Lee Kwang-soo

Lee Kwang-soo
Lee Kwang-soo wearing dark green shirt and smiling in 2014
Lee at Blue Dragon Film Awards 2021
Born (1985-07-14) July 14, 1985 (age 38)
Namyangju, Gyeonggi, South Korea
EducationDong-ah Institute of Media and Arts (broadcasting)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • Entertainer
  • Model
Years active2007–present
AgentKing Kong by Starship
Height192 cm (6 ft 3+12 in)
Korean name
Hangul
이광수
Hanja
Revised RomanizationI Gwang-su
McCune–ReischauerI Kwangsu

Lee Kwang-soo (Korean이광수, born July 14, 1985) is a South Korean actor, entertainer, and model. He made his acting debut in the sitcom Here He Comes (2008) and received further recognition for his roles in medical melodrama It's Okay, That's Love (2014), neo-noir film Confession (2014), black comedy film Collective Invention (2015), sitcom The Sound of Your Heart (2016), and drama Live (2018), and human comedy film Inseparable Bros (2019).

Lee was a regular cast member of the South Korean variety show Running Man from June 2010 until May 2021. His last appearance on Running Man was aired on June 13, 2021.

Early life and education

Lee was born on July 14, 1985, in Namyangju, Gyeonggi, South Korea.

Career

Lee began his entertainment career as a model in 2007. He made his acting debut in the 2008 sitcom Here He Comes, which was followed by High Kick Through the Roof.

Lee's popularity increased after joining SBS' Good Sunday variety show Running Man, gaining the nickname "Prince of Asia" due to his large number of overseas fans. In 2010 and 2011, Lee won back-to-back awards at the SBS Entertainment Awards for "New Star Award" and "Best Newcomer in Variety", respectively.

In 2012, Lee played supporting roles in the romantic comedies Wonderful Radio and All About My Wife, and thriller The Scent. Later in the year, he reunited onscreen with his former Running Man co-star and real-life best friend Song Joong-ki in the TV melodrama The Innocent Man.

In 2013, after another supporting role in A Wonderful Moment, Lee voiced the lead character Marco in the animated movie Maritime Police Marco, opposite fellow Running Man regular Song Ji-hyo, who voiced for Lulu.

Lee had publicly stated that he wanted to play an antagonist in TV or film. He was then cast as Prince Imhae (villainous brother to King Gwanghae) in the 2013 period drama Goddess of Fire. While filming Goddess of Fire, he participated in an energy conservation campaign alongside child actress Kim Yoo-bin.

On August 17, 2013, Lee held his first solo fan meeting of his career in Singapore. Attended by 2,000 fans, it was considered a success. He held another one in Malaysia on January 4, 2014, attended by almost 3,000 fans.

In 2014, Lee played his first major role on the big screen in Confession. The neo-noir film is about three friends (played by Ji Sung, Ju Ji-hoon, and Lee) whose friendship gets destroyed after getting involved in a murder case. He then returned to television with the medical melodrama It's Okay, That's Love, playing a patient suffering from Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, stereotyped, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. Lee then starred in the film A Dynamite Family, about five bickering brothers living in the village of Deoksu.

In 2015, Lee played the protagonist in Collective Invention, whose condition is caused by side effects from a newly introduced drug. Collective Invention was screened in the Vanguard section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, marking Lee's first red carpet appearance at an international film festival. He also starred in the two-episode drama Puck!, where he played a loan shark who joins a college ice hockey club. The one-act play was aired on January 1, 2016. The same year, he was appointed ambassador of the "2015 Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo" and received commendation from the trade minister for boosting the Korean Wave industry.

In 2016, Lee starred in tvN's Entourage, a South Korean remake of the American series. He was then cast in the KBS sitcom The Sound of Your Heart, based on the webtoon of the same name. The web drama was a success in both South Korea and China, gaining 100 million on Sohu TV and ranked No. 1 among Korean dramas on the site.

In September 2017, it was confirmed that Lee would be a fixed cast member in Netflix's variety show Busted!.

In 2018, Lee starred in Noh Hee-kyung's slice-of-life Live playing a police officer who tries to uphold values in everyday life and maintain justice. The drama was a success and Lee received rave reviews for his performance. He then played a Mensa genius in crime comedy The Accidental Detective 2: In Action, a sequel to the 2015 film.

