Lee Jong-suk

Lee majored in Professional Motion Pictures Art at Konkuk University and graduated from the university in 2016.

2010–2010: Beginnings

At 15, Lee began his modelling career at the Seoul Collection walkway in 2005, making him the youngest male model to debut at Seoul Collection program for Seoul Fashion Week. Since then he has walked in a number of fashion shows.

Lee trained as an idol group member for three months, and had signed on with an agency for debut. However, he quit after the agency broke their promise of debuting him as an actor. He then took part in a selection for actors at SBS TV station when he was in middle school.

In 2010, Lee made his official acting debut in the South Korean TV series Prosecutor Princess. He also made his big-screen debut in the horror movie Ghost.

2011–2013: Rising popularity and Breakthrough

Lee started to gain recognition following his supporting role in the hit drama Secret Garden where he played a talented young composer with a surly attitude and a forbidden crush on the second male lead. In 2011, he appeared in MBC's sitcom High Kick Season 3 where he gained further popularity. In 2012, Lee starred in the film R2B: Return to Base, a loose remake of the critically acclaimed 1986 film Top Gun.

At the 2013 Vogue Fashion's Night Out

Lee's breakout role came as a high school student in the teen drama School 2013. He received his first acting award for the role at the 2012 KBS Drama Awards under the category Best New Actor. He also ranked in fifth place according to a survey entitled 'Actors Who Lit Up 2013' by Gallup Korea.

Following the success of School 2013, Lee starred in the critically acclaimed drama series I Can Hear Your Voice with Lee Bo-young. He played Park Soo-ha, an intelligent young man who could read minds. Originally slated for 16 episodes, the drama was extended by 2 episodes due to its successful ratings. He received the Excellence Award in the male category at the Korea Drama Awards for his acting performance. Lee then starred in sports film No Breathing and had a supporting role in box office hit The Face Reader.

2014–2015: Rising popularity in China

In 2014, he starred in teen romantic comedy Hot Young Bloods, playing a cheesy womanizer. Lee then starred in hit medical drama Doctor Stranger, playing a North Korean defector who works as a doctor in South Korea. The drama was a success in China, gaining 400 million views.

Lee next starred in Pinocchio opposite actress Park Shin-hye. He played the protagonist Choi Dal-po, a first year reporter at a broadcasting company who struggles with the idea of justice and truth in a world where everyone wants to hide the facts. Pinocchio was another hit, with a reported revenue of 6.2 billion won (US$5.62 million) for broadcasting rights in just one year.

At W press conference, August 2016

Lee's performance in the dramas Doctor Stranger and Pinocchio earned him acting accolades, including the Top Excellence Award in the male category at the 8th Korea Drama Awards. He also became the youngest actor to win the Best Actor award at the 27th Grimae Awards, chosen by television cinematographers.

Due to Lee's success in China, a wax figure of the him went on display in Hong Kong's Madame Tussauds, which the actor unveiled himself in a ceremony. Lee was also cast in his first Chinese drama titled Jade Lovers alongside actress Zheng Shuang. The drama is filmed in Shanghai and described as a fantasy romance series set in the 1930s. Lee later released a photobook titled 2014-2015 Asia Tour Story ~With~, comprising photos taken of Lee's meetings with fans in seven Asian cities during a nine-month tour.

2016–present: New agency and continued success

In December 2015, Lee left his previous agency Wellmade Yedang and signed an exclusive contract with YG Entertainment on May 10, 2016.

In July 2016, Lee returned to the Korean small screen with MBC's fantasy thriller W alongside Han Hyo-joo. The drama topped popularity charts in Korea, and Lee won the Daesang (Grand Prize) at the year-end MBC Drama Awards. The same year, he co-starred in the promotional web drama First Seven Kisses for Lotte Duty Free.

In 2017, Lee starred in the crime film VIP, marking his first lead role as a villain. Lee will then star in the fantasy-procedural drama While You Were Sleeping alongside Bae Suzy in September.

In July the same year, Lee was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Korean tourism by the Korea Tourism Organization. The organization also released promotional videos featuring the actor, titled "8 Episodes of Korea", which focuse on tourist spots in 10 different regions including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Jeju and Gyeongju.

Lee is best friends with fellow model-actor and School 2013 co-star Kim Woo-bin, whom he has known since their modeling days.

Film

Television series

Web series

Music video appearances