Lee Ha-nee

Lee Hanee (; born March 2, 1983), also known as Honey Lee, is a South Korean actress, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Korea 2006 and represented her country at Miss Universe 2007. She is known for starring in the films Deranged, The Bros (2017), Extreme Job (2019), and Black Money (2019). In television, she gained recognition for her roles in The Rebel (2017), The Fiery Priest (2019–2024), One the Woman (2021), and Knight Flower (2024). For her performance in the latter, Lee won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actress.

Early life Lee Hanee is the middle child of three, and has an elder sister and a younger brother. Her father, , was a high-ranking official with the National Intelligence Service. Her mother, Moon Jae-suk, has a PhD in Korean music history and is a professor at Ewha Womans University as well as music director of the Gimhae Gayageum Orchestra. Her sister is , a member of the KBS Orchestra of Traditional Korean Music. Lee's maternal uncle is politician Moon Hee-sang (former Speaker of the National Assembly).

Lee graduated from Seoul National University with high honors in traditional Korean music. She received her master's degree from the same university.

Career Beauty pageant Lee won the 2006 Miss Korea pageant and represented South Korea in the Miss Universe 2007. She managed to break into the Top 5 and placed as 3rd runner-up; Riyo Mori from Japan was crowned Miss Universe that year. Lee was also named Miss Grand Slam 2007.

Music Lee is a professional gayageum player, a Korean music instrument. She was named a gayageum prodigy by the Kumho Art Center, the most prestigious musical foundation in Korea. She has released four CDs and played in more than 25 countries, including concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In 2017, she participated in the largest-ever mass performance of the gayageum as part of the two-day Uijeongbu International Gayageum Festival. Lee performed at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics, where she reinterpreted '춘앵무 (Chunaengmu)', one of the royal dances of the Joseon period. Lee appeared in the music video For Dynamic Duo (South Korean duo)'s song "Jam". Presumably Lee plays a Honeybee in the video which is a pun on the honeybee themed video.

Film and television Lee Hanee co-hosted Real Time TV Entertainment, on the national TV network SBS, a 12-year-old show focusing on show business, beginning July 18. In 2008, she made her acting debut in the musical Polaroid which opened at PMC Daehangno Jayu Theater in Hyehwa-dong, Jongno District. She has since starred in musicals Legally Blonde, playing Elle Woods and Chicago, playing Roxie Hart.

In 2009, Lee starred in her first television series The Partner, playing a femme fatale attorney. She next starred in the romantic comedy series Pasta (2010), playing a celebrity chef. Lee won her first acting accolade at the MBC Drama Awards, the Best Newcomer award for her performance in the family drama Iron Daughters-in-law (2011). In 2011, Lee was cast in her first big screen role in action film, Hit. She also featured in the disaster film Deranged and period comedy I Am a King (2012).

After appearing in E J-yong's ensemble mockumentary Behind the Camera (2013), Lee starred in the gambling film Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014), playing a rich widow. She also appeared in a comedy drama in 2014 called Modern Farmer which is about a rock band called "Excellent Souls." The band consists of Lee Min-Ki (Lee Hong-Ki), Kang Hyeok (Park Min-Woo), Yoo Han-Cheol (Lee Si-Un) and Han Ki-Joon (Kwak Dong-Yeon). The band decides to move to the countryside. The drama series follows their dreams, loves, and friendships.

Lee then played Queen Daemok in the 2015 historical drama Shine or Go Crazy, which depicts a fictional romance between a cursed Goryeo prince and the last princess of Balhae. The same year, she starred in the science fiction film Sori: Voice From The Heart. In 2016, Lee starred in the comedy drama Come Back Mister. Lee was praised for her chemistry with co-star Oh Yeon-seo, whom she has acted with in her previous project Shine or Go Crazy. In 2017, Lee played famous gisaeng Jang Nok-su in the historical drama The Rebel. She won critical praise for her portrayal, and won several acting awards. The same year, she featured in crime thriller Heart Blackened and action comedy film The Bros.

In 2019, Lee starred in the comedy film Extreme Job as a narcotics detective. The film became the second-most successful Korean film ever with 16 million tickets sold. The same year, she starred in comedy crime drama The Fiery Priest as a prosecutor. The drama was a commercial success with over 20% in ratings. Both projects proved Lee's versatility and contributed to her rise in popularity.

In 2021, Lee starred another SBS drama One the Woman with Lee Sang-yoon, Jin Seo-yeon and Lee Won-keun, making a small screen comeback in two years. She played dual roles as Jo Yeon-joo, a smart but corrupted prosecutor (which is similar to her previous drama The Fiery Priest) and Kang Mi-na, an illegitimate daughter of a chaebol who is abused by her family and her husband's family. The drama was a hit with the last episode achieving 3.2 million viewers and a rating of 17.8%. For her successful portrayal of dual character with polar opposite personality, she earned a top excellence award and daesang nomination at 2021 SBS Drama Awards.

Personal life Lee has been actively involved in voluntary work for several organizations such as UNICEF, Compassion and World Vision. She serves as the Goodwill Ambassador for Beauty Mind Charity and Korea Green Foundation. Lee holds a third degree black belt in Taekwondo, and is a scuba diver and a competitive skier. She is of Christian faith and once followed a vegetarian diet. But she began eating meat and fish for her own freedom according to her.