In 2019, Lee starred in human comedy Inseparable Bros and gambling film Tazza: One Eyed Jack. He won his first Baeksang Arts Awards award for Best Supporting Actor for his outstanding portrayal of Park Dong-goo who suffers from severe intellectual disabilities in Inseparable Bros, with critics citing "it was like seeing Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man". The same year, he was cast in disaster comedy film Sinkhole alongside Cha Seung-won and Kim Sung-kyun.

On February 15, 2020, Lee was involved in a car accident which put all of his activities on pause until his recovery from ankle injury. Later in June, it was confirmed that he would be starring in The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure, a sequel to the 2014 film. The film was released in January 2022.

In 2021, Lee returned to the Season 3 of Netflix variety show Busted!. Later in April 2021, Lee confirmed the film A Year-End Medley, which was released in the same year. On April 27, 2021, Lee's agency announced that he will be stepping down from Running Man to focus on treatment and recovery from the accident. His last recording took place on May 24, 2021.

In 2022, Lee will star in the tvN drama The Killer's Shopping List, marking his return to the small screen after four years.

Personal life

On December 31, 2018, it was reported that Lee had been dating actress Lee Sun-bin, with King Kong by Starship stating that the couple had been dating "for 5 months" prior to the announcement of their relationship.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Ref.
2011 Battlefield Heroes Moon-di
2012 Wonderful Radio Cha Dae-geun
The Scent Gi-poong
All About My Wife PD Choi
2013 A Wonderful Moment Kim Jung-il
Maritime Police Marco Marco
Walking with Dinosaurs 3D Patchi
2014 Confession Min-soo
A Dynamite Family Constable Park
2015 Collective Invention Park Goo
2018 The Accidental Detective 2: In Action Yeo Chi
2019 Inseparable Bros Park Dong-goo
Tazza: One Eyed Jack Jo Kka-chi
2021 Sinkhole Kim Seung-hyun
A Year-End Medley Sang-hoon
2022 The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure Mak-yi

Television series

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2008 The Scale of Providence Oh Kwang-chul
2008–2009 Here He Comes Oh Man-soo
2009–2010 High Kick Through the Roof Lee Kwang-soo
2010 Dong Yi Park Young-dal
2011 City Hunter Go Ki-joon
2011–2012 Bachelor's Vegetable Store Nam Yoo-bong
2012 The Innocent Man Park Jae-gil
2013 Dating Agency: Cyrano Choi Dal-in Cameo (episode 6–8)
Goddess of Fire Prince Imhae
Potato Star 2013QR3 Bo-young's first love Cameo (episode 18)
2014 Secret Love Lee Tae-yang Episode 7–8: "A Seven Day Summer"
It's Okay, That's Love Park Soo-kwang
2015 A Girl Who Sees Smells Himself Cameo (episode 1) with Running Man members
2016 Puck! Jo Joon-man
Descendants of the Sun Toy gun range shooting shop worker Cameo (episode 1)
Dear My Friends Yoo Min-ho Cameo
Entourage Cha Joon
2016–2017 The Sound of Your Heart Jo Suk
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth Mak-moon Cameo (episode 1–3)
2017 The Best Hit Yoon-ki Cameo (episode 2)
2018 Live Yeom Sang-soo
2022 The Killer's Shopping List Ahn Dae-sung

Web series

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2022 X of Crisis The man Special appearance
TBA No Way Out Yoon Chang-jae
Karma

Television show

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2010–2021 Running Man Cast member Episode 1–559
2015 Perhaps Love with Lynn Hung
2021 House on Wheels: For Rent with The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure actors
2023 GBRB Reap What You Sow

Web show

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2018–2021 Busted! Cast member Season 1 and 3
2022–2023 The Zone: Survival Mission Season 1–2
2022 Korea No. 1 with Yoo Jae-suk and Kim Yeon-koung

