Lee Dong-wook
South Korean actor and presenter (born 1981) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lee Dong-wook (Korean: 이동욱; born 6 November 1981) is a South Korean actor and presenter. He is best known for his leading roles in the television dramas My Girl (2005), Scent of a Woman (2011), The Fugitive of Joseon (2013), Hotel King (2014), Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017), Life (2018), Hell Is Other People (2019), Tale of the Nine Tailed (2020), Bad and Crazy (2021), Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 (2023), and A Shop for Killers (2024). He is also the host of the talk show Strong Heart (2012–2013), boy group survival reality show Produce X 101 (2019), and his own American-style talk show Wook Talk (2019).
Lee Dong-wook | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lee at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival | |
| Born | 6 November 1981 Seoul, South Korea |
| Education | Joongbu University[1] |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Agent | King Kong by Starship[2] |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이동욱 |
| Hanja | 李棟旭 |
| Revised Romanization | I Donguk |
| McCune–Reischauer | I Tonguk |
| Website | leedongwook.co.kr |
| Signature | |
 | |
Early life and education
In 2005, Lee enrolled in Joongbu University, majoring in media and broadcasting arts.[3]
Career
Summarize
Perspective
Lee made his acting debut in 1999 in an MBC single-episode drama after winning the grand prize in the V-NESS model contest of the same year.[4][5] The PD of the drama saw Lee, and proceeded to cast him in the teen drama School 2.[6][7] Lee started to gain recognition with his performance in School 3.[8]
Lee hit stardom with 2005 romantic comedy My Girl.[9] The drama series became a hit during its run both domestically and across Asia, and made Lee a Korean Wave star.[10][11]
He has since starred in noir Bitter Sweet Life (2008),[12] courtroom dramedy Partner (2009),[13][14] melodrama Scent of a Woman (2011),[15] baseball rom-com Wild Romance (2012),[16][17] period thriller The Fugitive of Joseon (2013),[18][19] and revenge drama Hotel King (2014), in which he reunited with My Girl co-star Lee Da-hae.[20][21] He then starred in fantasy-action series Blade Man (2014) and romance drama Bubble Gum (2015).[22][23]
Lee and comedian Shin Dong-yup took over as MCs of talk show Strong Heart from April 2012 to January 2013.[24][25][26][27][28][29] Lee also joined the reality show Roommate, which aired from 2014 to 2015.[30][31]
From 2016 to 2017, Lee starred alongside Gong Yoo in Kim Eun-sook's fantasy-romance drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God playing a grim reaper.[32] The drama was a hit, and along with its success, helped in the resurgence of Lee's acting career.[33][34]
In 2018, Lee starred in the medical drama Life as a doctor who works at the ER Department.[35][36]
In 2019, Lee starred in the romance comedy drama Touch Your Heart alongside Guardian co-star Yoo In-na, playing a workaholic lawyer.[37][38] The same year, he was confirmed as the host for Produce X 101, the fourth season of survival audition program Produce 101.[39] He then starred as the main antagonist in the thriller drama Hell Is Other People as a dentist in the morning but a psychopath in the evening.[40] He also started hosting his own talk show, Wook Talk, to celebrate his 20th anniversary since debut.[41][42]
In 2020, Lee was cast in the fantasy drama Tale of the Nine Tailed as a nine-tailed fox who used to be a mountain god, and is now working as a civil servant.[43] He also confirmed to appear in the romantic comedy film Single in Seoul alongside Im Soo-jung.[44]
In December 2020, he was listed as Asia-Pacific's Most Influential Celebrities on Social Media.[45]
In 2021, he appeared in A Year-End Medley, a romantic comedy film by Kwak Jae-yong[46] and in an iQIYI original mystery drama Bad and Crazy, which aired on 17 December 2021.[47]
In 2022, Lee joined the Universe communication platform.[48]
In 2024, Lee starred on Disney+'s A Shop for Killers.[49]
Other activities
Ambassadorships
| Year | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Honorary Ambassador for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games | [50][51] |
