Lee Jung-eun (actress)

Early career

After graduating in 1992, Lee began her career as a theater play assistant director, making her debut with the production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1991.^[9][10] She remained active on stage throughout the 1990s and 2000s. In 2000, she made her film debut with a minor role in the film A Masterpiece In My Life, followed by another small part in the 2001 film Wanee & Junah. However, these early cinematic experiences left her feeling traumatized by camera fright, and she decided to return to the stage.^[11]

At the end of 1997, Lee appeared in Subway Line 1 [ko] with Sul Kyung-gu. Subway Line 1 was her first musical. Lee Jung-eun appeared as the generous Gombo Halmae.^[8]

In the 2000s, in addition to her theater work, Lee also made a living as an acting teacher. Among her pupils were the actresses Ye Ji-won and Lee Eun-joo. On the recommendation of Professor Lee Hye-kyung, the head of the Department of Theater and Film at Kookmin University, Lee was introduced to Lee Hyo-ri and became an acting teacher for her SBS drama role.^[12][13]

Breakthrough as a musical actor, resume film career, debut in television

Lee's breakthrough as an actress came in the 2008 musical Laundry, which is considered one of the representative creative musicals in South Korea. In the production, Lee portrayed multiple roles, including a master, a grandmother, and an employee, performing until 2009.^[14] Her performance in the musical earned her the 1st Young Drama Award, with a prize of 3 million won. This award was established by the cultural arts support forum "Alpha", which is composed of around 60 domestic CEOs, including Samsung Electronics CEO Kwun Oh-hyun. The award ceremony was held on September 19, 2008, at Shinhan Art Hall in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul.^[15]

She reprised her role in Laundry from 2012 to 2017. Apart from her work in Laundry, Lee collaborated with director Choo Min-joo on reading performances of House with Fig Trees and Scars, as well as the musical Good Morning School.^[14]

Lee, who had gained a reputation in the musical field, decided to venture into film projects once again. She made her return to the screen in 2009 with the film If You Were Me 4 [ko]. Costume designer Choi Se-yeon, who was also the producer of the musical Laundry, recommended her for an audition, which led to her landing a minor role in Bong Joon-ho's 2009 film Mother. This marked her first collaboration with director Bong Joon-ho.^[16]

She faced numerous challenges during her years of living in obscurity. Before the age of 40, she had to support herself through various part-time jobs, such as being an academy instructor, working at a supermarket, and selling green juice. It wasn't until she reached the age of 45 that she finally made her debut on television.^[17]

In 2013, Lee appeared on television for the first time in The Queen's Classroom and had minor roles in Blue Tower, Royal Villa, and Shining Romance (2013–2014). Lee also appears in the film The Attorney, which attracted 10 million viewers. She appeared as the old house owner of the main character Song Woo-seok (played by Song Kang-ho) and showed off her witty acting. When Song Kang-ho asked her to sell the house because he would pay more than the market price, she said, "Oh my, would you like some 'jussi'?" in a dialect and acted cutely. The following year, she was featured in television dramas Cunning Single Lady, Beauty Parlor Boss, High School King of Savvy, My Lovely Girl, and Only Love.^[9][17]

Her big break came in 2015. After a minor role in the KBS2 school series Who Are You: School 2015, she landed a supporting role in the tvN drama series Oh My Ghost (2015) where she portrayed the Shaman of Seobinggo-dong. Lee gained widespread recognition for her performance in the drama.^[9] In 2016, Lee starred in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo as Jung Jun-hyung's (Nam Joo-hyuk) mother.^[18] In that same year, she won Best Acting at the Seoul Theatre Festival for her role in the play Feast with Hanyang Repertory Theater.^[19]

2017–2018: Okja and Mr. Sunshine

In 2017, director Bong Joon-ho, who had previously collaborated with Lee on Mother (2009), offered her the role of the voice actor for a genetically modified pig named Okja in the action-adventure film Okja. Lee accepted the role and dedicated herself to researching it by visiting a pig farm.^[16] This marked her second collaboration with Bong Joon-ho. Okja featured an international cast, including Tilda Swinton and Paul Dano. The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2017, where it received a four-minute standing ovation.^[20][21] It was later released on Netflix on June 28, 2017,^[22] and in July 2022, it was released on Blu-ray and DVD as part of The Criterion Collection.^[23]

In the same year, Lee played the role of Geum-bok, the loving and doting mother of Baek Seol-hee (played by Song Ha-yoon), in the KBS2 drama Fight for My Way, written by Lim Sang-choon. Her performance as the mother who prepared delicious side dishes for her daughter's prospective in-laws resonated with many viewers, particularly with the line, "Please just be pretty to our Seolhee."^[17]

In 2018, Lee appeared in the historical drama Mr. Sunshine, written by screenwriter Kim Eun-sook. Kim had been impressed by Lee's performance in the film The Battleship Island and recognized her from her role in Oh My Ghost. The two later met at a restaurant, where Kim expressed her admiration for Lee's work. Lee was subsequently cast in the supporting role of Ham-an-daek, the careful and attentive assistant to the character Ae-shin Ae-gi (played by Kim Tae-ri). Originally envisioned as a minor supporting role, Lee's nuanced performance helped evolve the character into a more prominent maternal figure, filling the absence of the female lead's parents. Her portrayal was praised for adding both laughter and warmth to the show.^[7][17]

In that same year, Lee also acted in the tvN drama Familiar Wife, delivering a passionate performance as the mother of the main character, Seo Woo-jin (played by Han Ji-min). Her portrayal of Seo Woo-jin's mother, who was suffering from dementia, was widely acclaimed for its authenticity.^[17] For her portrayal in Mr. Sunshine and Familiar Wife, Lee Jung-eun won the Excellence Award in the drama category at the 26th Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards.^[24]

