Boys over flowers cast

Lee Min-ho

South Korean actor (born )

This article is about the actor. For other people with the same name, see Lee Min-ho (disambiguation).

In this Korean name, the family name is Lee.

Lee Min-ho (Korean:&#;이민호, born June 22, )[2] is a South Korean actor and singer.[3][4] He gained widespread fame with his role as Gu Jun-pyo in Boys Over Flowers (), which also earned him the Best New Actor – Television trophy at the 45thBaeksang Arts Awards.

His other notable works are television series City Hunter (), The Heirs (), The Legend of the Blue Sea (), and The King: Eternal Monarch (),[5] and films Gangnam Blues () and Bounty Hunters (). In , he starred in the Apple TV+ period drama Pachinko based on the novel of the same name.[6]

The success of Lee's television career established him as a top Hallyu star.[7][8] Lee became the first Korean celebrity to have a wax figure made in his image at Madame Tussauds, with figures being unveiled in Shanghai in ,[9] and Hong Kong in [10]

Early life and education

Lee Min-ho was born on June 22, , in Heukseok-dong, Dongjak District, Seoul.

Raised by Buddhist parents, he is the younger one of two children.[11] During childhood, Lee initially hoped to become a professional football player.[citation needed]

While attending Namseong Elementary School, he was selected for the junior football class of manager and ex-professional player Cha Bum-kun.

However, an injury during fifth grade put an end to his aspiration.[12] In a interview with the Asia Business Daily, he recalled that during elementary school other pupils nicknamed him kkamdungi (깜둥이; lit.&#;'darkie') in reference to his tan skin. Other nicknames were 'skeleton' from his time at Banpo Middle School and 'demon' in high school—the former stemmed from the thought that he was "too skinny" whereas the latter nickname was what his "playful" personality earned him.[11]

By his first year at Danggok High School, Lee had already turned his interests to acting and modeling.

After he posed for a few magazines, he met the future president of Starhaus Entertainment by chance.[13] His professional acting career began after the encounter,[13] and he would ultimately sign with the agency in

In , Lee enrolled at Konkuk University's College of Art and Design; he has since obtained a bachelor's degree after majoring in Film Arts.[13][12] He is currently pursuing his master's degree in Film at Kookmin University Graduate School.[14]

Career

– Beginnings

Lee started auditioning and landed minor roles in several television shows such as Romance (), Nonstop (–) and Recipe of Love ().

His official debut (main) role was in the EBS series Secret Campus ().[13] Early in his career, Lee went by the stage name Lee Min because his agency thought his birth name was too ordinary. However, as his stage name was pronounced and written in the same way as the Korean word "imin", which means "immigration", he later said it was difficult to find himself in internet search results.

He eventually went back to using his original name.[15]

In , his acting career was put on hold for a year following a serious car wreck, which occurred while riding in the back of a car with fellow actor Jung Il-woo. Their two friends riding in the front seat were killed instantly.[16] Lee was severely injured and spent several months bedridden.[12][17] Upon recovery, Lee received his first leading role in the high-school drama Mackerel Run (), but the series was reduced to only eight episodes due to low viewership ratings.[18]

In , he appeared in television dramas Get Up and I Am Sam, as well as movies Public Enemy Returns and Our School's E.T..

During the filming of the latter, he became good friends with actor Kim Su-ro. Kim later gave him praise on a variety show: "I recognize a star when I see one. When I was doing Our School's E.T., I knew that Lee Min-ho would become one of the top actors in the country".[19]

– Breakthrough

Lee's breakthrough came in with the lead role of Gu Jun-pyo in KBS2' Boys Over Flowers, the Korean adaptation of the popular shōjo mangaof the same name.

Competition for the role was intense and Lee only found out that he had been cast through newspaper articles.[20] The series attracted high viewership ratings and buzz in South Korea during its broadcast.[21] Lee's new-found popularity gained him many endorsement deals; Boys Over Flowers also created another Korean Wave throughout Asia and made Lee a Hallyu star.[22][23]

In , Lee appeared in the romantic comedy Personal Taste opposite Son Ye-jin; he played a young architect who poses as a gay man in order to become roommates with a young woman, leading to romantic complications.

