Lee Byung-hun. Unknown date.
 
Lee Byung-hun on Wikipedia
Lee Byung-hun on the Internet Movie Database
www.leebyunghun.kr
 
 
 
 
 
Lee Byung-hun with Ahn Sung-ki
Forecourt Ceremony held on Saturday, June 23, 2012
 
Born: July 12, 1970, in Seongnam, South Korea
Age at the time of the ceremony: 41
 
Lee Byung-hun is a handsome and affable leading man in Korea pictures. After working regulalry, he found a hit with Joint Security Area in 2000, and has been invited to participate in some Hollywood action films. He is a martial artist, and warbles some.

Lee was born into a wealthy family just outside Seoul South Korea. According to family lore, a friend of his mother suggested that young Byung-hun would make a good actor. He auditioned for the KBS television network and was cast in eight episodes of Asphalt My Hometown, aired in November 1991.

Several television shows followed, but Lee was itching to get into features. His first was a rom-com, Nuga naleul michige haneunga - Who Drives Me Mad? (released in September 1995) with Choi Jin-shil. Lee starred as a orphan looking for his place in society in 16 episodes of Beautiful My Lady, aired from April to June 1997 with Shim Eun-ha. Lee starred as a rookie school teacher in a small town in 1960s Korea in Nae maeumui punggeum - The Harmonium in My Memory (released in March 1997) with Jeon Do-yeon. Lee recorded an album, Lee Byung Hun - To Me, released in 1999.

Finally, a big hit came his way: playing a army sergeant in the DMZ between South and North Korea in Gongdong gyeongbi guyeok JSA - Joint Security Area (released in September 2000) with Lee Yeong-ae. JSA became the highest-grossing picture in Korea's history at that time.

Now, all of his films and television shows were popular all across Asia. Lee guest starred in an episode of Areumdawoon naldeul - Beautiful Days, aired in March 2001, and he had the lead in the romance Beonjijeompeureul hada - Bungee Jumping of Their Own (released in February 2001) with Lee Eun-ju, and he played the lead character with a gambling problem for 24 episodes of All In, aired over SBS in January 2003.

The film of Lee playing a mob henchman in Dalkomhan insaeng - A Bittersweet Life (released in April 2005) with Shin Min-a, was shown at Cannes, as well as his playing the bad guy in the "kimchi western" Joheunnom nabbeunnom isanghannom - The Good, the Bad, the Weird; these showings at Cannes brought Lee the part of the bad guy in the French co-production I Come with the Rain (released in May 2009) with Josh Hartnett.

Then Hollywood came calling, offering Lee the role of the ninja bodyguard Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra (released in August 2009) with Channing Tatum. Back in Korea, he co-starred for 21 episodes of the black-ops television show Iris, aired from October to December 2009, and he was a detective on the trail of a serial killer in Ang-ma-reul bo-at-da - I Saw the Devil (released in August 2010) with Choi Min-sik.

Lee had just finished shooting a dual role playing a commoner who is installed as king in the period picture Gwanghae: Wangyidoen namja - Masquerade (released in September 2012) with Ryu Seung-ryong, when he and Ahn Sung-ki were asked by the Korean Film Producers Association to make their imprints at the Chinese Theatre as a kickoff to the Look East Film Festival on Saturday, June 23, 2012. By the way, Masquerade has become the top-grossing period film in Korea.

Lee returned to Hollywood for G.I. Joe: Retaliation (released in March 2013) with Dwayne Johnson, and for RED 2 (released in July 2013) with Bruce Willis. Lee returned to medieval Korea for Hyeomnyeo: Kar-ui-gi-oek - Memories of the Sword (released in August 2015) with Jeon Do-yeon.

Back in Hollywood, Lee played a T-1000 Terminator in Terminator Genisys (which played the Chinese in July 2015) with Arnold Schwarzenegger, then returned to Korea for his role in the political drama Nae-bu-ja-deul - Inside Men (released in November 2015) with Cho Seung-woo.

Lee took a small part as "The Accountant" in the legal mystery Misconduct (released in February 2016) with Josh Duhamel, then played gunslinger Billy Rocks in the remake of The Magnificent Seven (which played the Chinese in September 2016) with Denzel Washington.

Lee played a gun-toting executive in the action thriller Ma-seu-teo - Master (released in December 2016) with Gang Dong-won; he traveled to Australia to find his missing family in Sing-geul ra-i-deo - Single Rider (released in February 2017) with Kong Hyo-jin. Lee protects his king in the Korea of 1636 in Namhansanseong - The Fortress (released in October 2017) with Kim Yoon-soek.

Lee played a has-been boxer reuniting with his family in the comedy Geugeotmani nae sesang - Keys to the Heart (released in January 2018) with Park Jung-min; he stars for 24 episodes of the period drama Miseuteo Shunshain - Mr. Sunshine, aired from July to September 2018.

Lee starred in the volcanic disaster flick Ashfall (released in December 2019) with Ha Jung-woo, and had the lead in the KCIA period thriller Namsanui bujangdeul - The Man Standing Next (released in January 2020) with Lee Sung-min. Lee has the role of Front Man in six episodes of Ojing-eo geim - Squid Game, aired over Netflix in September 2021
 
 
Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, California. Lee Byung-hun Forecourt block. Executed by unknown, Saturday, June 23, 2012. 36 x 24 inches.
Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, California. Lee Byung-hun Forecourt ceremony, Saturday, June 23, 2012. While signing his name, Lee Byung-hun holds up the stylus used for writing in the wet cement.
 
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