Byung-hun Lee

Biography

Lee Byung-hun is a South Korean actor whose career started in 1991, when a KBS talent audition led to a part in the drama Asphalt My Hometown. His breakthrough arrived with Park Chan-wook's Joint Security Area (2000), where his border-guard soldier earned him a Best Actor prize from the Busan Film Critics Awards. Praise followed for A Bittersweet Life (2005) and for his first villain in The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008). In Hollywood he played Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe films, The Rise of Cobra (2009) and G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), then T-1000 in Terminator Genisys (2015). He was Billy Rocks in The Magnificent Seven (2016) and the voice of Gwi-Ma in KPop Demon Hunters (2025). On television he played the Front Man in Squid Game from 2021 to 2025. Gallup Korea named him its Film Actor of the Year in 2012, and its Television Actor of the Year in 2018.

56years old

Turns 57 on July 12in 273 days

Born July 12, 1970Seoul
Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22
Also credited as Lee Byeong-heon

Movie Career

Films: 25
Career span: 26 years1999 to 2025

Genres

Action64%, 16 films
Drama56%, 14 films
Adventure28%, 7 films
Crime20%, 5 films
Thriller20%, 5 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

A first
Lee became the first Korean actor to present at the Oscars when he handed out the Best Foreign Language Film award with Sofia Vergara at the 88th Academy Awards on February 28, 2016.
First role
Lee made his acting debut in 1991 in the television drama Asphalt My Hometown, after passing a KBS talent audition.
Big break
Lee made his big breakthrough in 2000 with Park Chan-wook's Joint Security Area. The film set a box office record and was then the highest grossing Korean film.
A first
Lee took on his first villain role in the "kimchi western" The Good, the Bad, the Weird, reuniting with director Kim Jee-woon.
Behind the camera
BH Entertainment is a management company that Lee started, and its roster of actors takes in Han Hyo-joo, Go Soo, Jin Goo, Jinyoung and Han Ji-min.

Byung-hun Lee movies on Netflix

KPop Demon Hunters2025IMDb rating 7.4as Gwi-Ma(Byung Hun Lee) (voice)
Tudum: A Netflix Global Fan Event2025IMDb rating 4.9as Himself
Concrete Utopia2023IMDb rating 6.6as Yeong-tak
Emergency Declaration2021IMDb rating 6.8as Park Jae-hyuk
The Man Standing Next2020IMDb rating 7.0as Kim Kyu-Pyeong
Keys to the Heart2018IMDb rating 7.4as Kim Jo-ha
The Fortress2017IMDb rating 6.8as Choi Myung-gil
Master2016IMDb rating 6.6as President Jin
Misconduct2016IMDb rating 5.3as The Accountant
The Age of Shadows2016IMDb rating 7.1as Jung Chae-San
The Magnificent Seven2016IMDb rating 6.9as Billy Rocks
Inside Men2015IMDb rating 7.0as An Sang-gu
Memories of the Sword2015IMDb rating 6.4as Deok-gi
Terminator Genisys2015IMDb rating 6.3as Cop / T-1000
G.I. Joe: Retaliation2013IMDb rating 5.7as Storm Shadow
RED 22013IMDb rating 6.6as Han Cho Bai
Masquerade2012IMDb rating 7.8as Gwang-hae / Ha-seon
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra2009IMDb rating 5.7as Storm Shadow
I Come with the Rain2009IMDb rating 5.4as Su Dongpo
The Good, the Bad, the Weird2008IMDb rating 7.2as Park Chang-yi / The Bad
A Bittersweet Life2005IMDb rating 7.5as Sun-woo
Three… Extremes2004IMDb rating 6.9as Director (segment "Cut")
Bungee Jumping of Their Own2001IMDb rating 6.9as Seo In-woo
Joint Security Area2000IMDb rating 7.7as Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok
The Harmonium in My Memory1999IMDb rating 7.2as Kang Soo-ha

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra2009 Action, Adventure, Sci-Fias Storm Shadow
IMDb rating 5.7223K votes
The Magnificent Seven2016 Action, Adventure, Westernas Billy Rocks
IMDb rating 6.9249K votes
A Bittersweet Life2005as Sun-woo
IMDb rating 7.548K votes
Terminator Genisys2015as Cop / T-1000
IMDb rating 6.3310K votes
The Good, the Bad, the Weird2008as Park Chang-yi / The Bad
IMDb rating 7.240K votes
Joint Security Area2000as Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok
IMDb rating 7.740K votes
G.I. Joe: Retaliation2013as Storm Shadow
IMDb rating 5.7194K votes
KPop Demon Hunters2025as Gwi-Ma(Byung Hun Lee)voice
IMDb rating 7.4143K votes

