---
name: "Lee Jung-jae"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/lee-jung-jae"
fi1m_id: "lee-jung-jae"
imdb_id: "nm0497631"
tmdb_id: 73249
wikidata_id: "Q491318"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "15 December 1972"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-17T21:09:19.927628+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Lee Jung-jae

## Identity

Lee Jung-jae

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/lee-jung-jae
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** lee-jung-jae
- **IMDb ID:** nm0497631
- **TMDB ID:** 73249
- **Wikidata ID:** Q491318
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Jung-jae, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q491318, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0497631/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/73249

Actor. Born 15 December 1972 in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 15 December 1972, Icheon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
- **Also known as:** Lee Jeong-Jae, Jung-Jae Lee, Джонджэ Ли, Джон-джэ Ли
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Jung-jae, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q491318, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0497631/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/73249

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Squid Game*](https://film.one/tv/squid-game.md) (81)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Lee Jung-jae

> Lee Jung-jae is most persuasive when he lets the assurance of a leading man slip. In *Squid Game*, his vulnerability makes a desperate man's choices credible, though the writing sometimes explains what the performance has already made clear.

In *Squid Game* (2021), Lee Jung-jae makes Seong Gi-hun's financial desperation so convincing that we understand his decision to enter the competition. We were frightened for him because Lee makes needing the money painful, rather than merely a reason for taking part. He gives us someone to care about before the games have done their work. He does not have to make every choice sensible to keep us concerned about its consequences.

This is a marked departure from the glamorous leading-man image of his earlier work. *An Affair* (1998) provided his breakthrough, and *City of the Rising Sun* (1999) began a long collaboration with Jung Woo-sung. *New World* (2013) belongs to the crime-thriller and ensemble work that has suited him. Casting him as a down-on-his-luck everyman asks him to give up some of that polish, and the loss suits him.

Hwang Dong-hyuk gets particularly good work from him when the pressure comes through the other players. Alongside Park Hae-soo as Cho Sang-woo and Hoyeon as Kang Sae-byeok, Lee helps make trust more than a calculation about surviving the next game. The alliances matter because these people have become worth our concern, not simply because the competition requires them. Lee leaves space for the others to matter, which is essential in a drama whose tensions depend on deciding whom to believe.

There is a limit to what that performance can repair. *Squid Game* sometimes gives its characters blunt speeches when their circumstances and behaviour have already made the point. The writing is strongest when it lets Gi-hun's need for money and his dealings with the others carry the scene, rather than asking dialogue to spell out the stakes.

With *Hunt* (2022), his directorial debut, Lee also took a leading role; *The Acolyte* (2024) brought an English-language part as Master Sol. These are different ways of testing what he can do beyond Gi-hun. We would like more roles that let him be as fallible as Gi-hun, too. Start with *Squid Game*, and allow for the speeches.

## Biography

Lee Jung-jae is a South Korean actor. He began his career as a fashion model in 1993 before making his acting debut in the television drama Dinosaur Teacher that year. Early roles included the series Feelings (1994) and Sandglass (1995).

He achieved breakthrough success with leading roles in the films An Affair (1998) and City of the Rising Sun (1999), the latter earning him the Best Actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. Subsequent notable performances include Il Mare (2000), The Housemaid (2010), The Thieves (2012), New World (2013), Assassination (2015), and the Along with the Gods films (2017–2018).

Lee gained international recognition for portraying Seong Gi-hun / Player 456 in the Netflix series Squid Game (2021–), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He has also appeared in The Acolyte (2024) as Master Sol.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Squid Game* (2021), Fi1m 81, as Seong Gi-hun / Player 456 — [page](https://film.one/tv/squid-game.md)

