Lee Sung-jae (born August 23, 1970) is a South Korean actor. Among his notable works include the films ''

Art Museum by the Zoo ''Art Museum by the Zoo'' () is a 1998 South Korean film written and directed by Lee Jeong-hyang. Plot On leave from the military, Cheol-soo arrives at his girlfriend's apartment only to find it occupied by another woman, Choon-hee. After a few ...

'', ''

Attack the Gas Station ''Attack the Gas Station!'' ( ko, 주유소 습격 사건) is a 1999 Korean crime-comedy film directed by Kim Sang-jin and written by Park Jung-woo. The film tells the story of a quartet of thugs who rob a gas station out of sheer boredom, havi ...

'', ''

Barking Dogs Never Bite ''Barking Dogs Never Bite'' ( ko, 플란다스의 개, also known as ''A Higher Animal'' and ''Dog of Flanders'') is a 2000 South Korean independent dark comedy film directed and co-written by Bong Joon-ho in his directorial debut. The film's Kor ...

'', and ''

Kick the Moon ''Kick the Moon'' () is a 2001 South Korean film directed by Kim Sang-jin. Plot Ten years ago, a legendary fighter named Choi Gi-dong and a timid straight-A student named Park Young-joon leave for a high school field trip to Gyeongju city. But d ...

'', as well as the television series ''Lie'' and '' How Long I've Kissed''.

Career

Lee Sung-jae in a short period rose to become one of the more versatile and popular actors in Korean cinema. After working for a time on TV (his debut was the MBC drama ''The Love of Two Women''), he launched his film career with the romantic comedy ''

'' opposite superstar

Shim Eun-ha Shim Eun-ha (; born September 23, 1972) is a retired South Korean actress. Shim rose to popularity in the 1990s, starring in some of the highest-rated Korean dramas of all time, such as ''The Last Match'', ''M'' and ''Trap of Youth''. But she is ...

. The success of this movie gave him considerable attention and led to him being offered many more roles. After starring in '' Ghost in Love'' opposite Kim Hee-sun, Lee rose to prominence as the leader of a small group of thugs in one of the biggest box-office hits of the late 1990s, Kim Sang-jin's smash comedy ''

''. Shortly thereafter he took a role in a very different kind of film, the accomplished

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to disc ...

'', and his portrayal of a dog-hating lecturer who desperately wants to become a professor received good reviews. In 2001, Lee acted opposite

Ko So-young Ko So-young (; born October 6, 1972) is a South Korean actress and model. Early life Ko was born in Seoul, South Korea. She attended an all-female high school before gaining early admission to Chung-Ang University, where she studied computer sci ...

in ''A Day'', a drama about a young married couple who wish to have a baby; he then appeared alongside

Cha Seung-won Cha Seung-won (born June 7, 1970) is a South Korean actor, who began his career as an in-demand fashion model in the 1990s. Cha achieved stardom through the hit comedy films '' Kick the Moon'' (2001), '' Jail Breakers'' (2002), '' My Teacher, Mr ...

and

Kim Hye-soo Kim Hye-soo (; born September 5, 1970) is a South Korean actress. Kim was one of the most popular teen stars in the 1980s and 1990s. She is known for her headstrong independence and regularly playing strong-willed, sophisticated women. Kim bega ...

in ''

'', another wildly popular comedy by Kim Sang-jin. Lee also had a memorable turn as the villain in ''

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...

'', a hugely successful film by hit director and

Cinema Service Cinema Service () was a South Korean film production and distribution company. History The company was founded in 1993 by film director Kang Woo-suk as "Kang Woo-suk Productions", before taking the name Cinema Service in 1995. It survived durin ...

founder

Kang Woo-suk Kang Woo-suk (born November 10, 1960 in Gyeongsan) is a South Korean film producer and director. He has often been called the most powerful man in Korean cinema, topping Cine21 magazine's list of '50 Most Powerful Men in Korean Cinema' for sev ...

. In 2004 Lee portrayed a mountain climber in the big-budget adventure/melodrama '' Ice Rain'', which was shot in the

Canadian Rockies The Canadian Rockies (french: Rocheuses canadiennes) or Canadian Rocky Mountains, comprising both the Alberta Rockies and the British Columbian Rockies, is the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains. It is the easternmost part ...

, then played a ballroom dancer in ''

Dance with the Wind ''Dance with the Wind'' ( ko, 바람의 전설; ''Baramui jeonseol'') is a 2004 South Korean film starring Lee Sung-jae and Park Sol-mi, and is the directorial debut of Park Jung-woo. The story is adapted from a 1999 book by novelist Ji Seong-sa ...

'',

Park Jung-woo Park Jung-woo (born 1969) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Park is a screenwriter turned director, and probably ranks as South Korea's most well-known screenwriter for his famous stories such as ''Attack the Gas Station'' (1999 ...

's directorial debut (Park wrote the screenplay for many of Kim Sang-jin's films). Other notable roles include real-life fugitive

Ji Kang-hun Ji or JI may refer to: Names and titles * Ji (surname), the pinyin romanization of a number of distinct Chinese surnames * Ji (Korean name), a Korean surname and element in given names (including lists of people with the name) * -ji, an honorifi ...

in 2006's ''Holiday'', and a sculptor in 2010 3D erotic film '' Natalie''. Among the television series he's starred in include 2008 romantic comedy ''Lawyers of the Great Republic of Korea'', and 2012 hit cable drama '' How Long I've Kissed''.

Filmography

Film

Television

Variety show

Awards

References

External links

Lee Sung-jae
at Koom Entertainment * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Sung-jae South Korean male film actors South Korean male television actors Dongguk University alumni Male actors from Seoul 1970 births Living people Best New Actor Paeksang Arts Award (film) winners