Lee Sang-yi

Lee Sang-yi (; born November 27, 1991) is a South Korean actor and singer known for his work on stage and screen. He debuted in theater in 2014 and has since acted in several plays and musicals. He gained wider recognition for his leading roles in dramas, notably, Bloodhounds (2023–present), Spice Up Our Love, and Good Boy (2025). As a singer, he is best known for being a member of the vocal group MSG Wannabe.

Early life and education Lee Sang-yi was born in 1991 in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. His interest in acting began during his participation in a school production of The Sound of Music at Jeongji Elementary School. While attending Wonil Middle School, Lee's father encouraged him to enroll in a local acting academy, where he also studied tap dancing. Lee decided to pursue acting professionally and informed his parents of his intention to attend an arts high school. He subsequently enrolled in the Department of Theater and Film at . During this period, Lee also explored various career paths, including guitarist, professional gamer, and stage designer, before ultimately choosing acting as it integrated his diverse interests.

Career

2014–2019: Theater beginnings Following his mandatory military service as a duty police officer at the National Police Agency, Lee Sang-yi debuted in the musical Grease in 2014. He subsequently appeared in various musicals, including Runway Beat and Legendary Little Basketball Team. That same year, he was cast as Jang Seon-jae in the musical Infinite Power, which marked actor Park Hee-soon's directorial debut. Lee noted that Park, a former member of the Mokhwa theater company, directed with an emphasis on individual actor's strengths, stating, "Having been an actor himself, the director understands the actor's mindset better than anyone else."

In 2016, Lee and Kang Young-seok were jointly cast as Nathan Leopold in the Korean production of Stephen Dolginoff's musical Thrill Me. Lee's portrayal of Nathan emphasized a mild-mannered yet logically acute character. Directed by Park Ji-he, the production ran from February 19 to June 12, 2016, and Lee's performance garnered attention for its emotional intensity. In 2016, his stage roles also included Benny in In the Heights and Baek-seok in Me, Natasha, and the White Donkey.

In 2017, Lee participated in the Mongni Music Drama Concert 2017 [Grown Up], which ran at KT&G Sangsang Art Hall from February 16 to 26. He dedicated five weeks to rehearsing choreography from the film La La Land with Park Ji-eun; their dance cover was posted on YouTube in March 2017 and achieved widespread popularity. In April, Lee performed in the play Crazy Kiss, followed by the Korean premiere of Guards At The Taj! in August. Later that year, he made his television debut as Oh Dal-soo in the drama Manhole and appeared as Oh Dong-hwan in the Prison Playbook series in November. Despite his television appearances, he maintained his commitment to stage performances. and a co-starring role in Today's Show - Moving Day. In 2019, Lee portrayed Elvis impersonator Casey in the musical The Legend of Georgia McBridealongside Park Eun-seok and Kang Young-seok. This musical, written by American playwright Matthew Lopez, had premiered in the United States in 2014. In the same year, Lee appeared on television as an antagonist in Special Labor Inspector and as baseball coach Yang Seung-yeop in When the Camellia Blooms.

2020–2022: Breakthrough roles and debut as singer In 2020, Lee starred in the 100-episode weekend drama Once Again. He played Yoon Jae-seok, a dentist and the younger brother of Yoon Gyu-jin, portrayed by Lee Sang-yeob. His romantic storyline with Lee Cho-hee's character became a fan favorite, with their on-screen pairing affectionately known as the "Sadon Couple" or "national in-laws." This performance earned them the Best Couple Award at the 2020 KBS Drama Awards, where Lee also received the Best New Actor Award. The drama's success considerably boosted his public recognition.

After a two-year hiatus from musical theater, Lee returned in February 2022 to perform in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. He took on the role of Monty Navarro, a character determined to become a count by eliminating eight heirs of the D'Ysquith family. Lee's portrayal, which blended comedic elements with solid acting, was well-received by audiences, who noted his "nerd beauty" and strong performance.

Lee maintained a busy schedule in 2021. In May, he joined the cast of the KBS2 drama Youth of May as Lee Soo-chan, a resolute individual managing family responsibilities and a business in 1980s Gwangju. His authentic portrayal, which explored themes of love, family, and ambition amidst challenges, was critically praised. Also in May 2021, Lee appeared on the variety show Hangout with Yoo and debuted as a member of MSG Wannabe's sub-unit JSDK. For the drama, Lee covered the song "Love is Forgotten" by and contributed to the original soundtrack with his single "I Hope You're Happy," released on October 17, 2021. On November 24, 2021, leveraging the popularity of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Lee reprised his role as Ji Sung-hyun and became a virtual guide for Gongjin VR tour. This initiative, a collaboration between Studio Dragon, Korea Tourism Organization, and LG U+, utilized LG U+'s XR platform U+DIVe to create virtual reality content aimed at promoting South Korean tourist destinations through drama content.