## Complete filmography (51)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Nice to Not Meet You* (2025), series, as Lim Hyeon-jun
- *Revolver* (2024), as Lim Seok-yong
- *The Acolyte* (2024), series, as Master Sol
- *Ground of Honor: Rondo* (2023), as Beta
- *Hunt* (2022), as Park Pyong-ho · Writer, Producer, Director
- *Squid Game* (2021), series, as Seong Gi-hun / Player 456 — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/squid-game.md)
- *Delayed Justice* (2020), series, as Jang Tae-Jun
- *Deliver Us from Evil* (2020), as Ray
- *Chief of Staff* (2019), series, as Jang Tae-Joon
- *Trade Your Love* (2019), as Lawyer (cameo)
- *Svaha: The Sixth Finger* (2019), as Pastor Park Ung-jae
- *Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days* (2018), as King Yeomra
- *Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds* (2017), as King Yeomra
- *Warriors of the Dawn* (2017), as Tow
- *Operation Chromite* (2016), as Jang Hak-soo
- *Tik Tok* (2016), as Kang Seung-joon
- *Assassination* (2015), as Yeom Seok-jin
- *Big Match* (2014), as Choi Ik-ho
- *The Face Reader* (2013), as Grand Prince Soo-yang
- *New World* (2013), as Lee Ja-sung
- *The Thieves* (2012), as Popie
- *El Fin del Mundo* (2012), as He
- *The Housemaid* (2010), as Hoon
- *Triple* (2009), series, as Shin Hwal
- *The Accidental Gangster* (2008), as Cheon-doong
- *Air City* (2007), series, as Kim Ji-sung
- *Typhoon* (2005), as Gang Se-jong
- *Oh! Brothers* (2003), as Oh Sang-woo
- *Over the Rainbow* (2002), as Lee Jin-soo
- *The Last Witness* (2001), as Detective Oh
- *MOB 2025* (2001), as Dust
- *Last Present* (2001), as Jung Yong-gi
- *Asako in Ruby Shoes* (2000), as Woo-in
- *Il Mare* (2000), as Han Sung-hyun
- *Interview* (2000), as Eun-seok
- *The Uprising* (1999), as Yi Jae-su
- *City of the Rising Sun* (1999), as Hong-ki
- *An Affair* (1998), as Woo-in
- *White Nights 3.98* (1998), series, as Lee Young-jun
- *Snail* (1997), series, as Dong-cheol
- *Park vs Park* (1997), as Park Su-sok
- *Firebird* (1997), as Young-hoo
- *Albatross* (1996), as Pyeong-san
- *Love is Blue* (1995), series, as Na Jae-sung
- *Sandglass* (1995), series, as Baek Jae-hee
- *The Young Man* (1994), as Lee Han
- *Feelings* (1994), series, as Joon
- *공룡선생* (1993), series, as Jung-jae
- *Love is Oh Yeah!* (1993), as Blackguard 3
- *Ray*, series, as Ray · Producer
- *Untitled Lee Jung-jae Film*, Director, Writer

## Gallery

- ![(빅매치) 제작보고회 말.말.말 영상 (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/43464/gallery-6d1c6f81860c.jpg) (빅매치) 제작보고회 말.말.말 영상 (2014) — ItsNEWKorea, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/%28%EB%B9%85%EB%A7%A4%EC%B9%98%29_%EC%A0%9C%EC%9E%91%EB%B3%B4%EA%B3%A0%ED%9A%8C_%EB%A7%90.%EB%A7%90.%EB%A7%90_%EC%98%81%EC%83%81_%EC%9D%B4%EC%A0%95%EC%9E%AC.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Actor Lee Jung-jae in 2021 being interviewed about Squid Game for Elle Taiwan.](https://film.one/media/person/43464/gallery-ff6f8ab5d194.jpg) Actor Lee Jung-jae in 2021 being interviewed about Squid Game for Elle Taiwan. — Elle Taiwan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/20210923%E2%80%94Lee_Jung-jae_%EC%9D%B4%EC%A0%95%EC%9E%AC%2C_interview%2C_ELLE_Taiwan_screenshot_%2802m06s%29.jpg/1280px-20210923%E2%80%94Lee_Jung-jae_%EC%9D%B4%EC%A0%95%EC%9E%AC%2C_interview%2C_ELLE_Taiwan_screenshot_%2802m06s%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![서울 여의도 더 현대 서울에서 열린 발렌타인 싱글 몰트 팝업 스페이스 포토콜 행사에 참석한 이정재 (2021)](https://film.one/media/person/43464/gallery-18e722911dcd.jpg) 서울 여의도 더 현대 서울에서 열린 발렌타인 싱글 몰트 팝업 스페이스 포토콜 행사에 참석한 이정재 (2021) — 사진기자머길, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/210305_%EC%9D%B4%EC%A0%95%EC%9E%AC.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Lee Jung-jae in March 2024](https://film.one/media/person/43464/gallery-d088c8bcfcb2.jpg) Lee Jung-jae in March 2024 — K-POPIT 케이팝잇, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/240305_Lee_Jung-jae.jpg/1280px-240305_Lee_Jung-jae.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Lee Jung-jae](https://film.one/media/person/43464/gallery-4860da6362be.jpg) Lee Jung-jae — Image via TMDB
- ![Lee Jung-jae](https://film.one/media/person/43464/gallery-0b5b62a013ff.jpg) Lee Jung-jae — Image via TMDB
- ![Lee Jung-jae](https://film.one/media/person/43464/gallery-cb5d166aa0c0.jpg) Lee Jung-jae — K-POPIT 케이팝잇, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/240305_Lee_Jung-jae_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

## Awards

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won

- 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (won)

### SAG Awards — 1 won

- 2022: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series (won)

### Other awards — 7 won

- Critics' Choice Awards 2022: Best Actor in a Drama Series (won)
- Order of Cultural Merit, 1st class 2022: Order of Cultural Merit, 1st class (won)
- Baeksang Arts Award for Best Supporting Actor – Film 2014: Baeksang Arts Award for Best Supporting Actor – Film (won)
- Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Supporting Actor 2013: Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Supporting Actor (won)
- Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Actor 1999: Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Actor (won), for *City of the Rising Sun*
- Baeksang Arts Award for Best New Actor – Television 1995: Baeksang Arts Award for Best New Actor – Television (won)
- Blue Dragon Film Award for Best New Actor 1995: Blue Dragon Film Award for Best New Actor (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/lee-jung-jae