Lee Dong-wook (; born 6 November 1981) is a South Korean actor and presenter. He is best known for his leading roles in the television dramas My Girl (2005–2006), Scent of a Woman (2011), Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017), Life (2018), Hell Is Other People (2019), Tale of the Nine Tailed (2020), Bad and Crazy (2021), Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 (2023), and A Shop for Killers (2024). He is also the host of the talk show Strong Heart (2012–2013), boy group survival reality show Produce X 101 (2019), and his own American-style talk show Wook Talk (2019).
Early life and education In 2005, Lee enrolled in Joongbu University, majoring in media and broadcasting arts.
Career Lee made his acting debut in 1999 in an MBC single-episode drama after winning the grand prize in the V-NESS model contest of the same year. The PD of the drama saw Lee, and proceeded to cast him in the teen drama School 2. Lee started to gain recognition with his performance in School 3.
Lee hit stardom with 2005 romantic comedy My Girl. The drama series became a hit during its run both domestically and across Asia, and made Lee a Korean Wave star.
He has since starred in noir Bitter Sweet Life (2008), courtroom dramedy Partner (2009), melodrama Scent of a Woman (2011), baseball rom-com Wild Romance (2012), period thriller The Fugitive of Joseon (2013), and revenge drama Hotel King (2014), in which he reunited with My Girl co-star Lee Da-hae. He then starred in fantasy-action series Blade Man (2014) and romance drama Bubble Gum (2015).
Lee and comedian Shin Dong-yup took over as MCs of talk show Strong Heart from April 2012 to January 2013. Lee also joined the reality show Roommate, which aired from 2014 to 2015.
From 2016 to 2017, Lee starred alongside Gong Yoo in Kim Eun-sook's fantasy-romance drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God playing a grim reaper. The drama was a hit, and along with its success, helped in the resurgence of Lee's acting career.
In 2018, Lee starred in the medical drama Life as a doctor who works at the ER Department.
In 2019, Lee starred in the romance comedy drama Touch Your Heart alongside Guardian co-star Yoo In-na, playing a workaholic lawyer. The same year, he was confirmed as the host for Produce X 101, the fourth season of survival audition program Produce 101. He then starred as the main antagonist in the thriller drama Hell Is Other People as a dentist in the morning but a psychopath in the evening. He also started hosting his own talk show, Wook Talk, to celebrate his 20th anniversary since debut.
In 2020, Lee was cast in the fantasy drama Tale of the Nine Tailed as a nine-tailed fox who used to be a mountain god, and is now working as a civil servant. He also confirmed to appear in the romantic comedy film Single in Seoul alongside Im Soo-jung.
In December 2020, he was listed as Asia-Pacific's Most Influential Celebrities on Social Media.
In 2021, he appeared in A Year-End Medley, a romantic comedy film by Kwak Jae-yong and in an iQIYI original mystery drama Bad and Crazy, which aired on 17 December 2021.
In 2022, Lee joined the Universe communication platform.
In 2024, Lee starred in Disney+'s A Shop for Killers.
Other activities Ambassadorships Year Title Ref. 2018 Honorary Ambassador for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Tourism Ambassador of Gangwon Province 2024 Olympic Friends of 2024 Winter Youth Olympics
Philanthropy On 11 March 2022, Lee made a donation of million to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the Uljin forest fire 2022, which devastated the area and then spread to Samcheok, South Korea.
On 5 Jan 2025, Lee made a donation of ₩50 million to the Community Chest of Jeollanam-do to support the families of the Dec 2024 Jeju Air plane accident victims.
On 27 Mar 2025, Lee made a donation of ₩50 million to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relieft Association to help the victims of the wildfires in the Ulsan, Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam regions.
Personal life Military service Lee enlisted in the military in August 2009, serving under the National Defense Public Relations Service. He was discharged in June 2011.
Ancestry His parents are mainly of Korean descent. In a Wook Talk episode that aired on 22 January 2020, guest and forensic professor Yoo Sung-ho revealed genealogical DNA test results for him and one of the show's producers. According to Lee's results, a significant part of his mother's genetic makeup matches that of Koryak and Khaka people—both ethnic groups that are indigenous to Siberia (to be more specific, Kamchatka and Khakassia respectively).
Filmography
Bibliography Year Title Category Notes 2017 For My Dear Photo-book
Accolades Awards and nominations + Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result APAN Star Awards 2014 Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama Hotel King 2018 K-Star Award Life Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Asia Model Awards 2014 Fashionista Award Lee Dong-wook Brand of the Year Awards 2023 Male Actor of the Year (Drama) Lee Dong-wook Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards in China 2011 Most Attractive Actor in Asia Lee Dong-wook DramaFever Awards 2017 Best Supporting Actor Guardian: The Lonely and Great God Fashionista Awards 2017 Global Icon Lee Dong-wook I-Magazine Fashion Face Award 2021 Asian Male Lee Dong-wook iQIYI Awards 2021 The Most Popular Actor Tale of the Nine Tailed KBS Drama Awards 2009 Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Partner 2012 Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Wild Romance 2013 Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama The Fugitive of Joseon Korea Drama Awards 2017 Top Excellence Award, Actor Guardian: The Lonely and Great God Korea Fashion Photographers Association 2018 Photogenic Award of the year Lee Dong-wook Korea First Brand Awards 2021 Best Actor Lee Dong-wook Korea Movie Star Awards 2007 Best New Actor The Perfect Couple Korean Most Popular Entertainment Awards 2001 New Generation Actor Lee Dong-wook 2002 Best New Actor (TV) Loving You MBC Drama Awards 2014 Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Project Drama Hotel King OCN Awards 2019 "Dangerously Attractive Character" Award Hell Is Other People PC LADY & Tudou Fashion Awards 2013 Asia Fashion Star Award Lee Dong-wook SBS Drama Awards 2003 New Star Award Land of Wine Best Supporting Actor 2011 Top 10 Stars Scent of a Woman Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Weekend Drama SBS Entertainment Awards 2012 Best Couple Award Lee Dong-wook Strong Heart Best Newcomer, MC category Strong Heart Soompi Awards 2018 Best Supporting Actor Guardian: The Lonely and Great God V-NESS Model Awards 1999 Grand Prize Lee Dong-wook
State and cultural honors + Name of country or organization, year given and name of honor Country or organization Year Honor South Korea-Japan Culture Awards 2011 Grand Prize for Cultural Diplomacy
Listicles + Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement Publisher Year Listicle Placement GQ Korea 2019 Men of the Year Placed
References
External links