When asked about the reason for choosing the role during an interview, he responded: "I think I would do a better job playing heavy and more defined roles when I am older. I think Personal Taste was perfect because it is bright, cheerful but you can also laugh and cry over it as well."[24]

– Global fame

In , he took on the role of the titular character in action drama City Hunter, which was loosely based on Tsukasa Hojo's popular manga of the same name.[25] The series was a commercial success[26][27] and contributed to Lee's growing popularity, most notably in Japan, Philippines, China,[28][29][30] and in France.[31] He participated in the popular Chinese variety show Happy Camp in December [32]

In , Lee starred in the medical fusion sageukFaith alongside Kim Hee-sun.[33] Despite garnering viewership ratings in the 10% range, the drama was a commercial failure due to its high budget.[34]

In April , Lee's wax figure was unveiled at the Madame Tussauds Shanghai.[9] He then released his first album "My Everything" in May and went on a fan meeting tour in Asia.[35][36]

Lee also announced his return to television with a new series titled The Heirs, a teen drama written by Kim Eun-sook.[37] On why he decided to take on the role of a chaebol heir in high school four years after playing one in Boys Over Flowers, he answered: "Before I grew past my 20s, I wanted to play a more upbeat character, one that would allow me to return to that feeling of simple, uncomplicated innocence that I had when I was younger."[37] Premiering on October 9, , The Heirs enjoyed immense popularity both locally, with a peak rating of %, and internationally, having over one billion hits on the Chinese streaming service IQIYI.[38] Lee experienced a further increase in his global popularity.[39][40][41][42]

– Continued success and return to films

In January , a second wax figure of Lee was unveiled at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong.[10] On January 30, Lee became the first Korean celebrity to perform on China's CCTV Lunar New Year Gala.[43][44] He sang a song with Harlem Yu, the original singer of the theme song of Meteor Garden, the Taiwanese version of Boys Over Flowers.[45][46] He was also invited to the third conference of the South Korean Presidential Committee for Cultural Enrichment as the representative for the entertainment industry, to share and contribute to the discussion of issues related to developing Korea's cultural content.[47] Lee received the Prime Minister's Commendation at the 5th Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards for his contribution to Koren Wave.[48]

Lee subsequently recorded and released his second EP "Song for You" in October under Universal Music.

As with his previous album, he stated that the tracks were recorded for his fans and that he had no ambition to pursue a singing career.[49][50] The album release coincided with the start of his RE:MINHO fan meeting tour which spanned various Asian cities.[51][52][53]

He then took on Yoo Ha's neo-noir action saga Gangnam Blues (), set in the s when the real estate development boom swept across the Gangnam area.

The film, which co-starred Kim Rae-won, marked Lee's first leading role on the big screen.[54][55]

In , Lee appeared in the action comedy film Bounty Hunters, directed by Shin Terra; his co-stars were Wallace Chung, Tiffany Tang, Jeremy Tsui, Karena Ng and Louis Fan.[56] The flick topped box office charts upon its release and went on to gross US$31 million in China.[57][58] Later that year, Lee made his television comeback in the fantasy romance The Legend of the Blue Sea alongside actress Jun Ji-hyun, which was another success.[59][60]

Lee began his mandatory military service on May 12, [61]

–present: Comeback from military service and Hollywood Debut

In , Lee was cast in the SBS-broadcast and Netflix-distributed fantasy romance The King: Eternal Monarch written by The Heirs screenwriter Kim Eun-sook.[62] It was hailed as one of the most anticipated series of the first half of ,[63][64][65] serving as Lee's comeback following his release from mandatory military service.[63] The series set a record for SBS's highest Friday-Saturday drama premiere ratings and maintaining the No.1 spot on the weekly Wavve drama chart for eight consecutive weeks,[66][67][68][69] but received mixed reviews and lower-than-expected domestic TV viewership ratings on later episodes compared to previous works by Kim Eun-sook.[70][71]The King: Eternal Monarch was listed as the most popular Korean drama on Netflix in India, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore and one of the top two in the U.S.

in [72][73]

In October , Lee Min-ho launched the YouTube channel "leeminho film" where he serves as executive producer and creative director.[3]

In , Lee made his Hollywood debut[74] in a main role as Koh Hansu, a mysterious merchant, in the television series adaptation of Min Jin Lee's novel Pachinko.[6][75] The series received positive reviews and extensive critical acclaim upon release.[76][77][78] Lee's performance, particularly in the standalone episode of the series, Chapter 7, which centered around Lee's character, received critical acclaim; outlets such as Rolling Stone,[79]The New York Times,[80] and Collider[81] included the episode in their list of Best TV Episodes of .

In August , Hugo Boss launched a new collection, featuring Lee, Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Campbell, Matteo Berrettini, and Suki Waterhouse in its campaign.[82]

Public image and philanthropy

Philanthropy

In , Lee set up the PROMIZ website, a fund-raising platform to raise awareness and encourage donation for social and humanitarian causes.[83][84] Proceeds from the sale of PROMIZ merchandise are given to selected partners which execute the charity projects.

