Lee Sang-yi (actor)

Lee Sang-yi (; born November 27, 1991) is a South Korean actor and singer known for his work on stage and screen. He debuted in theater in 2014 and has since acted in several plays and musicals. He gained wider recognition for his leading roles in dramas, notably, ''Bloodhounds'' (2023–present), '' Spice Up Our Love'' (2023), and '' Good Boy'' (2025). As a singer, he is best known for being a member of the vocal group MSG Wannabe.

Early life and education

Lee Sang-yi was born in 1991 in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. He developed an interest in acting while participating in a production of ''The Sound of Music'' at Jeongji Elementary School.

When Lee entered Wonil Middle School, his father suggested he attend a local acting academy and learned tap dancing. Then, before entering high school, he told his parents that he would go to an arts high school and continue to study acting. He enrolled in the Department of Theater and Film at

During his time at Anyang Arts High School, he served as the student council president, a role he pursued due to his desire to interact with students from different departments. He won the election for this position after actively engaging with his peers by arriving at school 30 minutes early to perform songs on the guitar. Additionally, he established a Cyworld club to connect with potential classmates and exchange contact information. Encouraged by his peers' recognition of his proactive approach, he continued to take on leadership responsibilities.

In 2008, Lee, still in high school, demonstrated his dance talent by winning first place in the J-Tune Company UCC contest. He impressed the audience with his rendition of Rain's dance in "Rainism," which he shared on platforms like Daum TV Pod, Pikicast, and YouTube. At that time, Lee's dreams changed frequently. He was unsure about his future and considered various paths, including becoming a guitarist, a professional gamer, and a stage designer. Ultimately, he discovered that acting combined all his interests and chose to pursue it as his career.

In 2010, Lee enrolled in the School of Drama at Korea National University of Arts. He was part of the Class of 2010 in the Department of Acting. During his college years, he was the head of the acting department's class.

Career

2014–2019: Theater beginnings

During his mandatory military enlistment, Lee served as a duty police officer at the National Police Agency. After being discharged, he made his debut in 2014 with the musical '' Grease''. Over the years, he has appeared in various musicals such as ''Runway Beat'', and ''Legendary Little Basketball Team.''

In 2015, Lee acted in '' Bare: The Musical'', portraying the role of Peter. That same year, Lee also auditioned for and was cast in the musical Infinite Power, which was the directorial debut of actor Park Hee-soon. Lee was selected to play the character of Jang Seon-jae. Actor Park Hee-soon, a former member of the theater company Mokhwa, directed the musical with a unique approach that emphasized the individuality of each actor. Lee remarked, "Having been an actor himself, the director understands the actor's mindset better than anyone else."

In 2016, Lee and Kang Young-seok were both cast as Nathan Leopold in the Korean production of Stephen Dolginoff's musical "Thrill Me." Lee, a newcomer to the production, aimed to portray Nathan as a mild-mannered, soft-spoken character with exceptional logic and quick thinking. Directed by Park Ji-he, the musical ran from February 19 to June 12, 2016. Lee garnered attention for his compelling portrayal of Nathan, showcasing intense emotional acting. In the same year, he expanded his acting range with roles like Benny in 'In the Heights' and Baek-seok in 'Me, Natasha, and the White Donkey.'

In 2017, Lee took part in Mongni Music Drama Concert 2017 rown Up It was performed at KT&G Sangsang Art Hall from February 16 to 26. Lee dedicated five weeks to rehearsing and honing his dance skills with Park Ji-eun to master the choreography from the popular film ''La La Land''. Their dance cover performance was posted on YouTube in March 2017 and quickly gained widespread attention and popularity. In April, Lee performed onstage in play Crazy Kiss. The play Guards At The Taj! which was premiering in Korea, opened in August. Later that year, he made his television debut by joining the cast of the drama Manhole as Oh Dal-soo. In November, he appeared in the Prison Playbook series as Oh Dong-hwan. Despite his TV roles, he remained devoted to the stage.

In 2018, Lee starred in a supporting role in the television musical rom-com To. Jenny, alongside Kim Sung-cheol and Jung Chae-yeon. In 2018, he appeared on stage as Brown in the musical Red Book and costarred in the musical Today's Show - Moving Day. In 2019, Lee appeared on stage as Elvis impersonator Casey with Park Eun-seok and Kang Young-seok in the musical ''The Legend of Georgia McBride''. It was written by American playwright Matthew Lopez and premiered in the United States in 2014. In the same year, Lee appeared on television as a villain in ''Special Labor Inspector'' and as baseball coach Yang Seung-yeop in ''When the Camellia Blooms''.