| Tourism Ambassador of Gangwon Province | [52] | |
| 2024 | Olympic Friends of 2024 Winter Youth Olympics | [53] |
Philanthropy
On 11 March 2022, Lee made a donation ₩50 million to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the Uljin forest fire 2022, which devastated the area and then spread to Samcheok, South Korea.[54]
Personal life
Military service
Lee enlisted in the military in August 2009, serving under the National Defense Public Relations Service.[55] He was discharged in June 2011.[56]
Ancestry
His parents are mainly of Korean descent.[57] In a Wook Talk episode that aired on 22 January 2020, guest and forensic professor Yoo Sung-ho revealed genealogical DNA test results for him and one of the show's producers. According to Lee's results, a significant part of his mother's genetic makeup matches that of Koryaks and Khakas people—both ethnic groups that are indigenous to Siberia (to be more specific, Kamchatka and Khakassia respectively).[58]
Filmography
Bibliography
| Year | Title | Category | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | For My Dear | Photo-book | ISBN 9791162201565 | [59] |
Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APAN Star Awards | 2014 | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | Hotel King | Nominated | [60] |
| 2018 | K-Star Award | Life | Nominated | [61] | |
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
| Asia Model Awards | 2014 | Fashionista Award | Lee Dong-wook | Won | [62] |
| Brand of the Year Awards | 2023 | Male Actor of the Year (Drama) | Lee Dong-wook | Won | [63] |
| Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards in China | 2011 | Most Attractive Actor in Asia | Lee Dong-wook | Won | [64] |
| DramaFever Awards | 2017 | Best Supporting Actor | Guardian: The Lonely and Great God | Won | [65] |
| Fashionista Awards | 2017 | Global Icon | Lee Dong-wook | Nominated | [66] |
| I-Magazine Fashion Face Award | 2021 | Asian Male | Lee Dong-wook | Won | [67] |
| iQIYI Awards | 2021 | The Most Popular Actor | Tale of the Nine Tailed | Won | [68] |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2009 | Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Partner | Nominated | [69] |
| 2012 | Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Wild Romance | Nominated | [70] | |
| 2013 | Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | The Fugitive of Joseon | Nominated | [71] | |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2017 | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Guardian: The Lonely and Great God | Nominated | [72] |
| Korea Fashion Photographers Association | 2018 | Photogenic Award of the year | Lee Dong-wook | Won | [73] |
| Korea First Brand Awards | 2021 | Best Actor | Lee Dong-wook | Won | [74] |
| Korea Movie Star Awards | 2007 | Best New Actor | The Perfect Couple | Nominated | [75] |
| Korean Most Popular Entertainment Awards | 2001 | New Generation Actor | Lee Dong-wook | Won | |
| 2002 | Best New Actor (TV) | Loving You | Won | ||
| MBC Drama Awards | 2014 | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Project Drama | Hotel King | Nominated | [76] |
| OCN Awards | 2019 | "Dangerously Attractive Character" Award | Hell Is Other People | Won | [77] |
| PC LADY & Tudou Fashion Awards | 2013 | Asia Fashion Star Award | Lee Dong-wook | Won | [78] |
| SBS Drama Awards | 2003 | New Star Award | Land of Wine | Won | [79] |
| Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||||
| 2011 | Top 10 Stars | Scent of a Woman | Won | [80] | |
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Weekend Drama | Won | ||||
| SBS Entertainment Awards | 2012 | Best Couple Award | Lee Dong-wook (with Shin Dong-yup) Strong Heart |
Won | [81] |
| Best Newcomer, MC category | Strong Heart | Won | |||
| Soompi Awards | 2018 | Best Supporting Actor | Guardian: The Lonely and Great God | Won | [82] |
| V-NESS Model Awards | 1999 | Grand Prize | Lee Dong-wook | Won | [83] |
State and cultural honors
| Country or organization | Year | Honor | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea-Japan Culture Awards | 2011 | Grand Prize for Cultural Diplomacy | [84] |
Listicles
References
External links
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