Lee E-dam
South Korean actress (born 1996)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Baek Hye-won (Korean: 백혜원; born 20 May 1996), better known by the stage name Lee E-dam (이이담), is a South Korean actress and model. She is best known for her role as psychiatric nurse Min Deul-re in the Netflix original series Daily Dose of Sunshine (2023), for which she earned a nomination for Best New Actress at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards. Later, she received another Best New Actress nomination at the 4th Blue Dragon Series Awards for her performance in the TVING and tvN series The Queen Who Crowns (2025).
20 May 1996
- Model
- actress
Lee began her career in short films, making her debut in Hur Jin-ho's Two Lights: Relumino (2017). In 2019, she starred in the short film The Tale of Mari and Yimae, which was nominated for Best Student Fantasy Short Film at the 2020 IndieX Film Festival. She made her television debut in the fourth season of the crime thriller Voice (2021), followed by her first main role in the cable series Artificial City (2021).
Early life
Born as Baek Hye-won on May 20, 1996, Lee E-dam discovered her passion for acting in high school. Watching Princess Hours made her curious about acting, and she joined a theater club at Seomun Girls' High School. While practicing with friends using the same script and performing on stage, Lee was inspired by her peers, which led her to seriously pursue acting as a career.[1][2]
Career
2017–2019: Beginning
After graduating high school, Lee pursued acting by auditioning for small roles. She decided to use a stage name instead of her real name. She wanted a more memorable and gender-neutral name. After considering several options, she settled on Lee E-dam.[3] In 2017, despite initially failing an audition, she eventually starred in director Hur Jin-ho's short film Two Lights: Relumino after a recommendation from someone she met during the audition process.[1]
In 2019, Lee landed a lead role in Won Ji-ho's short film The Tale of Mari and Yimae, which was selected for the Best Student Fantasy Short Film category at the IndieX Film Festival in Los Angeles, USA in May 2020. In 2021, the film was selected as a finalist for the Korean Short Film Competition at the 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. In the film, Lee played Mari, a character who experiences oppression from her father. Lee's performance in this role demonstrated her exceptional ability to convey a wide range of emotions, showcasing her talent as an actress and earning her critical acclaim.[4][5][6]
2020–2021: Breakthrough roles
CEO Choi Myung-gyu from Studio Santa Claus Entertainment discovered Lee after seeing her on a poster for an independent film and signed her to an exclusive contract.[7] In February 2021, she was officially promoted as a rookie actress under the agency.[8] Lee made her television debut in June 2021 in Season 4 of the Crime Drama Voice.[9] The fourth season was premiered on 18 June 2021, and it aired on every Friday and Saturday until 31 July 2021. This marked Lee's television debut. She was praised for her acting performance in the series.[10]
Prior to her television debut in March 2021, Lee secured her first lead role in the thriller drama Artificial City after a successful audition.[11] Directed by Jeon Chang-geun, Artificial City premiered on JTBC on 8 December 2021 and aired every Wednesday and Thursday.[12] The series also stars Soo Ae, Kim Mi-sook, Kim Kang-woo and Lee Hak-joo.[13] Lee acted as Kim Yi-seol, a docent at 'Space Jin,' the Sungjin Group art museum run by Yoon Jae-hee (played by Soo Ae) and received positive feedback for her performance in the series, showcasing her ability to portray the character's complex emotions with mature acting.[14][15]
2022–present: Streaming series roles
In 2022, following a reorganization at Studio Santa Claus Entertainment,[16] Lee followed CEO Choi Myung-gyu to his newly established agency, Ghost Studio.[17][18] In the following year Lee appeared in two Netflix original series. In the dystopian action drama Black Knight (2023), she portrayed "4-1," a delivery driver fighting for social equality. Her performance was noted for its physical agility and skill in sequences involving hand-to-hand combat, firearms, and wire work. Critics highlighted her portrayal of a loyal subordinate to 5-8 (Kim Woo-bin) and her role as a mentor to the character April, noting that these dynamics added depth to her performance.[19]
Lee subsequently starred in the medical drama Daily Dose of Sunshine (2023), alongside Park Bo-young, Yeon Woo-jin, Jang Dong-yoon and Lee Jung-eun. Directed by Lee Jae-kyoo and based on the Kakao webtoon of the same Korean title by former nurse Lee Ra-ha,[20][21] the series premiered on Netflix on 3 November 2023.[22][23] Lee played Min Deul-re, a nurse in the psychiatry department at Myungshin University Hospital.[24][25] Her performance received critical acclaim and earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards.[26]
In 2025, Lee portrayed Chae-ryeong, a royal servant who becomes the king's consort, in the series The Queen Who Crowns. The drama depicts the life of Queen Wongyeong (Cha Joo-young) and her rise to power alongside King Taejong Yi Bang-won (Lee Hyun-wook). The series aired on TVING and tvN from January 6 to February 11, 2025. Her performance earned a nomination for Best New Actress at the 2025 Blue Dragon Series Awards.[27]
In 2026, Lee appeared in three Netflix original productions. Her first project of the year, the romantic comedy series Can This Love Be Translated?, premiered on January 16. Written by the Hong sisters and directed by Yoo Young-eun, the series features Lee as Shin Ji-seon, a talented producer and the director of a dating reality show titled Romantic Trip. Her character is also depicted as the first love of the protagonist, Joo Ho-jin (portrayed by Kim Seon-ho).[28] Lee was confirmed for the role in June 2024, and principal photography took place from June 2024 to February 2025.[29][30]
Lee subsequently starred in the thriller The Art of Sarah, which was released on February 13, 2026. She played Kim Mi-jeong, a worker in an illicit factory specializing in high-end counterfeits who is revealed to be the designer behind the Boudoir brand products.[31] This was followed by the Netflix film Pavane on February 20, 2026, where Lee portrayed the character Se-ra.[32]
Endorsements
In 2023, Lee and actor Lee Soo-hyuk were appointed as the primary models for the gender-neutral clothing brand Comgen.[33] In May 2024, she became a muse for the body care brand De-mi-flor.[34][35]
Personal life
Filmography
Film
Series
| Year | Title | Role | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Voice 4 | Lisa Jo (Jo Seung-ah) | [40] | |
| 2021–2022 | Artificial City | Kim Yi-seol | [41][42] | |
| 2023 | Black Knight | 4–1 | Netflix Original Series | [43] |
| Daily Dose of Sunshine | Min Deul-re | [44] | ||
| 2025 | The Queen Who Crowns | Chae-ryeong | TVING Original Series | [45] |
| 2026 | Can This Love Be Translated? | Shin Ji-seon | Netflix Original Series | [46] |
| The Art of Sarah | Kim Mi-jeong | [31] |
Accolades
Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2024 | Best New Actress – Television | Daily Dose of Sunshine | Nominated | [26] |
| 2026 | Best Supporting Actress – Television | The Art of Sarah | Pending | [47] | |
| Blue Dragon Series Awards | 2025 | Best New Actress | The Queen Who Crowns | Nominated | [27] |