In November 2021, Lee once again performed as Monty Navarro in the musical A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. Concurrently, he confirmed his appearance in the Netflix Original Series Bloodhounds, featuring on three young individuals entering the private loan world and encountering a formidable force. He shared the role of William Shakespeare with Jung Moon-sung and Kim Sung-cheol in a triple cast.The play received favorable reviews and Lee's performance was praised by critics and audience.

In 2024, Lee returned to the small screen in the romantic comedy No Gain No Love as CEO Bok Gyu-heon. The chaebol businessman posts negative comments about a romance novelist, portrayed by Han Ji-hyeon, but later falls in love with her. The couple was such a hit that the creators added a two-episode spin-off titled Spice Up Our Love (2023) starring Lee and Han as a couple trapped in a romance novel.

He next starred as a former silver medalist fencer in JTBC’s action-comedy Good Boy (2025) alongside Park Bo-gum and directed by Shim Na-yeon. In the second half of 2025, Lee reprised his role as William Shakespeare in the play Shakespeare in Love.

In 2026, Lee reunited with Good Boy co-star Park Bo-gum to star in TvN's television show The Village Barber. For the show, Lee earned his National Technical Qualifications Certification as a nail technician. Later, he made a special appearance as Captain Hwang Seok-ho in The Legend of Kitchen Soldier.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2014 Taxi Driver Ji Hoon Short film Slow Video Police radio 2016 Call Me When You Eat. Repayment Korea National University of Arts (graduation work) Aend Man Coward Pumice stone Short film 2019 Battle of Noryang Huijung 2020 Hitman: Agent Jun NIS agent 2023 Single in Seoul Byeong-su Dochabi Park Se-ryoung Netflix film

Television series Year Title Role Notes 2017 Manhole Oh Dal-soo Andante Moon Sung-Jun Prison Playbook Oh Dong-hwan Oh, the Mysterious Economics Lee 2018 Suits Park Chul-soon Cameo (Episode 1–3) To. Jenny Yeom Dae-seong Voice 2 Wang Ko Cameo (Episode 6–7) The Third Charm Hyeon sang-hyeon Nokdu Flower Merchant Cameo When the Camellia Blooms Yang Seung-yeop 2021 Youth of May Lee Soo-chan Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha Ji Seong-hyun Yumi's Cells Ji U-gi Cameo (Episode 1,7) 2022 Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist Kim Yun-gyeom Cameo (Episode 2) 2023 Crash Course in Romance YouTuber Hack Insa Man Cameo (Episode 9) Han River Police Ko Ki-seok My Demon Joo Seok-hoon 2023–present Bloodhounds Hong Woo-jin 2024 No Gain No Love Bok Gyu-heon Spice Up Our Love Kang Ha-joon Spin-off of No Gain No Love 2025 Good Boy Kim Jong-hyeon 2026 Boyfriend on Demand a firefighter Special appearances The Legend of Kitchen Soldier Capt. Hwang Seok-ho A Bona Fide Killer Lee Dong-jin

Television show Year Title Role Notes 2020 Law of the Jungle in Ulleungdo & Dokdo Cast member Episode 430–431 2021 Hangout with Yoo Part of MSG Wannabe; Episodes 90–101 2022 Besties in Wonderland 2026The Village Barber

Hosting Year Event/ Show Notes 2021 2021 MBC Entertainment Awards with Jun Hyun-moo and Kim Se-jeong

Music video appearances Year Song title Artist 2018 "I Forgot" Ji Ji-jin 2016 "Signal of 1 billion light years" Lee Seung-hwan 2022 "Do You Want to Hear" MSG Wannabe MOM 2026"hyang"Wave to Earth