The site donated $50, to help create wells in Malawi through non-profit organization Charity: Water; the sum was gathered by Lee and his fans.[85][86] PROMIZ has also raised funds and contributed donations to causes such as Good Neighbours,[87]World Water Day,[88] the "Transparent Umbrella Project" [89] and the "Making Warm Winter for Both Bodies and Hearts" campaign.[90] In , PROMIZ won at the Korea Good Brand Awards.[91]

In , Lee donated ₩ million to UNICEF to aid the victims of the devastating earthquake in Nepal.[92] In , Lee was recognised by the Ministry of Health and Welfare for his contribution to society.[93]

To mark the 10th anniversary of his debut, Lee's fans participated in several charitable events.

Lee's Chinese fans planted trees in Inner Mongolia, while his Mexican fans sold plastic bottle caps to recycling companies and donated the proceeds to children suffering from cancer. Taiwanese and Hong Kong made donations to World Vision and UNICEF. In previous years, his Chilean fan club donated to the humanitarian organization Patagonia Compassion and also participated in several other charitable causes.[94][95]

Media influence

As of October , Lee has over 3 million followers on Twitter, 23 million followers on Weibo and was the first Korean celebrity to garner 20 million followers on both Instagram and Facebook.[96][97][98][99][] In and , Lee topped the online poll organized by a Chinese entertainment magazine and was voted as the "Asian Male God".[] In , Lee was chosen as the "Most Favoured Korean Actor" by fans of the Korean Wave in the United States.[] With a combined total of 65 million followers, he is referred to as the "King of Social Media".[][99]

Personal life

Lee has an older sister, Yun-jeong, who is the co-founder and CEO of his current agency MYM Entertainment.[]

Car wreck

In , Lee's acting career was put on hold for a year following a serious car wreck, which occurred while riding with fellow actor Jung Il-woo and two other friends.[17] The group of friends were driving to Gangwon Province when a car crossing from the opposite lane after fleeing from a previous accident hit them head-on, destroying the hood and engine of their car.

Lee and Jung, who were seated in the back, survived the wreck in a critical state. Their friends, both sitting in the front, were instantly killed.

  • Lee min-ho age
  • Go jun pyo actor
  • Gun jun-pyo movies
  • Lee min ho wife and child

    • Lee was severely injured and in a coma for a month, after which he spent several months bedridden. His injuries included broken ribs, thigh and ankle, along with a tear in his knee cartilage. As part of his treatment, a centimeter metal pin was inserted in his thigh, leaving one of his legs shorter than the other.[12][17][][][]

    Military enlistment

    Lee Min-ho began his mandatory military service on May 12, , at the Suseo Social Welfare Centre in Gangnam District Office as a public service officer.[] Lee was unable to serve as an active duty soldier due to his previous injuries.

    He also suffered another car wreck in while filming City Hunter.[][]

    On March 15, , Lee started his military training at the Korea Army Training Centre in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province. He returned to public service duty after four weeks of basic training.[] He was discharged on April 25, []

    Filmography

    Film

    Television series

    Web series

    Music video

    Discography

    Main article: Lee Min-ho discography

    • My Everything (, Korean)
    • My Everything (, Japanese)
    • Song for You ()

    Awards and nominations

    Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Lee Min-ho

    References

    1. ^"Lee Min-ho's official website".

      Archived from the original on May 14, Retrieved May 14,

    2. ^"Lee Min-ho (이민호, Korean actor) HanCinema&#;:: The Korean Movie & Drama Database". HanCinema. Archived from the original on August 18, Retrieved August 18,
    3. ^ abCorp, ABS-CBN. "Lee Min-Ho Launches A YouTube Channel, And It's Not Your Typical Vlog".

      . Archived from the original on February 17, Retrieved August 18,

    4. ^Fagela, Cleo (September 12, ). "Lee Min Ho earns $ Million From Product Endorsements". Chinatopix. Archived from the original on October 9, Retrieved August 18,
    5. ^. Munhwa Ilbo.

      Archived from the original on February 4, Retrieved April 30,

    6. ^ abPetski, Denise (October 22, ). "Pachinko: Apple Drama Series Sets Cast, Gets Production Start Date". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 26, Retrieved February 19,
    7. ^"'Hotel de Luna,' Lee Min Ho, BTS top hallyu survey".

      Manila Bulletin Entertainment. Retrieved June 9, [permanent dead link&#;]

    8. ^"5 things to know about Lee Min-ho, star of The King: Eternal Monarch". South China Morning Post. April 14, Archived from the original on June 9, Retrieved June 9,
    9. ^ ab"Lee Min-ho to get wax figure in Shanghai".

