju (film)
A 2009 South Korean film, Paju is the tale of a teenage schoolgirl and her complex relation to her older sister’s husband . Set in the city where it takes its name from – a longtime military area and now a developing city located close to the North/South Korean border – its elegantly complex...
. Film distributor Myung Film quoted the judging committee as handing Lee high points for portraying the anguish his character felt for loving his wife's younger sister. This is the first acclaim that Lee has received at a film festival since his debut.
With Pasta
Pasta (TV series)
Pasta is a South Korean TV series broadcast by MBC from January 2010 to March 2010.-Synopsis:Pasta covers the dreams and success of a young woman who aspires to become an elite chef at La Sfera restaurant....
(in which he played a brilliant-but-abrasive chef opposite Kong Hyo-jin
Kong Hyo-jin
Gong Hyo-jin is a South Korean actress living in Seoul, South Korea.- Filmography :- Music Videos :*Part 1: "Left Alone" Part 2: "I Still Bite My Lips" *"Brown Hair"...
) Lee successfully shook off his "gentle" TV drama image, and the series' popularity made him a bankable romantic leading man. Petty Romance reunited him with his My Sweet Seoul co-star Choi Kang-hee
Choi Kang-hee
Choi Kang-hee is a South Korean actress and radio DJ.Choi made her film debut in the 1998 horror Whispering Corridors, and in 2006 she starred in the low budget My Scary Girl, a surprise hit for which she earned a Best Actress nomination at the 27th Blue Dragon Film Awards.In addition to her...
, and one-upmanship
One-upmanship
One-upmanship is the art or practice of successively outdoing a competitor.The term originated as the title of a book by Stephen Potter, published in 1952 as a follow-up to The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship and Lifemanship titles in his series of tongue-in-cheek self-help books, and film ...
action comedy The Apprehenders soon followed.
Lee showed his support for the revival of Drama Special (formerly Drama City) by starring in Our Slightly Risque Relationship (for which he later won at the KBS Drama Awards). He has continually defended the importance of one-act dramas, acknowledging their contribution to his own career.
He recently finished filming mystery thriller Freight Car (the Korean film adaptation of Japanese novelist Miyabe Miyuki
Miyuki Miyabe
Miyuki Miyabe is a popular contemporary Japanese author active in a number of genres that include science fiction, mystery fiction, historical fiction, social commentary, and juvenile fiction...
's novel All She Was Worth
All She Was Worth
All She Was Worth is a crime novel by Miyuki Miyabe originally published under the Japanese title "Kasha" , an allusion to the mythical Shinto creature said to devour dead bodies.-Plot introduction:1992...
). Lee has been cast in All About My Wife, in which his character is married to an outwardly perfect woman who in reality is the worst wife possible (Im Soo-jung), but is too timid to divorce her.
Personal life
Lee married his longtime girlfriend, actress Jeon Hye-jin (I'm Sorry, I Love YouI'm Sorry, I Love You
I'm Sorry, I Love You is a South Korean drama broadcast by KBS. The drama starred actors So Ji Sub and Im Su Jeong and the theme song was "Snow Flower" by Park Hyo Shin.-Synopsis:Cha Moo Hyuk is a small time scam-artist working the streets of Australia...
, Romance Hunter) on May 23, 2009. Their sons were born on November 25, 2009, and August 9, 2011.
Films
- Psycho Drama (short)
- Goodbye Day (2002)
- Make It Big (2002)
- Surprise Party (2002)
- A Perfect Match (2002)
- Boss X-File (2002)
- Scent of LoveScent of LoveScent of Love is a 2003 South Korean film, and the directorial debut of Lee Jeong-wook. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Kim Ha-in, and stars Jang Jin-young and Park Hae-il in the lead roles.- Plot :...
(2003) - Show Show Show (2002)
- Hitchhiking (short, 2004)
- Love, So DivineLove, So DivineLove, So Divine is a 2004 South Korean romantic comedy film starring Ha Ji-won and Kwon Sang-woo, and the directorial debut of Heo In-moo. Released in Korea on August 6, 2004, the film sold over 1.2 million tickets nationwide.- Plot summary :...
