Lee Jin-hee

Lee Jin-hee (; born February 15, 1983) is a South Korean actress. Debuting in the play Mother in 2004, Lee has worked in variety of acting mediums, such as plays, musicals, movies and television dramas. She is also an actress with good acting reputation in Daehangno.

Early life Lee Jin-hee was born on February 15, 1983. While growing up, she considered various career paths, including teaching or acting. An opportunity to pursue acting arose when Lee transferred from a humanities major in high school to a theater major at Gyewon Arts High School (계원예술고등학교) in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, due to her father's job transfer. After graduating from high school, Lee enrolled in the Department of Theater at Yong In University, located in Samgak-dong, Cheoin District, Yongin, South Korea, where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Theater.

Career

Early career Lee began her career as a member of the Theater Company Yeonhui Dangeori (연희단거리패). In 2004, she debuted in the play Mother, portraying young Il-soon under the guidance of veteran actress Son Sook. This play served as the opening performance for the COEX Art Hall.

In 2007, Lee moved to Daehangno, Seoul. That year, she auditioned for the play Agnes of God, a production directed by Yoon Kwang-jin and led by veteran actresses Park Jeong-ja and Son Sook. She did not secure a role, despite it being a dream role for her since high school. Undeterred, she auditioned for Lee Kang-baek's The Cockscomb Flower, directed by Choi Joong-min, and successfully landed a role.

After appearing in The Cockscomb Flower, she met director and playwright Jang Yu-jeong. This marked her foray into musical theater as she portrayed the titular character, Choi Min-hee, in the fourth season of Jang Yu-jeong's musical Oh, While You Were Sleeping, which was part of Yeonwoo Stage's repertoire. Soon after, she took on the lead character Ahn So-yi in Jang Yu-jeong's play Melodrama. That same year, Lee joined the encore performance of Park Su-jin's play Applause for Juliet, directed by Min Bok-ki. The play, which originally premiered in 2004, received acclaim for its vibrant dialogue and imaginative storytelling. Lee portrayed the character of Seon-jeong (Ophelia), alongside Jo Han-chul as Seok-dong (Hamlet), Min-ho as Romeo, and Bok-soon as Juliet. The play explores a complex web of conflicting love in a contemporary setting that combines elements of Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet.

Lee collaborated with Director Seo Jae-hyung and Playwright Han Ah-reum from Theater Company Run to Death (극단-죽도록 달린다) in the premiere of the play Youth, 18 to 1. She played the role of Natsuka, a Japanese woman in love with Kim Kun-woo, a Korean man planning to assassinate the mayor of Tokyo. The play received positive feedback from the audience, but the performance concluded prematurely due to Lee fracturing her foot, three weeks ahead of schedule.

In late 2008, Lee collaborated once again with director Seo Jae-hyeong and playwright Han Ah-reum in the encore performance of the play Hoya (好夜). This play was selected as part of the 2008 Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture's stage performance production support project. Lee portrayed the character of Eo Gwi-in, the king's concubine. The play was performed at the Daehakro Theater until November 30.

In 2009, Lee joined Yoji Sakate's acclaimed omnibus play Attic. It was performed as part of the Sakateyoji Festival at the small theater of the Arko Arts Theater in Daehangno, Seoul. That same year, She reprised her role as Natsuka of the play Youth, 18 to 1.

Best Play and career in film and television In 2010, Lee made her cinematic debut with a minor role in Jang Yu-jeong's film Finding Mr. Destiny. Her first leading role in a feature film came in 2013 with 48 Meters (released in 2014), directed by Min Baek-doo. 48 Meters is a human rights film based on a true story about North Koreans risking their lives for freedom by crossing the Yalu River, a 48-meter span known as the "distance between life and death." In the film, Lee portrayed Ryu Hwa-young, a character who lost her parents while attempting to escape from North Korea as a child. She starred alongside Park Hyo-joo, who played the role of broker Park Seon-hee.

Lee again worked with Jang Yu-jeong in an encore performance of the musical Those Days. It was performed at the Daehangno Musical Center Grand Theater from October 21 to January 18, 2015.

