Lee Bong-ryun

Beginning

Lee's transition from photography to the performing arts began with a role in a short film directed by a colleague who had transferred from photography to film studies.^[6] In 2003, after watching a production of the musical Singin' in the Rain, Lee was inspired by the performance of actor Park Dong-ha. This prompted her to enroll in the musical department of a social education center at a nearby university, where she attended night classes for two years. During this period, her instructor and stage director, Kim Dong-yeon, appointed her as the assistant director for his play Fantasy Fairy Tale.^[2][7]

In 2005, Lee made her professional acting debut in the musical Five Drawings of Love. Originally cast as an understudy, she performed the role for one month due to the absence of a lead actor.^[2] Following her debut, she appeared in a wide range of stage productions, establishing a foundation in both plays and musicals.^[8][9]

In 2008, Lee auditioned for the musical Laundry after seeing Lee Jung-eun's portray the role of the grandmother. She successfully secured the part for the following season and remained with the production for three years.^[10][11] During this time, Lee participated in several other stage works, including Roberto Zucco, directed by Oh Kyung-taek; Almost, Maine, directed by Yi Sang-woo; and Comrades of the Century Wind, directed by Kim Soo-jin. Lee also collaborated with director Kim Dong-hyun on the play Beeul (Punishment). She has noted that the director's guidance during this production was a significant factor in her professional development. During rehearsals, Kim encouraged her to explore dramatic nuances beyond the comedic expressions she was primarily known for, an experience she describes as a lasting influence on her acting philosophy.^[2]

Theater Company Alleyway, Film and television debut

Lee made her cinematic debut with a minor role in Choo Chang-min's film Late Blossom (2011). This was followed by other minor roles in Masquerade (2012) and Confession of Murder (2012).^[12]

Lee first met director Park Geun-hyung at the Namsan Drama Center while he was preparing Jeon Myeong-chul Biography. This initial encounter led to their collaboration. Subsequently, Lee participated when the Alleyway theater company decided to stage Ode to Youth for their 10th anniversary.^[2] In Ode to Youth, Lee played a coffee shop waitress who suffered from epilepsy.^[13][14] Following this, she officially joined the Alleyway theater company and appeared in July performance of Jeon Myeong-chul Biography. It was followed by lead role in youth drama Red Bus, written and directed by Park Geun-hyung.^[2][15]

In 2013, Lee began her acting career in television. Her first role was as a college friend of Na-jung (played by Go Ara) in tvN drama Reply 1994.^[16] Despite a brief appearance, she made a lasting impression as a college student from Yeosu who engaged in whose hometown was better dispute with Hae-tae (played by Son Ho-jun) from Suncheon.^[17]

In 2014, she starred in Park Geun-hyung's play, Manchurian Front, which explored the lives of young Koreans in Manchuria around 1940. Set in Xingjing (modern-day Changchun, China), the play followed students who met to discuss literature, history, and their shared ambition of achieving wealth and honor in Manchuria, aspiring to live like the Japanese.^[18] The play ran at Small Theater Siwol and was critically acclaimed, earning a spot as one of the BEST 7 performances of 2014 by the Korean Theater Company. She reprised her role in Manchurian Front when it served as the opening performance for the 2015 Seoul Theater Festival at the Daehakro Jayu Theater.^[19]

In 2015, Lee acted in play The House of Bernarda Alba.^[20] Lee landed her first supporting role in 2015 as Mi-ran in the JTBC drama Songgot: The Piercer, which starred Ji Hyun-woo and Ahn Nae-sang. The drama was based Choi Kyu-seok's webtoon Awl, inspired by a true story from 2007.^[6][21] This was followed by minor film roles including A Matter of Interpretation (2015), Girl On the Edge (2015), Life is but an Empty (2015).^[12] In 2016, Lee act in play Press Guideness. This was followed by minor film roles including Run Off (2016), and How to Break up with My Cat (2016).^[12]

In 2017, Lee played the role of a receptionist in the action-adventure film Okja, directed by Bong Joon-ho. Director Bong, is a fan of the theater company Alleyway. According to the assistant director of Okja, Bong remembered Lee from the play Manchurian Front, and she was cast after multiple meetings.^[22] In the Jang Hoon's A Taxi Driver (2017), Lee played a pregnant woman who received a free ride from taxi driver Kim Man-seop (played by Song Kang-ho).^[12]

