Loading AI tools
South Korean actor (born 1996) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sang Heon Lee (Korean: 이상헌; born May 21, 1996) is a South Korean actor with a multicultural background. Lee rose to prominence from his acting debut by playing Min Ho in XO, Kitty (2023–present),[2] Netflix spin-off series from To All the Boys films franchise (2018–2021) based on the best-selling young adult trilogy book by American author Jenny Han.[3][4]
Sang Heon Lee | |
|---|---|
Sang Heon Lee in 2024 | |
| Born | May 21, 1996 Seoul, South Korea |
| Nationality | South Korean[1] |
| Other names | Daniel Lee |
| Alma mater | University of Northampton |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2023–present |
| Relatives | Gia Kim (sister) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이상헌 |
| Revised Romanization | I Sangheon |
| McCune–Reischauer | I Sanghŏn |
| IPA | [isaŋɦʌn] |
He made his film debut in the coming-of-age sports drama film Gran Turismo in August 2023.[5]
Sang Heon Lee was born on May 21, 1996, in Seoul, South Korea. He has an older sister, Gia Kim (Korean: 지아킴) (real name Jung Nyeon Lee, Korean: 이정년), who is four years older.[6][7] Kim also is an actress portraying a fellow main character, Yuri, in XO, Kitty.[8][9][10] His sister uses a stage name, which is the reason for them having different last names.[11][12] He spent most of his childhood and teenage years in Hong Kong because of his father's work.[13] During a podcast interview, Gia Kim states that their father was in the construction industry.[14] While living in Hong Kong, he attended an international school with his sister.[6][12]
Lee began having an interest in acting from taking drama classes during high school years in Hong Kong,[15] which subsequently led him to major in Drama at the University of Northampton in England for his undergraduate study.[16] He attended the University of Northampton from 2014 to 2016.[6]
After graduating from the University of Northampton in 2016, Lee returned to South Korea to fulfill his military duty for two years.[15][6][17]
Upon finishing the mandatory military service, Lee did modeling gigs for a year and a half and worked various jobs.[11] His sister, Gia Kim, suggested Lee submit an audition tape for XO, Kitty, which became his first official audition for a major acting role. Before landing his debut breakout role as Min Ho, Lee appeared in a few projects as a background character and a reenactment actor in documentaries.[1][6][11]
Shortly after appearing in XO, Kitty, Lee plays a small role in a biographical film, Gran Turismo (2023), based on Jann Mardenborough's life and career as a professional race car driver, alongside David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, and Archie Madekwe, set to be released on August 11, 2023.[5][18]
On June 14, 2023, Netflix announced the renewal of XO, Kitty for the season two; Lee will reprise his role as Min Ho.[19][20]
In 2024, Lee will be working with Filipina actress Julia Barretto and Indonesian actor Nicholas Saputra on a food-inspired romantic-comedy project of Viu, a 6 episodes series titled Secret Ingredient.[21][22]
Lee is an avid rock climber, and has a separate Instagram account dedicated to his climbing activity.[15][11]
During XO, Kitty press interviews, he mentions that he shares an affinity towards food, cooking, valuing friendships, and traveling with his character Min Ho.[6][13]
He taught himself how to cook properly by watching YouTube videos of Gordon Ramsay during his undergraduate years in the UK living with his roommates trying to live on a budget while learning to eat healthy. Therefore, his cooking skills are more equipped towards Western cuisine than Korean. He also is a self-professed foodie.[15]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Gran Turismo | Joo-Hwan Lee | Film debut | [5] |
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