(2004) - My Mother, the MermaidMy Mother, the MermaidMy Mother, the Mermaid is a 2004 South Korean film about a young woman who quarrels with her mother but is somehow transported back in time and sees her parents' courtship. In her youth, her mother was a haenyeo, a traditional freediver.IMDB claims the literal translation of the title is The...
(2004) - R-Point (2004)
- Sa-kwaSa-kwaSakwa is the first film by South Korean director Kang Yi-kwan and stars Moon So-ri. It premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, but was not released in its home country South Korea until late 2008....
(2005) - Curry Rice Story (short, 2006)
- The Customer is Always Right (2006)
- A Cruel Attendance (2006)
- Our TownOur Town (2007 film)Our Town is the Anglicized name of a 2007 South Korean film. The film is unrelated to Ben Affleck's The Town.- Plot :A neighbourhood is terrorized by a serial killer who kills and hangs his female victims in a uniquely specific way . When struggling crime fiction novelist Kyung-ju kills his...
(2007) - Romantic Island (2008)
- Night and DayNight and Day (2008 film)Night and Day is a 2008 South Korean film directed by Hong Sang-soo.- Plot :Seong-nam, a painter in his forties, travels to Paris to escape arrest for smoking marijuana, leaving his wife behind in Korea. While there he meets an old girlfriend, Min-seon, and is introduced to a small community of...
(2008) - Visitors: Lost in the Mountains (Jeonju Digital ProjectJeonju International Film FestivalThe Jeonju International Film Festival has been held annually since 2000 in Jeonju, South Korea, focusing on digital, independent and art films.-2000:*April 28-May 4: 184 films from 21 countries...
short, 2009) - PajuPaju (film)A 2009 South Korean film, Paju is the tale of a teenage schoolgirl and her complex relation to her older sister’s husband . Set in the city where it takes its name from – a longtime military area and now a developing city located close to the North/South Korean border – its elegantly complex...
(2009) - Oki's Movie (2010)
- Petty Romance (2010)
- The Apprehenders (2011)
- Freight CarAll She Was WorthAll She Was Worth is a crime novel by Miyuki Miyabe originally published under the Japanese title "Kasha" , an allusion to the mythical Shinto creature said to devour dead bodies.-Plot introduction:1992...
(2011) - All About My Wife (2012)
TV series
- Lovers (MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
, 2002) - Thousand Years of Love (SBS, 2003)
- 착한당신 Loveholic (MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
Best Theater, 2003) - Dad Romeo, Mom Juliet (MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
Best Theater, 2003) - Sweet 18 (KBS Drama City, 2003)
- Semi-transparent (KBS Drama City, 2004)
- Dr. Love (KBS Drama City, 2004)
- Love of a Spider Woman (KBS Drama City, 2005)
- Innocent Love (KBS Drama City, 2005)
- Hello Franceska Season 3 (MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
, 2005) (guest appearanceGuest appearanceIn show business , a guest appearance is a participation of an outsider performer , usually called guest artist , in an event , i.e., the participation of a performer which does not belong to the regular crew In performance...
) - Loveholic (KBS, 2005)
- Taereung National Village (MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
Best Theater, 2005) - Fugitive Lee Doo Young (KBS, 2006)
- Behind (MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
Best Theater, 2006) - White TowerWhite Tower (TV series)White Tower , aka Behind The White Tower, is a South Korean drama aired on MBC in 2007, based on the novel Shiroi Kyotō written by Toyoko Yamazaki, Japanese novelist.-Cast:*Kim Myung Min — Jang Joon Hyuk...
(MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
, 2007) - The 1st Shop of Coffee PrinceThe 1st Shop of Coffee PrinceThe 1st Shop of Coffee Prince is a South Korean drama that began airing on July 2, 2007. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Lee Sun-mi...
(MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
, 2007) - On Air (SBS, 2008) (cameoCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
) - My Sweet Seoul (SBS, 2008)
- Triple (MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
, 2009) - PastaPasta (TV series)Pasta is a South Korean TV series broadcast by MBC from January 2010 to March 2010.-Synopsis:Pasta covers the dreams and success of a young woman who aspires to become an elite chef at La Sfera restaurant....
(MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
, 2010) - Our Slightly Risque Relationship (KBS Drama Special, 2010)
Music videos
- "It's OK" (Bijou, 1999)
- "You Remain in My Heart" (Lucid FallLucid FallLucid Fall is a Korean singer-songwriter. His birth name is Jo, Yun Suk . He was a lead vocalist and guitarist in the band Misoni...
, 2001) - "Arirang" (SG WannabeSG WannabeSG Wannabe is a popular South Korean ballad trio that debuted in 2004 with their song, "Timeless". The three members are Kim Yong Jun , Kim Jin Ho , and Lee Seok Hoon...
, 2007) - "Between Hidden Time" (Yoon Gun, 2008)
Discography
- "Ocean Travel (Choi Han-sung version)" (Coffee PrinceThe 1st Shop of Coffee PrinceThe 1st Shop of Coffee Prince is a South Korean drama that began airing on July 2, 2007. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Lee Sun-mi...
OSTSoundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
, 2007) - "My Sweet City" (My Sweet Seoul OSTSoundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
, 2008) - "Romantic Christmas" (duet with Eugene) (Romantic Island Christmas Story, 2008)
- "Boy" (Yoon Sang's Song Book: Play With Him, 2008)
- "Kangaroo" (duet with Choi Kang-heeChoi Kang-heeChoi Kang-hee is a South Korean actress and radio DJ.Choi made her film debut in the 1998 horror Whispering Corridors, and in 2006 she starred in the low budget My Scary Girl, a surprise hit for which she earned a Best Actress nomination at the 27th Blue Dragon Film Awards.In addition to her...
) (Petty Romance OSTSoundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
, 2010)
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- KT Collect Call
Awards
- 2007 MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
Drama Awards: Golden Acting Award, Miniseries category (White TowerWhite Tower (TV series)White Tower , aka Behind The White Tower, is a South Korean drama aired on MBC in 2007, based on the novel Shiroi Kyotō written by Toyoko Yamazaki, Japanese novelist.-Cast:*Kim Myung Min — Jang Joon Hyuk...
) - 2008 Korea Advertisers Association: Good Model Award
- 2010 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film FestivalLas Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film FestivalThe Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival is an international film festival that is held in Las Palmas in the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. The festival takes place every year...
: Best Actor (PajuPaju (film)A 2009 South Korean film, Paju is the tale of a teenage schoolgirl and her complex relation to her older sister’s husband . Set in the city where it takes its name from – a longtime military area and now a developing city located close to the North/South Korean border – its elegantly complex...
) - 2010 China Entertainment Television - Top Ten Asian Actors (PastaPasta (TV series)Pasta is a South Korean TV series broadcast by MBC from January 2010 to March 2010.-Synopsis:Pasta covers the dreams and success of a young woman who aspires to become an elite chef at La Sfera restaurant....
) - 2010 MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
Drama Awards: Best Couple Award with Kong Hyo-jinKong Hyo-jinGong Hyo-jin is a South Korean actress living in Seoul, South Korea.- Filmography :- Music Videos :*Part 1: "Left Alone" Part 2: "I Still Bite My Lips" *"Brown Hair"...
(PastaPasta (TV series)Pasta is a South Korean TV series broadcast by MBC from January 2010 to March 2010.-Synopsis:Pasta covers the dreams and success of a young woman who aspires to become an elite chef at La Sfera restaurant....
) - 2010 KBS Drama Awards: Best Actor, One-Act/Drama Special (Our Slightly Risque Relationship)
External links
- Mini-homepage at CyworldCyworldCyworld is a South Korean social network service operated by SK Communications , a subsidiary of SK Telecom .Members cultivate relationships by forming Ilchon or "friendships" with each other through their minihompy....
- Lee Seon-kyun at DC Inside
- Lee Seon-gyoon at HanCinema
- Seon-gyun Lee at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...