Long before Lee Jung-jae donned a green jumpsuit that would earn him unprecedented global fame and accolades in Squid Game, he’d already built a storied career as one of South Korea’s most celebrated actors. After working as a model for a few years, Lee made his acting debut in the 1993 SBS K-drama Dinosaur Teacher. The following year he appeared in his first feature, The Young Man, for which he won the best newcomer award at the three most prestigious awards ceremonies in Korea, the Blue Dragon Film Awards, the Baeksang Arts Awards and the Grand Bell Awards — a feat that was practically unheard of at the time. However, his breakout role came in the 1995 K-drama Sandglass (aka Hourglass), deemed one of the most significant dramas in South Korean history. The drama was so popular at the time that the entire nation was said to have been swept up by the “Hourglass syndrome,” an affliction so fierce that fans would camp outside Lee’s apartment, eventually forcing him to move.

Over a career spanning nearly three decades, Lee has starred in some of South Korea’s most notable films and TV series, such as the drama Air City, action flick Typhoon, crime thriller New World, period piece The Face Reader and the romance film Il Mare, which was remade by Hollywood as The Lake House starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.

Known for his expansive acting range, Lee has portrayed probably almost every kind of character imaginable, whether it’s a handsome romantic lead, a god of the underworld, a con artist or an ordinary man playing games with fatal stakes. It’s no wonder that he has become one of the most recognizable faces in South Korean cinema and was chosen by the Korean Film Council in 2015 as a “top Korean actor who guarantees box office success.”

However, acting isn’t the only thing Lee excels at — turns out he’s also a successful entrepreneur (he co-founded an entertainment agency with close friend and fellow actor Jung Woo-sung, owns a real estate development company and even an Italian restaurant) and is well-versed in interior design (thanks to his art-school education). 

If Squid Game is your first introduction to the seasoned actor, there’s a lot more compelling work of his to explore. Check out Lee’s best films and series that are currently available to stream on Netflix.

Svaha: The Sixth Finger

In the opening scene of this creepy thriller, a girl named Geum-hwa narrates that she was born with a demon twin sister, who had chewed on her leg while they were in their mother’s womb. Geum-hwa and her grandparents keep her evil twin locked away in a shed, where she’s heard shrieking and wailing throughout the night. Lee plays Pastor Park, a sharp, talkative minister and media personality who doggedly investigates and exposes religious cults. He begins to look into a mysterious Buddhist sect called Deer Mountain, which may have ties to a local murder case and Geum-hwa’s demonic twin. Svaha: The Sixth Finger topped the domestic box office in its opening week, but unless you’re a hardcore fan of supernatural horror, you’ll probably want to watch this one with the lights on.

Svaha: The Sixth Finger

2h 3m   TV-MA   2019

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Chief of Staff

One of the most acclaimed political series to ever come out of South Korea, Chief of Staff provides a realistic, if ugly, portrayal of South Korean politics. Lee stars as Jang Tae-jun, a former police officer who now works at the National Assembly as the chief of staff to greedy politician Song Hui-seop (played by the inimitable Kim Gap-soo). Tae-jun is a political mastermind who works wonders for his boss, striking down his opponents and orchestrating brilliant tactics that help Hui-seop rise to the top. By doing so, Tae-jun hopes that Hui-seop will help him fulfill his own ambition of becoming an assemblyman in the near future. But how far is Tae-jun willing to go to gain power? There’s plenty of political maneuvering, scheming and backstabbing in this drama, which marked Lee’s return to the small screen after 10 years.

Chief of Staff

2 Seasons   TV-14   2019

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Squid Game

Netflix’s most-watched series to date, this dystopian survival thriller follows 456 debt-ridden contestants as they compete in a series of deadly children’s games for a chance to win a significant cash prize. Lee plays Seong Gi-hun, the main protagonist, who risks his life for a chance to financially support his daughter (and sparked a worldwide dalgona craze in the process). Series director Hwang Dong-hyuk once half-jokingly said that he chose Lee for the role because he had a sadistic desire to destroy the actor’s cool and elegant image. Well, Lee probably has no gripes about that, since he’s attracted international media attention and scored best-acting nods, including a SAG award and an Independent Spirit award for his gripping performance.

Squid Game

3 Seasons   TV-MA   2021

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