Actor You Need to Know: Lee Jong-suk

Lee Jong-suk is an actor who can change your impression of him every time you see him play a part onscreen. It’s as if he has mastered the art of veering out of his comfort zone in terms of playing characters with utmost precision. His cute grin as a romantic hero that makes your heart race can also send a shudder down the spine as a menacing villain. And although romance is the most gratifying domain for him, Lee is legitimately the monarch of all he surveys. Following the popularity he has gained, it is unsurprising that every fan goes gaga over this cute-looking South Korean superstar.

Years ago, his career and achievements practically began developing side by side. As the youngest male model to ever participate in Seoul Fashion Week, Lee made his runway debut in 2005, later taking an audition test at the SBS TV station while in middle school. Hence, an early shot at success came along when, in addition to his acting debut in the slasher flick Ghost, the rookie got an official television launch in the show Prosecutor Princess (2010). Besides, School 2013 marked a landmark performance in 2012, setting the stage for more significant roles in I Can Hear Your Voice (2013), Doctor Stranger (2014), Pinocchio (2014), W (2016), While You Were Sleeping (2017), Romance Is a Bonus Book (2019) and Big Mouth (2022).

The initial phase of Lee’s career was sufficient for him to declare that he is here to stay. So, even though he only had a supporting role in the super-popular K-drama Secret Garden (2010), his time on screen with Ha Ji-won and Hyun Bin made an impression as if he were completely on an equal footing with them. In essence, every time he had the opportunity to prove his mettle, he nailed it. Not only in Secret Garden but also in subsequent works like the 2011 television series High Kick Season 3 and the 2012 movie R2B: Return to Base, a rough recreation of the highly regarded 1986 film Top Gun. And mind you, this was just the beginning.

Personally, I would never have imagined the baby-faced actor to be who he is if it weren’t for his role in the teen drama School 2013. His screen presence is on another level. It hits you hard. Lee’s representation of angst, his pain, and just about everything he conveyed onscreen were excellent as a student, touching upon the core of themes of suicide, bullying, school violence, failing teacher-student relationships and other similar concerns. While winning him the 2012 KBS Drama Awards for Best New Actor, the series achieved global gravitas. Following the superhit, Lee and Lee Bo-young co-starred in the critically acclaimed film I Can Hear Your Voice. His portrayal of Park Soo-ha, a perceptive young man with mind-reading skills, earned him the Excellence Award in the male category of the Korea Drama Awards. Shortly after, the 33-year-old was featured in the sports film No Breathing and had a cameo role in the critically acclaimed The Face Reader (all in 2013).

Beginning the next year, the Hot Young Bloods star – whose magnetism had already established him as the object of affection for fans – geared up to use his standing to open up the possibilities for new artistic opportunities, thereby breaking into mainstream popularity. Lee’s fame skyrocketed as a result of the two big blockbusters from 2014, Doctor Stranger and Pinocchio. He received honors, including the Male Top Excellence Award at the 8th Korea Drama Awards and the Best Actor award at the 27th Grimae Awards, for his mind-blowing portrayals as a North Korean defector in the first and a reporter in the latter, the protagonists of two strong narratives. A poster boy for teenagers by this point, he knew how to embrace the adulation and express his gratitude, which drove him to worldwide fan meets in Asian countries. As a result of this tour, the South Korean hero’s international fame got a boost, landing him his first Chinese fantasy romance drama, Jade Lovers – another milestone that led to a wax replica of him on display in Hong Kong’s Madame Tussauds.

“While performing in W, my worries about my acting style subsided. I also came to understand another side of myself,” the actor has said, describing his role in the wildly successful fantasy thriller starring Han Hyo-joo as “a turning point.” He won the Daesang (Grand Prize) at the 2016 MBC Drama Awards thanks to the K-drama. Lee Jong-suk’s ascent to popularity may have been a huge success story up to this point, but he seems to have eschewed the trappings of fame by pursuing other creative goals. He is noted for strictly following the script and his lines as a director’s actor, and is appreciated for being a method actor who works very hard to give his characters life.

From the beginning to this day, the actor’s resume appears to be more diverse than what his handsome features and natural charm would imply. However, it appears as if his entire career has been leading up to a picture like V.I.P (2017), his debut performance as a villain. Consequently, in 2016, after appearing in the promotional web drama First Seven Kisses, Lee hit the headlines in the R-rated crime film as an antagonist, a crucial North Korean political figure’s son who is pampered after defecting to South Korea and yet becomes a prime suspect in a serial murder case. V.I.P reportedly reached millions of viewers just seven days after its release, according to the Korean Film Council, and generated a net gross income of 7.8 million US dollars.

At this juncture, Lee, who was at the top of his game, reached a peak, resulting in better offers one after the other. We first saw him with Bae Suzy in the transcendental drama While You Were Sleeping (2017), then in The Hymn of Death (2018), and the following year in the romantic comedy-drama Romance Is a Bonus Book. He began his mandatory military service on March 8, 2019, which ended on January 2, 2021. After his hiatus and upon his return, the artist made a memorable cameo in the famed horror thriller The Witch: Part 2. The Other One, and was most recently seen in the MBC drama Big Mouth. His upcoming film, Decibel, co-starring Kim Rae-won, Jung Sang-hoon, Lee Sang-hee, Cha Eun-woo and more will release soon. In the film, Lee will reprise his role as a seasoned villain – something I’ve been waiting a long time for.