Most often with

Jee-woon Kim directed three of these films, Min-ho Woo two. Kang-ho Song appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Kang-ho Song

Dal-su Oh

Do-yeon Jeon

Bruce Willis

Anthony Hopkins

Jonathan PryceJee-woon KimDirector, 3 films Min-ho WooDirector, 2 films

Films together

Kang-ho Song4 films together, 2000 to 2021
Kang-ho Song's page
- Emergency Declaration2021IMDb rating 6.8Lee as Park Jae-hyukSong as Gu In-ho
- The Age of Shadows2016IMDb rating 7.1Lee as Jung Chae-SanSong as Lee Jung-Chool
- The Good, the Bad, the Weird2008IMDb rating 7.2Lee as Park Chang-yi / The BadSong as Yoon Tae-goo / The Weird
- Joint Security Area2000IMDb rating 7.7Lee as Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeokSong as Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil
Dal-su Oh3 films together, 2005 to 2016
Dal-su Oh's page
- Master2016IMDb rating 6.6Lee as President JinOh as Hwang Myung-joon
- The Good, the Bad, the Weird2008IMDb rating 7.2Lee as Park Chang-yi / The BadOh as Messenger for Kim Pan-joo
- A Bittersweet Life2005IMDb rating 7.5Lee as Sun-wooOh as Myung-gu
Do-yeon Jeon3 films together, 1999 to 2021
Do-yeon Jeon's page
- Emergency Declaration2021IMDb rating 6.8Lee as Park Jae-hyukJeon as Kim Sook-hee
- Memories of the Sword2015IMDb rating 6.4Lee as Deok-giJeon as Seol-rang
- The Harmonium in My Memory1999IMDb rating 7.2Lee as Kang Soo-haJeon as Yun Hong-yeon
Bruce Willis2 films together, 2013
Bruce Willis's page
- G.I. Joe: Retaliation2013IMDb rating 5.7Lee as Storm ShadowWillis as Joe Colton
- RED 22013IMDb rating 6.6Lee as Han Cho BaiWillis as Frank
Anthony Hopkins2 films together, 2013 to 2016
Anthony Hopkins's page
- Misconduct2016IMDb rating 5.3Lee as The AccountantHopkins as Arthur Denning
- RED 22013IMDb rating 6.6Lee as Han Cho BaiHopkins as Bailey
Jonathan Pryce2 films together, 2009 to 2013
Jonathan Pryce's page
- G.I. Joe: Retaliation2013IMDb rating 5.7Lee as Storm ShadowPryce as President
- G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra2009IMDb rating 5.7Lee as Storm ShadowPryce as U.S. President
Jee-woon KimDirector, 3 films, 2005 to 2016
All films by Jee-woon Kim
- The Age of Shadows2016IMDb rating 7.1Lee as Jung Chae-San
- The Good, the Bad, the Weird2008IMDb rating 7.2Lee as Park Chang-yi / The Bad
- A Bittersweet Life2005IMDb rating 7.5Lee as Sun-woo
Min-ho WooDirector, 2 films, 2015 to 2020
- The Man Standing Next2020IMDb rating 7.0Lee as Kim Kyu-Pyeong
- Inside Men2015IMDb rating 7.0Lee as An Sang-gu
Also two films together15 more actors
- Channing TatumG.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
- Gregory Alan WilliamsMisconduct (2016) and Terminator Genisys (2015)
- Arnold VoslooG.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
- Ki Joo-bongBungee Jumping of Their Own (2001) and Joint Security Area (2000)
- Sung-min LeeThe Man Standing Next (2020) and The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008)
- Young-chang SongThe Fortress (2017) and The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008)
- Ray ParkG.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
- Kyeong-yeong LeeInside Men (2015) and Memories of the Sword (2015)
- Lee Dae-yeonJoint Security Area (2000) and The Harmonium in My Memory (1999)
- Ji-min HanKeys to the Heart (2018) and The Age of Shadows (2016)
- Tae-woo KimMemories of the Sword (2015) and Joint Security Area (2000)
- Kim Hak-sunConcrete Utopia (2023) and Emergency Declaration (2021)
- Moon SookEmergency Declaration (2021) and Keys to the Heart (2018)
- Woo-jin JoThe Fortress (2017) and Inside Men (2015)
- Sung-tae HeoThe Fortress (2017) and Masquerade (2012)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.