Introduction
Lee Dong-wook (born November 6, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the television dramas My Girl (2005), Scent of a Woman (2011), Hotel King (2014), and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016-2017)
Career
Lee Dong-wook made his acting debut in 1999, and went on to appear in a number of TV series before hitting 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 as the male lead in noir La Dolce Vita (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 November 2011, Lee signed with talent agency King Kong Entertainment, which also manages fellow actors Lee Kwang-soo, Park Min-young, Lee Chung-ah and Kim Sun-a.
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 2016-2017, Lee starred alongside Gong Yoo in Kim Eun-sook's fantasy-romance drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God. The drama was a hit, and along with its success, helped in the resurgence of Lee's acting career.
Filmography
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | MBC Best Theater "길밖에도 세상은 있어" | Sung-joon | MBC |
| School 2 | Lee Kang-san | KBS1 | |
| 2000 | School 3 | Lee Kang-san | KBS1 |
| Secret | Kang Hyun-soo | MBC | |
| 2001 | Pure Heart | Jang Ho-gu | KBS2 |
| A Dreaming Family | KBS | ||
| Drama City "Happier Than Heaven" | KBS2 | ||
| This Is Love | Jae-hyun | KBS1 | |
| That's Perfect! | Dong-wook | SBS | |
| 2002 | Let's Go! | Dong-wook | SBS |
| Loving You | Lee Min | KBS2 | |
| Honest Living | Lee Dong-wook | SBS | |
| 2003 | Land of Wine | Song Do-il | SBS |
| Merry Go Round | Park Sung-pyo | MBC | |
| 2004 | Island Village Teacher | Jang Jae-doo | SBS |
| Precious Family | Ahn Jung-hwan | KBS2 | |
| 2005 | Hanoi Bride | Park Eun-woo | SBS |
| My Girl | Seol Gong-chan | SBS | |
| 2008 | La Dolce Vita | Lee Joon-soo | MBC |
| 2009 | Partner | Lee Tae-jo | KBS2 |
| 2011 | Scent of a Woman | Kang Ji-wook | SBS |
| 2012 | Wild Romance | Park Mu-yeol | KBS2 |
| 2013 | The Fugitive of Joseon | Choi Won | KBS2 |
| 2014 | The Story of Kang-gu | Kim Kyung-tae | SBS |
| Hotel King | Cha Jae-wan | MBC | |
| Blade Man | Joo Hong-bin | KBS2 | |
| 2015 | Bubble Gum | Park Ri-hwan | tvN |
| 2016-2017 | Guardian: The Lonely and Great God | Wang Yeo, Grim Reaper | tvN |
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Arang | Hyun-ki |
| 2007 | The Perfect Couple | Kang Jae-hyuk |
| 2008 | Heartbreak Library | Kim Joon-oh |
| 2010 | The Recipe | Kim Hyun-soo |
| 2015 | The Beauty Inside | Woo-jin |
Variety show
| Year | Title | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Wowowee | ABS-CBN | guest |
| Sang Sang Plus - Generation to Generation: Old & New | KBS2 | guest, episode 84 | |
| Come to Play | MBC | guest, episode 102 | |
| 2007 | Hey Hey Hey - Season 2 | SBS | guest, episode 9 |
| Come to Play | MBC | guest, episode 126 | |
| 2008 | Happy Together | KBS2 | guest, episode 68 |
| 2011 | Healing Camp, Aren't You Happy | SBS | guest, episode 11 |
| 2012-2013 | Strong Heart | SBS | MC |
| 2012 | SBS Drama Awards | SBS | MC |
| 2013 | Happy Together | KBS2 | guest, episode 295 |
| Running Man | SBS | guest, episodes 133-134, 136 | |
| Infinity Challenge | MBC | guest, episode 360 | |
| 2014 | Running Man | SBS | guest, episodes 179-180 |
| 2014-2015 | Roommate | SBS | cast member, seasons 1-2 |
| 2014 | Entertainment Weekly | KBS2 | guest, episode 1539 |
| 2015 | Running Man | SBS | guest, episode 263 |
| 2016 | The Return of Superman | KBS | guest, episode 126,127,137,138 |
| 2016 | My Bodyguard | OnStyle | MC |
Music video
| Year | Song Title | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Bye Bye Bye" | Monday Kiz | |
| 2006 | "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter" | Suho feat. Kim Tae-woo | |
| 2007 | "Lost in the Forest of Love" | Jed | |
| 2008 | "As Much as We Loved" | Suho | |
| 2009 | "Missed Call" | Suho feat. Kim Bum-soo | |
| 2010 | "Dandelion" | Zozo | Lee Dong-wook also directed this music video |
| 2011 | "Replay" | Kim Dong-ryul | |
| 2013 | "Cosmic Girl" | Kim Tae-woo |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | V-NESS Screen Award | N/A | N/A | Won |
| 2003 | SBS Drama Awards | New Star Award | Land of Wine | Won |
| 2009 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Partner | Nominated |
| 2011 | 8th Cosmo Beauty Awards | Most Attractive Actor in Asia | N/A | Won |
| 18th Han Il Culture Awards | Grand Prize, Cultural Diplomacy category | N/A | Won | |
| SBS Drama Awards | Top 10 Stars | Scent of a Woman | Won | |
| Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Weekend Drama | Won | |||
| 2012 | SBS Entertainment Awards | Best Couple Award with Shin Dong-yup | Strong Heart | Won |
| Best Newcomer, MC category | Won | |||
| KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Wild Romance | Nominated | |
| 2013 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | The Fugitive of Joseon | Nominated |
| 2014 | 9th Asia Model Festival Awards | Fashionista Award | N/A | Won |
| 3rd APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | Hotel King | Nominated | |
| MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Project Drama | Nominated |