Music video appearances

Year Song Title Artist Ref.
2011 "격산타우 (Kyuksantawoo)" LeeSsang [citation needed]
2012 "Oh Fresh Men"
(The Bachelor's Vegetable Store OST)
VF6DOLE (with Ji Chang-wook, Kim Young-kwang, Shin Won-ho and Sung Ha)
"Busan Vacance" Skull and HaHa
2013 "You Are the Best" teaser Byul
"Runaway" KARA
2015 "Again" Turbo
2016 "MOMOMO" Cosmic Girls
2021 "GAP" HaHa

Discography

Title Year Album
"Oh-Sing-Sing-Men Oh Sing Sing Men"
(with Ji Chang-wook ,Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Young-kwang, Shin Won-ho, Sung-je, and Ji-hyuk)
2011 Bachelor's Vegetable Store OST - Japanese release
"Pink Nose Light (핑코빛)"
(with Lee Kwang-soo, Ji Suk-jin and Apink)
2019 Running Man Fan Meeting: Project Running 9
"I Like It"
(with Running Man cast members)

Ambassadorship

  • Korea-Mekong Ambassador (2021)

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 Ref.
APAN Star Awards 2014 Popular Star Award, Actor It's Okay, That's Love Won
Asia Artist Awards 2019 Scene Stealer Award Lee Kwang-soo Won
Best K-Culture (Actor) Won
Asia Model Awards 2009 CF Model Award Won
Baeksang Arts Awards 2012 Best New Actor – Film Wonderful Radio Nominated
2020 Best Supporting Actor – Film Inseparable Bros Won
Blue Dragon Film Awards 2012 Best New Actor All About My Wife Nominated
2019 Best Supporting Actor Inseparable Bros Nominated
Popular Star Award Won
2021 Best Supporting Actor Sinkhole Nominated
Blue Dragon Series Awards 2023 Best Male Entertainer The Zone: Survival Mission Nominated
TIRTIR Popularity Award Won
Fashionista Awards 2015 Best Male Fashionista Lee Kwang-soo Won
Golden Cinema Film Festival 2021 Best Supporting Actor Inseparable Bros Won
Hong Kong's YouTube Ads Leaderboard 2015 2015 Season One Best Commercial Award Nestle's Fruitips Ad Won
Jumei Awards Ceremony 2016 Variety Influence Lee Kwang-soo Won
KBS Drama Awards 2012 Best Supporting Actor The Innocent Man Nominated
KBS Entertainment Awards 2016 Hot Issue Variety Award The Sound of Your Heart Won
Best Couple Award Lee Kwang-soo (with Jung So-min)
The Sound of Your Heart
Won
Korea Best Star Awards 2018 Best Popular Star Award The Accidental Detective 2: In Action Won
Korea Drama Awards 2014 Excellence Award, Actor It's Okay, That's Love Won
Korea Film Actors Association Awards 2017 Top Entertainer Award Lee Kwang-soo Won
MBC Entertainment Awards 2008 Best Newcomer in Comedy / Sitcom Here He Comes Nominated
Mnet 20's Choice Awards 2008 Hot CF Star Lee Kwang-soo Won
SBS Drama Awards 2014 Special Award, Actor in a Miniseries It's Okay, That's Love Won
SBS Entertainment Awards 2010 New Star Award Running Man Won
2011 Best Newcomer in Variety Won
Netizen Popularity Award Nominated
2013 Friendship Award Won
Viewer's Most Popular Award With Running Man members Won
Best Couple Award Lee Kwang-soo (with Ji Suk-jin)
Running Man
Nominated
2014 Excellence Award in Variety Running Man Won
2016 Top Excellence Award in Variety Show Won
Annoying Guy Award Won
2017 Best Couple Award Lee Kwang-soo (with Jeon So-min)
Running Man
Won
Global Star Award With Running Man members Won
2018 Popularity Award Running Man Won
Best Couple Award Lee Kwang-soo (with Jeon So-min)
Running Man
Nominated
2019 SNS Star Award Running Man Won
2020 Golden Content Award With Running Man members Won
Sina Weibo Night Awards 2016 Asia Popularity Award Lee Kwang-soo Won

State honors

Name of country, year given, and name of honor
Country Or Organization Year Honor Or Award Ref.
South Korea 2016 Prime Minister Award

Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement
Publisher Year Listicle Placement Ref.
Forbes 2013 Korea Power Celebrity 40 39th
2016 30th

This page was last updated at 2024-03-25 03:29 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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