Relationship and marriage On November 8, 2021, it was confirmed that Lee was dating a non-celebrity boyfriend. They have been dating since early 2021. On December 21, 2021, Saram Entertainment confirmed that Lee has married that day, and the wedding ceremony was held in Seoul where only family members attended. According to Lee's agency, her husband is a Korean-American office worker. In January 2022, Lee's agency announced that Lee was 4 months pregnant with her first child. On June 20, 2022, she gave birth to a daughter at a hospital in Seoul. On March 7, 2025, it was announced that Lee was expecting her second child. Lee gave birth to a second daughter on August 24.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2011 Hit Seon-nyeo 2012 Deranged Yeon-joo I Am the King Soo-yeon 2013 Behind the Camera herself 2014 Tazza: The Hidden Card President Woo 2015 Sori: Voice From The Heart Ji-yeon 2016 Lost in the Moonlight Lady Maehwa voice role 2017 Fabricated City Min Cheon-sang's secretary Heart Blackened Yoo-na The Bros Oh Ro-ra 2019 Extreme Job Det. Jang Yeon-soo Black Money Kim Na-ri 2022 Alienoid Min Kae-ae 2023 Phantom Park Cha-Kyung Killing Romance Hwang Yeo-rae 2024 Alienoid: Return to the Future Min Kae-ae 2025The People Upstairs Soo-kyung

Television series Year Title Role Notes 2009 The Partner Kim Jung-won 2010 Pasta Oh Se-young 2011 Indomitable Daughters-in-Law Kim Yeon-jung 2012 Immortal Classic Seo Young-joo 2013 Don't Look Back: The Legend of Orpheus Jang Young-hee 2014 Modern Farmer Kang Yoon-hee 2015 Shine or Go Crazy Hwangbo Yeo-won 2016 Come Back Mister Song Yi-yeon 2017 The Rebel Jang Nok-su 2019–2024 The Fiery Priest Park Gyung-sun Season 1–2 2019 Be Melodramatic Actress Cameo (episode 1) 2021 One the Woman Jo Yeon-joo / Kang Mi-na 2024 Knight Flower Jo Yeo-hwa 2025 Aema Jeong Hee-ran Yang-ja Post-production

Television shows Year Title Role Notes 2007–2008 TV Entertainment Tonight Host 2010 Honey Lee's My Sweet Canada 2011 Opera Star 2011 2014 Four Sons and One Daughter - Season 1 Cast member 2015–2017 Get it Beauty Host 2016 Saturday Night Live Korea LOVE Challenge 2 Cast member 2017 Shall We Walk 2018 The Secret and Great Private Lives of Animals

Theater Year Title Role 2008 Polaroid Lee Se-yeon 2009–2010 Legally Blonde Elle Woods 2013 Chicago Roxie Hart 2013–2014 Guys and Dolls Sarah Brown

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 2015 Best Supporting Actress Shine or Go Crazy 2022Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries One the Woman 2024 Knight Flower Baeksang Arts Awards 2015 Best New Actress – Film Tazza: The Hidden Card 2018 Best Supporting Actress – Film Heart Blackened 2019 Extreme Job 2024 Best Actress – Film Killing Romance Best Actress – Television Knight Flower Bechdel Day 2023 Bechdelian in Film Phantom 2024 Bechdelian in Series Knight Flower Blue Dragon Film Awards 2014 Best Supporting Actress Tazza: The Hidden Card 2019 Extreme Job Popular Star Award BIFF Marie Claire Asian Star Awards 2019 Marie Claire Award Daegu Musical Festival 2013 Best Newcomer Chicago Elle Style Awards 2024 Woman of Inspiration Award Lee Hanee Golden Cinematography Awards 2021 Best Actress Black Money Grand Bell Awards 2014 Best New Actress Tazza: The Hidden Card Popularity Award 2020 Best Supporting Actress Extreme Job KBS Entertainment Awards 2018 Rookie Award, Variety The Secret and Great Private Lives of Animals Korea Drama Awards 2017 Top Excellence Award, Actress The Rebel 2024 Grand Prize (Daesang) Knight Flower Korea Film Actors Association Star Night - Korea Top Star Awards Ceremony 2017 Best Supporting Actress The Bros, Heart Blackened Korea Jewelry Awards 2010 Sapphire Award Lee Hanee MBC Drama Awards 2011 Best New Actress Indomitable Daughters-in-Law 2017 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Monday-Tuesday Drama The Rebel 2024 Grand Prize (Daesang) Knight Flower Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Best Couple Award Lee Hanee Knight Flower Miss Korea Pageant 2006 Miss Korea - Jin Lee Hanee Miss Universe Pageant 2007 Third runner-up Mnet 20's Choice Awards 2011 Hot Body Female New York Asian Film Festival 2023 Best from the East Award Killing Romance SBS Drama Awards 2014 Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama Special Modern Farmer 2016 Special Acting Award, Actress in a Fantasy Drama Come Back Mister 2019 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-Length Drama The Fiery Priest Producer's Award 2021 Grand Prize (Daesang) One the Woman Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Romance/Comedy Drama Best Couple Award Lee Hanee One the Woman 2024 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Seasonal Drama The Fiery Priest 2 Style Icon Asia 2016 Top 10 Style Icons Lee Hanee The Seoul Awards 2017 Best Supporting Actress The Rebel

State honors + Name of country, year given, and name of honor Country Or Organization Year Honor Or Award South KoreaEfn Honors are given at the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, arranged by the Korea Creative Content Agency and hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. They are awarded to those who have contributed to the arts and South Korea's pop culture. 2019 The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism commendation

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