Lee Yong-yi (; born July 30, 1958) is a theater, television and movie
actress
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
. She is known for her role as Nomo both in theater play and film '' Welcome to Dongmakgol'' (2005) and tvN series ''
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
''Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha'' () is a 2021 South Korean romantic comedy drama television series starring Shin Min-a, Kim Seon-ho and Lee Sang-yi. It is a remake of 2004 South Korean film '' Mr. Handy, Mr. Hong''. It aired on tvN from August 28 ...
'' (2021).
Career
After graduating from Seoul Institute of the Arts, in 1979, Lee joined ''Theatre Company Minye'' where she made her acting debut in the play ''Broken Jar'' by
Heinrich von Kleist
Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist (; 18 October 177721 November 1811) was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, short story writer and journalist. His best known works are the theatre plays ''The Prince of Homburg'', '' Das Käthchen von Heilbronn'' ...
.
In 1986, Lee joined ''Theater Company Michu'' and participated in several notable productions. One of her notable performances was the role of Hyeong-bang in ''Madangnori Chunhyangjeon'' (1987–1992). She also performed in play Dung Dung Nakrang Dung () as King Bang Sook in July 12 to 24, 1996, at Towol Theater, Seoul Arts Center.
In 1991, Lee Yong-yi acted in Park Kwang-soo's film ''I Want to Go to That Island''. She played the character Ne Eop-sun, a shaman who lived on the island with her husband. Interestingly, her real-life husband, actor Kim Il-woo, portrayed the role of the shaman's husband in the movie. The movie was released in 1993, So the year officially became her first big screen debut.
In 1995 Lee Yong-yi cast as Gwibone in play ''That Woman's Novel'', adapted from the novel "Little Grandmother!" by playwright Um In-hee. It was a refinement of a work published in 1989 by the writer Um In-hee in Another Cultural 3rd Collection. The play, directed by Kang Young-geol, was performed at the 19th Seoul Theater Festival in June 1995 at the Arts Center Small Theater. Lee Yong-yi received the 19th Seoul Theater Festival Female Acting Award for her portrayal.
In 1998, Lee became leader of ''the theater company Hyun Bin (玄牝)'' which was established by her husband, actor and theater director Kim Il-woo. Their first production was an adaptation of Lee Moon-yeol's original novel, "Choice."
Since 2017, Lee Yong-yi has been under an exclusive contract with Liyan Entertainment. She later moved to High Entertainment.
Other activities
In addition to her acting career, Lee also possesses musical talent. She studied
Gyeonggi
Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea.
Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, ...
folk songs under the guidance of the master pansori singer Ahn Bok-sik (1926–97). Furthermore, she served as a lecturer on music and acting at
Sungkyunkwan University
Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU or ''Seongdae'', ) is a private research university with campuses in Seoul and Suwon, South Korea.
The institution traces its origins to the historic Sungkyunkwan founded in 1398 in central Seoul.
Personal life
Lee Yong-yi's late husband was Kim Il-woo, an actor and theater director. They met while they were both attending Seoul Institute of the Arts, where he was her senior in the theater department. They had two children together. Sadly, he passed away in 2004 due to stomach cancer.
Lee Yong-yi's older brother, , is also an actor. He appeared in productions such as 'The Third Republic' and 'The Fourth Republic'. However, he has not been active in the industry since his appearance in 'Fermented Family'.