That same year, Lee costarred in Yoo Je-won's Tomorrow, with You. She acted as Oh So-ri, best friend of Ma-rin (played by Shin Min-a) who runs piano academy. She then costarred in the drama While You Were Sleeping.^[23] In 2017 Lee signed exclusive contract with C-JeS Entertainment.^[24] Lee also joined the musical Heavy Metal Girls in 2017.^[25] This was followed by her appearance as Katya in the Korean premiere of the play Valentine's Day, a work by Golden Mask Award-winning artist Ivan Vymilfayev, at Jayu Small Theater until January 14, 2018.^[26]

In 2018, Lee appeared in the drama Life on Mars. She also played the older sister who informed Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) that Haemi (Jeon Jong-seo) was a liar when he was searching for her in Lee Chang-dong's film Burning (2018).^[12] In December 2018, Creative Table Quartz confirmed Lee Bong-ryun's appearance in the Korean premiere of the one-man play Everything Shines on Me, an original work by Duncan McMillan that had participated in various overseas festivals, including Edinburgh and Perth in Australia, since the 2013 Lurdle Fringe Festival.^[27]

Critical acclaim and further recognition

In 2019, Lee appeared in several film and television projects, including the dramas When the Devil Calls Your Name and Melting Me Softly. In the film Birthday, she portrayed Jeong-suk, a relative providing support to the protagonists (Sul Kyung-gu) and Soon-nam (Jeon Do-yeon) following the loss of their son. She also appeared as the third older sister of Yong-nam (Jo Jung-seok) in the action film Exit, which recorded over 10 million admissions at the box office.^[28]

Lee gained wider recognition for her role in Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, film starring Jung Yu-mi and Gong Yoo. Based on the million-seller novel of the same name by Cho Nam-Joo, it was released on October 23, 2019.^[29] She portrayed Hye-soo, a character who encourages the protagonist's professional aspirations and assists in her return to the workforce. Her performance was noted for its portrayal of a supportive peer providing practical guidance to the titular character.^[30]

Lee has been a frequent cast member in productions staged by the National Theater Company of Korea. In 2020, she was cast as Princess Hamlet in the gender-blind production of Shakespeare's Hamlet for the National Theater Company's 70th anniversary. For this role, she won the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actress in a Play.^[31][32]

In 2020, Lee starred in When the Weather Is Fine. In the latter half of the year, she held supporting roles in two television projects. She portrayed Myung-sook in Lee Eung-bok's Netflix series Sweet Home, a woman grieving the loss of her infant. As the narrative progresses, the character undergoes a transformation into a non-aggressive entity motivated by a protective instinct. Her portrayal was noted for its emotional depth and the character's unique behavioral traits within the series. Later in 2020, Lee appeared in the JTBC drama Run On as Park May, the CEO of an art film production company and the roommate of the protagonist, Oh Mi-joo (Shin Se-kyung). Her performance in the series was noted for the rapport established with co-star Shin.^[33][34][35]

In 2021, Lee collaborated with director Yoo Je-won and actress Shin Min-a in the tvN series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. She played Yeo Hwa-jung, a seafood restaurant owner and the village chief of Gongjin. In the series, her character is a divorcée co-parenting their son Yi-jun with her ex-husband, Jang Young-guk (In Gyo-jin), and serves as the landlady for Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a).^[36] Later that year, Lee appeared as Hwang Ma-jin in the JTBC drama Only One Person. In November 2021, following the expiration of her previous contract, Lee signed an exclusive agreement with AM Entertainment.^[37]

In 2022, she acted as Deaconess Jung, Yo-hwan's church figure (portrayed by Hwang Jung-min) in the Netflix Original Series Narco-Saints.^[38] Also in 2022, Lee starred in her first film leading role opposite Lee Han-seo in director Jang Seon-hee's independent film Two Woman. The film depicted a chance encounter between a young girl delivering newspapers and a woman putting up flyers to find her lost child. It premiered at the 48th Seoul Independent Film Festival (SIFF).^[39]

In 2023, Lee reunited with director Yoo Je-won and Jeon Do-yeon in the romantic-comedy TV series Crash Course in Romance, portraying Kim Young-joo, the best friend of Nam Haeng-seon (Jeon Do-yeon).^[41] Her performance was noted for complementing Jeon's acting. This was followed by a role in Destined With You.^{[citation needed]}

In 2024, Lee made a special appearance in Yoo Je-won's drama Love Next Door and acted as an announcer in the film I, the Executioner. In 2025, she made a special appearance in Kim Won-seok's drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, written by Lim Sang-choon. Also in 2025, she starred in the tvN drama Resident Playbook, a spin-off of Hospital Playlist,^[42] where she was cast as Seo Jeong-min, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Jongno Yulje Hospital.^[43] Despite a one-year delay, the drama was successful, earning Lee a reward trip to Bali with the cast and crew.^[44]

Film

Television series

Musical

Theater