2020–2022: Screen breakthrough and rising popularity

In 2020, Lee starred in 100 episodes weekend drama ''Once Again'', where he played the role of Yoon Jae-seok, a dentist and the younger brother of one of the show's leads, Yoon Gyu-jin, portrayed by Lee Sang-yeob. Lee's romantic storyline with Lee Cho-hee's character became a fan favorite, and their on-screen couple, known as the Sadon Couple, was lovingly referred to as the "national in-law". At the end of the year they won the Best Couple Award at the 2020 KBS Drama Awards. Lee also won Best New Actor Award at the same event. The drama's success helped him gain tremendous popularity.

After a two-year hiatus from musical theater, Lee returned to perform in ''A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder''. He played the role of Monty Navarro, a man who aims to become a count by eliminating eight heirs of the D'Ysquith family. Lee's performance won over the hearts of the audience with his unique 'nerd beauty' and solid acting skills, as he comically searched for the members of the D'Ysquith family one by one. He received positive feedback for his talent as an actor.

Lee remained busy in 2021. In May, he joined the cast of the KBS2 Monday-Tuesday drama ''Youth of May'' as Lee Soo-chan, a determined individual balancing family responsibilities and running a business in 1980s Gwangju. Despite challenges, he remained resilient, supported by his affection for nurse Kim Myung-hee, portrayed by Go Min-si. Lee Sang Yi's authentic portrayal received praise, exploring themes of love, family, and ambition.

in the same year, in May 2021, Lee appeared on the variety show program Hangout with Yoo and debuted as a member of MSG Wannabe as part of the sub-unit JSDK. In June 2021, he was confirmed to star in the tvN drama ''Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.'' He portrayed Ji Sung-hyun, a workaholic variety show director who has a bright personality. In the drama, Lee covered a song titled "Love is Forgotten" by Love from the artist . He also contributed to the OST by singing a song called "I Hope You're Happy," which was released as a single on October 17, 2021.

On November 24, 2021, Lee reprised his role as Ji Sung-hyun and became
virtual guide for Gongjin VR tour
which build on the popularity of ''Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha'' and was were released through LG U+ XR platfor
U+DIVe
Studio Dragon utilized its premium intellectual property to present virtual reality (VR) contents in partnership with Korea Tourism Organization and LG U+. The project aimed to promote Korea's beautiful tourist destinations using drama content as a medium.

In November 2021, Lee reprised his role as Monty Navarro in the musical ''A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder''. Also in November 2021, Lee confirmed his appearance in the Netflix Original Series ''Bloodhounds.'' It depicts a story about three young people who set foot in the world of private loans in pursuit of money and get caught up in a huge force. At the end of 2021, Lee became an MC for the 2021 MBC Entertainment Awards with Jun Hyun-moo and Kim Se-jeong.

2023–present: Leading roles

In 2023, Lee took part in Kim Dong-yeon's play ''Shakespeare in Love'', adapted from the 1998 film of the same name. He shared the role of William Shakespeare with Jung Moon-sung and Kim Sung-cheol in a triple cast.The play received favorable reviews and Lee's performance was praised by critics and audience.

In 2024, Lee returned to the small screen in the romantic comedy ''No Gain No Love'' in a as CEO Bok Gyu-heon. The chaebol businessman posts negative comments about a romance novelist, portrayed by Han Ji-hyeon, but later falls in love with her. The couple was such a hit that the creators added a two-episode spin-off titled '' Spice Up Our Love'' (2023) starring Lee and Han as a couple trapped in a romance novel.

He next starred as a former silver medalist fencer in JTBC’s action-comedy ''Good Boy'' (2025) alongside Park Bo-gum and directed by Shim Na-yeon. In the second half of 2025, Lee reprised his role as William Shakespeare in the play ''Shakespeare in Love''.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Television show

Hosting

Music video appearances

Stage

Concert

Musical

Theater

Discography

Soundtrack appearances

With MSG Wannabe

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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Lee Sang-yi at PlayDB


Lee Sang-yi at Naver

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Sang-yi
1991 births
Living people
People from Ansan
Male actors from Gyeonggi Province
21st-century South Korean male actors
South Korean male musical theatre actors
South Korean male stage actors
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male television actors
Korea National University of Arts alumni
Anyang Arts High School alumni