      The Korea Herald. August 26, Archived from the original on October 27, Retrieved October 24,

    10. ^ ab"BNTNews- Lee Min Ho's Wax Figure To Be Displaced in Hong Kong Madame Tussauds". BNTNews UK. Archived from the original on June 9, Retrieved June 9,
    11. ^ abPark, Mi-ae (February 17, ).

      "[SPN 인물탐구④]'F4 절대지존' 이민호의 모든 것이 궁금해~!(40문40답)". Edaily&#;[ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 11, Retrieved May 31,

    12. ^ abcd"Life graph of Lee Min Ho, "Actor's job is to give hope and courage"" .

      Starcast (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on September 1, Retrieved July 14,

    13. ^ abcdKo, Jae-wan (April 26, ). "Star Diary: Lee Min-ho – Part 1". 10Asia. Archived from the original on October 28, Retrieved October 28,
    14. ^"'The King: Eternal Monarch' The emperor of the Korean Empire itself, 'Lee Min-ho' age and filmography" .

      MHNS (in Korean). April 25, Archived from the original on February 17, Retrieved April 25,

    15. ^Ko, Jae-wan (April 28, ). "Star Diary: Lee Min-ho – Part 3". 10Asia. Archived from the original on May 27, Retrieved October 28,
    16. ^"Lee Min Ho: 5 Facts You May Not Know About The 'Legend Of The Blue Sea' Korean Drama Actor".

      The Inquisitr. October 2, Archived from the original on April 19, Retrieved April 19,

    17. ^ abcEconoTimes (October 31, ). "Lee Min Ho escaped death many times and here are the shocking details - EconoTimes". EconoTimes.

      Archived from the original on June 26, Retrieved June 9,

    18. ^Ko, Jae-wan (April 27, ). "Star Diary: Lee Min-ho – Part 2". 10Asia. Archived from the original on July 14, Retrieved July 14,
    19. ^ abKo, Jae-wan (April 29, ).

      "Star Diary: Lee Min-ho – Part 4". 10Asia. Archived from the original on October 28, Retrieved October 28,

    20. ^Ko, Jae-wan (April 30, ). "Star Diary: Lee Min-ho – Part 5". 10Asia. Archived from the original on October 28, Retrieved October 28,
    21. ^ abYoo Bo-lam (March 11, ).

      "Boys Over Flowers explodes in popularity". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on January 9, Retrieved February 18,

    22. ^. Edaily&#;[ko] (in Korean). January 9, Archived from the original on October 12, Retrieved July 2,
    23. ^Ko, Jae-wan (May 7, ). "Star Diary: Lee Min-ho – Part 9".

      10Asia. Archived from the original on October 28, Retrieved October 28,

    24. ^"Son Ye-jin says relieved Lee Min-ho "not young-looking"". 10Asia. Archived from the original on February 18, Retrieved July 28, : CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    25. ^"Lee Min-ho - "I want to find a drama where I can find myself"".

      Goo jun pyo pics Some cast members, like Lee Min Ho , blew up from the drama, while others continued on to successful careers in film, TV or theatre. Archived from the original on November 3, Manage consent Manage consent. Archived from the original on January 8,

      10Asia. August 12, Archived from the original on July 21, Retrieved July 21,

    26. ^"Sold out guy Lee Min-ho". HanCinema. Nate. Archived from the original on June 18, Retrieved June 14,
    27. ^"Actor Lee Min-ho mesmerizes Japan". The Korea Times. January 27, Archived from the original on June 13, Retrieved March 8,
    28. ^Sunwoo, Carla (May 17, ).

      "Lee Min-ho still wanted in Japan". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on July 25, Retrieved July 15,

    29. ^Esteves, Patricia (November 18, ). "Lee Min Ho: Coming to Phl doesn't feel like work". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on November 6, Retrieved July 15,
    30. ^"Lee Min Ho Says He Was Surprised By Drama's Popularity in China".

      enewsWorld. December 2, Archived from the original on July 30,

    31. ^"Lee Min Ho is the ′Best Korean Actor′ in France". enewsWorld. February 1, Archived from the original on December 16,
    32. ^Sunwoo, Carla (December 16, ). "Lee Min-ho visits China for New Year's".

      Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on July 15, Retrieved July 5,

    33. ^"Kim Hee-sun, Lee Min-ho start filming".