That same year, Lee was double-cast with actress Lim Kang-hee for the role of Sylvia in an encore performance of the play The Pride. The story unfolded back and forth between 1958 and the present, focusing on Philip, Oliver, Peter, and Sylvia, characters living in two different eras. The play addressed socially underprivileged groups, represented by sexual minorities. Directed by Kim Dong-yeon, the play ran from August 6 at the Daehakro Soohyun Theatre. South Korean adaptation was written by Ji Yi-seon and translated by Kim Soo-bin and premiered in The 5th Best Plays Festival, the Art One Theater in 2014.

In 2016, Lee participated in two production of The 6th Best Plays Festival, Kill Me Now and Hamlet—The Play. In Kill Me Now, Lee Jin-hee played the role of Twyla, the younger sister of Jake and aunt of Joy, who takes care of the two. Kill Me Now is the latest work released in 2013 by Canadian playwright Brad Fraser. During its London performance in 2015, the play received critical acclaim from the British press for its honest and bold approach to difficult topics such as sex, disability, and death. Lee performed dual roles as Ophelia and Gertrude in the play Hamlet—The Play. This was a reinterpretation of Shakespeare's classic Hamlet, directed by Kim Dong-yeon, released to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. The play was based on a university performance titled "Hamlet —The Story of a Sad Clown," originally adapted and directed by Kim Dong-yeon in 2001. Writer Ji Seon joined the project and created a revised version of the play after 15 years.

In addition to her theater works, Lee took on several minor roles in television dramas. She appeared in the SBS drama Glorious Day (2014), SBS drama Entertainer (2016) and tvN drama Memory (2016). In 2017, she was cast in a supporting role in the MBC mini-series Two Cops, playing Woo Hye-in, the widow of detective Cho Hang-joon and former partner of detective Cha Dong-tak (played by Jo Jung-suk). In 2018, Lee appeared in another MBC drama A Pledge to God, in a supporting role as Na Hae-jim's mother, Ha Ji-mo. She made a return to SBS dramas in 2019 with the series VIP. She portrayed Kang Ji-young, the head of VIP concierge, described as a bold and outspoken woman unafraid of her manager.

In 2016, Lee was double-cast with Son Ji-yoon in the role of Lily, a patient with echolalia in the Asian Premiere of the play Toc Toc. Derived from the French expression for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Troubles Obsessionnels Compulsifs, TOC), Toc Toc is a comedy about obsessive-compulsive patients. The play was written by Laurent Baffie, a French writer, actor, and television host.

In 2017, Lee Jin-hee performed in both Kill Me Now (Theater Black, Chungmu Arts Center until July 16) and The Pride(Daehangno Art One Theater 2, until July 2), showcasing a range of emotions.

In 2018, Lee participated in The 7th Best Play Festival, featuring the adaptation of The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. The play is based on Jonas Jonasson's bestselling Swedish novel with the same name, which had sold over 10 million copies worldwide since its release in 2009. Lee embraced the challenge of portraying multiple characters within the production, showcasing her versatility. The play involved "character juggling," as five actors onstage seamlessly transformed into various roles, including the centenarian protagonist Allan Karlsson and the individuals he encounters. Lee portrayed characters such as the authoritative police chief "Captain Arunson" and Kim Il Sung, among others. This production marked the first time Lee and Son Ji-yoon shared the stage, as their previous projects together typically involved double-casting where they alternated appearances in the play.

Her brief appearance the KBS drama When the Camellia Blooms as the owner of a tanning salon and a friend of Dong-baek was notable. In episode 8 of the KBS drama Sell Your Haunted House (2021), she made a cameo appearance as the mother of Won-gwi Byul-i, a child ghost. Her appearance in episodes 2 and 9 of tvN drama series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021) as Hye-jin's mother, left lasting impression to viewers. In 2021, Lee also joined the television drama series Here's My Plan (2021) as Kim Bok-hee, a grandmother caregiver. The drama's screenplay won the Outstanding Work award at the 2020 MBC Drama Screenplay Contest and received high praise from the judges. It aired on MBC TV from May 19 to 27, 2021.

Recent theater works In 2019, Lee returned to the stage with the play Turn Around and Leave. This two-hander play is based on the 1998 film A Promise, which starred Park Shin-yang and Jeon Do-yeon. It tells the story of Gong Sang-du, a gangster preparing to surrender after committing murder, who meets his lover Hee-joo for a final time.

In May 2022, it was announced that Lee would join the third production of The 9th Best Plays Festival, featuring the play Touching the Void by David Greig. The play is based on the true story of two British mountaineers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, and their struggle for survival. Lee was double-cast with actress Son Ji-yoon in the role of Sara, Joe Simpson's sister. The Korean premiere of the play, directed by Kim Dong-yeon, took place at Art One Theater 2 in Daehangno from July 8 to September 9, 2022.