2019–2021: Parasite

In 2019, Lee starred in several notable projects. In the JTBC drama The Light in Your Eyes, she took on the dual roles of the mother of the main character, Hye-ja (played by Han Ji-min), and the daughter-in-law of Hye-ja (played by Kim Hye-ja). Her performance earned her the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards.^[25][26] In the OCN series Strangers from Hell, Lee played the role of Eom Bok-soon, the owner of Eden Dormitory. She appears friendly, but she harbors a dark secret.^[27]

Lee also reunited with director Bong Joon-ho for the black comedy thriller film Parasite, where she portrayed Gook Moon-gwang, the housekeeper of the Park family. Her performance garnered several awards in the supporting actress category, including the Busan Film Critics Association Awards, Buil Film Awards, Chunsa Film Awards, and Blue Dragon Film Awards.^[28] She and her co-stars won Best Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for a non-English language film.^[29]

Towards the end of 2019, Lee reunited with writer Lim Sang-choon again in the KBS2 drama KBS2 drama When the Camellia Blooms. In this drama, she portrayed the mother of the lead character, Dong-baek, earning praise for her nuanced performance.^[30] She won the Excellence Award for Actress in a Mid-length Drama at the 2019 KBS Drama Awards.^[31][32]

In 2020, Lee starred as Kang Cho-yeon in the KBS2 family weekend drama series Once Again, which aired from March 28 to September 13, 2020. She played Young-dal's long-lost younger sister, Song Young-sook, the owner of Sister's Kimbap store. Her performance in the series earned her the KBS Drama Award for Best Supporting Actress in the mid-length drama category.^{[33][unreliable source?][34]}

In the same year, Lee starred in Park Ji-wan's directorial debut film The Day I Died: Unclosed Case as Suncheondaek, alongside Kim Hye-soo. The following year, she received nominations for Best Supporting Actress at the Baeksang Arts Awards, Blue Dragon Film Awards, and Chunsa Film Art Awards for her performance in the film.^[35]

In 2021, Lee appeared in Lee Joon-ik's black-and-white film The Book of Fish, portraying the role of Gageo of Heuksan Island, the concubine of scholar Jeong Yak-jeon (1758–1816), played by Sul Kyung-gu. The film is based on a true story, featuring historical materials researched by director Lee Joon-ik. Lee's performance earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 30th Buil Film Awards.^[36][37][38] That same year, Lee collaborated with director Kim Seok-yoon for the drama Law School, marking her third project with him, where she portrayed Kim Eun-sook, a former judge and civil law professor.^[39][40]

2022–present: First titular role and recent projects

In 2022, she starred in Netflix's original series Juvenile Justice as Judge Na Geun-hee. Directed by Hong Jong-chan, the series focuses on characters at a district juvenile court handling cases involving young offenders. Lee's character clashes with elite judge Shim Eun-seok (Kim Hye-soo) due to their differing approaches to the cases. This collaboration marks the second time Lee and Kim have worked together. Lee's performance in Juvenile Justice earned her a nomination for Excellence Award, Actress in an OTT Drama at the 2022 APAN Star Awards, as well as Best Supporting Actress at the 2022 Asian Academy Creative Awards and 2022 Blue Dragon Series Awards.^[41]

In that same year, Lee took on her first titular role in 30 years in Shin Su-won's film Hommage.^[42] She portrayed a middle-aged film director experiencing a slump who time travels while restoring the film The Female Judge, created by Hong Eun-won, the second Korean female director in the 1960s. The film premiered at the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival on April 28, 2022. On December 15, 2022, she won Best Actress at The 23rd Women's Film Awards held at Cinecube Gwanghwamun in Seoul.^[43]

After winning the Best Jury Prize at the 20th Florence Korea Film Festival, Hommage was officially invited to the Viewpoints section of the 21st Tribeca Film Festival.^[44] Lee has also received international recognition, including The Best Actor Award at the 7th London East Asia Film Festival. The jury selected Lee for this award based on her portrayal of desire, frustration, and the courage displayed by a middle-aged woman whose dreams were delicately and realistically depicted in Hommage.^[45] Lee also won the Best Performance Award at the 15th Asia Pacific Screen Awards.^[42]

In the end of 2022, Lee appeared in Missing: The Other Side Season 2 as Kang Eun-sil, a captain with 30 years of experience who now resides in a mysterious village inhabited by spirits. Despite her past, she is known for her roaring laughter and enigmatic background.^[46] The second season is moved from OCN to tvN from December 19, 2022 to January 31, 2023, every Monday and Tuesday at 20:50 (KST).^[47][48]

In 2023, Lee joined the cast of Netflix's original series Daily Dose of Sunshine as Song Hyo-shin, the chief nurse of the Psychiatric Department.^[49] Lee also appeared in the TVING original A Bloody Lucky Day alongside Lee Sung-min and Yoo Yeon-seok. The series is based on a webtoon of the same name by Aporia, originally published on Naver. A Bloody Lucky Day aired on tvN starting November 20, 2023, with episodes airing every Monday and Tuesday.^[50]

In 2024, Lee starred in JTBC's new romantic comedy Miss Night and Day alongside Jung Eun-ji. The show revolves around Lee Mi-jin, a woman who has been preparing for a civil service exam for eight years. One day, a strange incident causes her to age into a 50-year-old during the daytime. Despite this, she manages to work as a senior intern with her older appearance and continues her studies at night. Throughout her journey, she encounters prosecutor Gye Ji-woong, portrayed by Choi Jin-hyuk.^[51]

Film

Television series

Musical

Theater

Awards and nominations

State honors

Listicles