      Goo jun pyo kim hyun joong Retrieved March 8, Retrieved July 9, Not long after, Kim Bum started dating his senior Oh Yeon Seo but the two were confirmed to have ended their romantic relationship in When asked about the reason for choosing the role during an interview, he responded: "I think I would do a better job playing heavy and more defined roles when I am older.

      Korea JoongAng Daily. July 13, Archived from the original on December 20, Retrieved March 8,

    34. ^Kim, Tong-hyung (July 23, ). "Director of Hourglass commits suicide". The Korea Times.

      About goo jun pyo December 13, However, as his stage name was pronounced and written in the same way as the Korean word "imin", which means " immigration ", he later said it was difficult to find himself in internet search results. The Chosun Ilbo in Korean. I have no place to live.

      Archived from the original on June 19, Retrieved November 18,

    35. ^"Actor Lee Min-ho releases 1st album". Korea JoongAng Daily. May 23, Archived from the original on March 8, Retrieved March 8,
    36. ^Lee, Sun-min (November 12, ). "Lee Min-ho adds another fan meeting". Korea JoongAng Daily.

      Lee min ho goo jun pyo parte Kpop Herald. Retrieved March 19, Not long after, Kim Bum started dating his senior Oh Yeon Seo but the two were confirmed to have ended their romantic relationship in February 1,

      Archived from the original on July 14, Retrieved July 2,

    37. ^ abOh, Jean (October 10, ). "Lee Min-ho, back to class". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on February 12, Retrieved July 2,
    38. ^Shin, Kyun-jin; Yang, Sung-hee (March 14, ).

      "Hallyu booming again in China, bigger than ever". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on May 28, Retrieved August 4,

    39. ^"Global fans celebrate Lee Min-ho's debut anniversary - Yonhap News Agency". Yonhap News Agency. May 11, Archived from the original on July 14, Retrieved July 14,
    40. ^"20 million Chinese follow Lee".

      Korea JoongAng Daily. March 10, Archived from the original on March 8, Retrieved March 8,

    41. ^"Lee Min-ho named No.1 Korean actor in China". The Korea Times. March 17, Archived from the original on March 8, Retrieved March 8,
    42. ^"No what-ifs to Lee Min-ho". The Korea Times.

      January 13, Archived from the original on July 30, Retrieved July 30,

    43. ^Coonan, Clifford (February 4, ). "China Crushes Puny US Super Bowl Audience: Million Watch New Year Gala".

      Goo jun pyo height: September 6, By his first year at Danggok High School, Lee had already turned his interests to acting and modeling. Kpop Herald. Inline Feedbacks.

      The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 21, Retrieved October 27,

    44. ^"Lee Min-ho invited to China TV festival". The Korea Times. January 20, Archived from the original on July 30, Retrieved July 30,
    45. ^"Chun Wan says Lee Min-ho as 'The most wanted Actor'". KBS World.

      Archived from the original on July 14, Retrieved July 9,

    46. ^""Korean Wave" hits Gala stage". CCTV. January 30, Archived from the original on March 23, Retrieved March 19,
    47. ^Jin, Eun-soo (April 5, ). "Lee Min-ho meets President". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on July 15, Retrieved July 2,
    48. ^"Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Min-ho feted for spreading hallyu".

      The Korea Herald. November 11, Archived from the original on March 6, Retrieved March 8,

    49. ^Jackson, Julie (September 26, ). "Lee Min-ho returning to the mic next month". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on October 25, Retrieved October 25,
    50. ^"Lee Min-ho tops Japanese chart with second album".

      AsiaOne. October 13, Archived from the original on October 19, Retrieved October 25,

    51. ^"Lee Min-ho plans global tour to meet fans". The Korea Times. July 21, Archived from the original on October 25, Retrieved October 25,
    52. ^"Thousands turn out for Lee Min-ho's fan meeting in Japan".

      Yonhap News Agency. October 14, Archived from the original on October 25, Retrieved October 25,

    53. ^"Lee Min-ho's global tour ends successfully".

    54. Goo jun pyo height
    55. Biography of goo jun pyo
    56. Where are they now? Heres the Latest Whereabouts of the ...

      57. Kpop Herald. January 4, Archived from the original on March 8, Retrieved March 8,

    57. ^Won, Ho-Yeon (January 2, ). "Lee Min-ho done with high school". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on October 26, Retrieved July 2,
    58. ^"My next film project is noir".

      The Korea Times. January 13, Archived from the original on July 30, Retrieved July 30,

    59. ^"Korea's Lee Min-ho Confirmed To Star in 'Bounty Hunters' Action Adventure". Variety. June 11, Archived from the original on April 10, Retrieved December 10,