Personal life Lee Jin-hee met her husband, fellow actor Ahn Se-ho, while working on the Open Run Musical Oh! While You Were Sleeping in 2007. They collaborated on numerous projects thereafter. Both are represented by the same agency, Alien Company.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Stage Musical

Theater +List of stage play(s) Year Title Role Theater DateRef. English Korean 2004 Deceived by Love and Crying for Money 사랑에 속도 돈에 울고Hong-do— Youth, 18 to 1: Doosan Art Center Creator Development Program 2 청춘, 18대 1: 두산아트센터 창작자 육성 프로그램 2 Natsuka Doosan Art Center Space 111 July 12–Aug 31 Joseon Coalition Scandal Hoya 조선 연정 스캔들 호야 Gwi-in Daehakro Theater Nov 14–30 2009 Youth, 18 to 1 청춘, 18대 1 Natsuka Doosan Art Center Space111 Feb 24–March 15 Sakateyoji Festival - Attic 사카테요지 페스티벌 - 다락방 Female Arko Arts Theater Small Theater June 8–28 2010Tournament토너먼트LG Arts CenterApril 20–25 Road to Santiago 산티아고 가는 길 Kite Yeonwoo Small Theater (Dahak-ro) Nov 19–Dec 5 2012 Scorched Love 그을린 사랑 Female Myeongdong Arts Theater June 5–July 1 2013 Full Line 만선 자유연극시리즈 1 Female Seoul Arts Center Jayu Small Theater May 3–15 2014 SAC CUBE 2014 - Mephisto SAC CUBE 2014 - 메피스토 Gretchen Seoul Arts Center CJ Towol Theater April 4–19 The Height of The Multiple 배수의 고도 Shoko Ando Doosan Art Center Space 111 June 10–July 5 2015 The Caucasian Chalk Circle 코카서스의 백묵원 Female Sogang University Mary Hall Grand Theater April 24–May 3 The Pride 프라이드 Sylvia Yes 24 Stage 3 Aug 8–Nov 1 2016 Theatrical Battle 6 - Kill Me Now 연극열전6 - 킬 미 나우 Twila Chungmu Art Center Medium Theater Black May 1–July 3 Theatrical Battle 6 - Hamlet the Play 연극열전6 - 세 번째 작품 "햄릿 - 더 플레이" Ophelia & Gertrude Chungmu Art Center Medium Theater Black Aug 2–Oct 16 2016–2017 Theatrical Battle 6 - Toc Toc 연극열전6 - 톡톡 Lily Daehak-ro T.O.M. Hall 2 Oct 27–Jan 30, 2017 2017 The Pride 프라이드 Sylvia Art One Theater Hall 2 March 21–July 2 Kill Me Now 킬 미 나우 Twila Chungmu Art Center Medium Theater Black April 25–July 16 2017–2018 Toc Toc 톡톡 Lily Daehak-ro T.O.M. Hall 2 Oct 20–Jan 28, 2018 2018 Theatre 7 - The 100-year-old man who jumped out of the window and ran away 연극열전7 - 창문 넘어 도망친 100세 노인연극열전 Alan Daehak-ro Jayu Theater June 12–Sep 2 Turn Around and Leave 돌아서서 떠나라 Chae Hee-joo Bricks Theater (Old, Content Ground) July 12–Oct 6 2018–2019 Bunker Trilogy 벙커 트릴로지 soldier 4 Hongik University Daehangno Art Center Small Theater Dec 11, 2018–Feb 24, 2019 2019 Turn Around and Leave 돌아서서 떠나라 Chae Hee-joo Bricks Theater (Old, Content Ground) Oct 9–Nov 11 2020 Theatrical Battle 8 - Lungs 연극열전8 - 렁스 W Art One Theater Hall 2 March 9–July 5 2021 Lungs 렁스 June 26-September 5 Sarasae Theater in Aram Nuri, GoyangDecember 11–12 2022 Theatrical Battle 9 - Touching The Void 연극열전9_3rd — 터칭 더 보이드 Sara Art One Theater Hall 2 July 8—Sep 18 OnlineMay 2 2024 Closer Anna Plus Theater April 23 to July 14

Awards and nominations