Stage Concert + Concert performances Year Title Role Theater Date English Korean 2014 Musical Public Housewarming Concert Musical Public 집들이 콘서트 Singer #1 Rising Star Project July 7, 2014 2015 Big Star Concert Embracing the Moon 달을 품은 큰 별 콘서트 Singer September 23, 2015 2016 2016 Legendary Concert 2016 전설의 콘써트 Singer TIOEM 1st Theater January 7 – 10, 2016 2016 Carbonated Boys 탄산소년단 Singer Hana Tour V-Hall March 14, 2016 2017 Monni Concert 몽니 콘서트 Singer KT&G 상상마당 대치아트홀 February 16 – 26, 2017 2017 Seoul Starlight Musical Festival 2017 서울 스타라이트 뮤지컬 페스티벌 Singer Olympic Park 88 Jandimadang September 2 – 3, 2017 2018 Today's Show - Moving Day 오늘의 쇼 - 이사하는 날 Singer Baegam Art Hall April 29, 2018 2022 Davinci Motel 다빈치모텔 Singer Hyundai Card Itaewon Space October 14, 2022 – October 16, 2022 2023 MOM Tour Concert 〈MSG Wannabe〉 in Jeonju MOM 투어 콘서트 〈MSG워너비〉 in 전주 Singer Jeonbuk National University Samsung Cultural Centre April 15, 2023 2023 MOM Tour Concert 〈MSG Wannabe〉 in Seoul MOM 투어 콘서트 〈MSG워너비〉 in 서울 Singer KBS Arena April 22, 2023

Musical + Musical play performances Year Title Role Theater Date English Korean 2013 How to Make a Star 별을 만나는 방법 Minseop X-Wedding Boyfriend 2014 Sarah's House 세라의 집 Nasa Grease 그리스 Doody 2015 Runway Beat 런웨이 비트 Peter Arko Art Theater, Main Theater January 31, 2015 – February 8, 2015 2015 Bare the Musical 베어 더 뮤지컬 Peter Doosan Art Center, Yeongang Hall June 17, 2015 – August 23, 2015 2015–2016 Infinite Power 무한동력 Jang Sun-jae TIOEM 1st Theater September 4, 2015 – January 3, 2016 2016 Thrill Me 쓰릴미 Me Yes24 Stage 2nd Theater February 19, 2016 – June 12, 2016 Mokpo Culture & Arts Center, Main Theater July 9, 2016 – July 10, 2016 Experimental Boy 익스페리멘탈 보이 Kevin CJ Azit Daehakro October 4, 2016 – October 5, 2016 2016 Me and Natasha and the White Donkey 나와 나타샤와 흰 당나귀 Baekseok Daehakro Dream Art Center 2nd Theater November 5, 2016 – January 22, 2017 In the Heights 인 더 하이츠 Benny Seoul Arts Center CJ Towol Theater December 20, 2016 – February 12, 2017 2018 Red Book 레드북 Brown Sejong Cultural Center M Theater February 6, 2018 – March 30, 2018 Il Tenore 일 테노레 Lee Su-han Wooran Cultural Foundation December 3, 2018 2020–2021 A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder 젠틀맨스 가이드 Monty Navarro Hongik University Daehakro Art Center Main Theater November 20, 2020 – March 1, 2021 2021–2022 Kwanglim Arts Center BBCH Hall November 13, 2021 – February 20, 2022 2019 The Legend of Georgia McBride 조지아 맥브라이드의 전설 Casey Uniplex 2nd Theater November 27, 2019 – February 23, 2020 Theatre Centre's repertoire 'Us''' 연극원 래퍼토리 '우리' Graduation performance of Korea National University of Arts

Discography Soundtrack appearances Title Year Album "Grab Me" (Choi Nakta cover) 2018 To. Jenny OST Part 1 "Why Am I Like This" 2020 Once Again OST Part 5 "Hope for Happiness" 2021 Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha OST "A World For Us" 2024 Spice Up Our Love OST

With MSG Wannabe

Title Year Album "Journey To Atlantis" 2021 MSG Wannabe Top 8 Performance Songs "Resignation" "Only You" MSG Wannabe 1st Album "I Love You"

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 2021 Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama Once Again Asia Model Awards 2021 Popular Star Award Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Youth of May Blue Dragon Series Awards 2026 Best Supporting Actor The Legend of Kitchen Soldier Brand of the Year Awards 2021 Rising Star Actor Lee Sang-yi KBS Drama Awards 2020 Best New Actor Once Again Netizen Award, Actor Best Couple Award Lee Sang-yi Once Again 2021 Best Supporting Actor Youth of May Korea Drama Awards 2023 Excellence Award, Actor Bloodhounds Korea Musical Awards 2017 Best New Actor Me and Natasha and the White Donkey MBC Entertainment Awards 2021 Best Teamwork Award Hangout with Yoo 2016 Best New Actor Infinite Power