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Lee Bo-young | |
|---|---|
 Lee in March 2017 | |
| Born | January 12, 1979 Seoul, South Korea |
| Education | Seoul Women's University (B.A. in Korean Literature)[1] |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Agent | J-Wide Company[2] |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Major competition(s) | Miss Korea 2000 |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이보영 |
| Revised Romanization | I Bo-yeong |
| McCune–Reischauer | I Poyŏng |
| Website | jwide.co.kr |
Lee Bo-young (Korean: 이보영; born January 12, 1979) is a South Korean actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder. She is best known for starring in the television dramas My Daughter Seo-young (2012–2013), I Can Hear Your Voice (2013), Whisper (2017), Mother (2018), Mine (2021), and Agency (2023). [3] Lee was Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year in 2013.[4]
Career
She began her career in the industry with winning the Daejeon entry for the Miss Korea 2000.[5] Having majored in Korean literature at Seoul Women's University, she originally dreamed of becoming a news presenter. She was one of 15 finalists in MBC's annual recruitment drive in 2002, but ended up not getting the job.[6] Instead, she turned to modeling, and was chosen as the exclusive advertising model for Asiana Airlines, considered a gateway to stardom.
Lee made her acting debut in 2003, and among her early roles were in People of the Water Flower Village (2004) opposite Song Il-gook,[7] and as the antagonist in Save the Last Dance for Me (2004).[8]
In 2005, Lee played her first leading role in the daily drama My Sweetheart, My Darling,[9] followed by the Silla-set historical epic Ballad of Seodong with Jo Hyun-jae.[10] She spent the next several years in television dramas — Mr. Goodbye with Ahn Jae-wook,[11] Queen of the Game with Joo Jin-mo,[12] and Becoming a Billionaire with Ji Hyun-woo[13] — but none struck a chord with audiences or critics. After playing the love interest in My Brother (2004) and A Dirty Carnival (2006),[14][15] Lee was cast in her first major big screen role in Once Upon a Time (2008). The heist comedy is set during colonial rule in the 1940s, and she and Park Yong-woo played notorious swindlers out to steal a diamond from the Japanese army.[16]
Her two films released in 2009 were both melodramas. In More Than Blue, Lee plays the soulmate of a terminally ill man (Kwon Sang-woo), but their love ends in a tragedy undercut with a poetic sparseness.[17][18] While in I Am Happy, Lee played a nurse who falls for a patient in the psychiatric ward (Hyun Bin), and in each other they find consolation to see them through their harsh and miserable reality.[19]
Lee returned to television in 2010, playing a seductress in the quirky cable drama Golden House opposite Shin Ha-kyun.[20] She then had a guest arc as the president's daughter in spy series Athena: Goddess of War,[21] followed by post-divorce romance series Bravo, My Love! with Lee Tae-sung,[22] and revenge drama Man from the Equator (2012) with Uhm Tae-woong.[23]
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She then played the titular character in Seoyoung, My Daughter (2012–2013), a career woman who is angry at her father (Chun Ho-jin), whose gambling addiction led to her mother's death, yet she struggles to keep the family together and make ends meet.[24] Lee said playing Seo-young required a greater depth of emotion than any of her previous roles, which left her drained but also feeling a greater sense of achievement.[6] The family drama was the biggest hit yet of Lee's career; it dominated the weekly ratings chart for 22 straight weeks, and recorded a series high of 47.6% on its last episode, the highest Korean drama rating in 2013.[25]
Her follow-up series I Can Hear Your Voice (2013) was also popular during its run.[26] In it, Lee played a materialistic public defender who testified on behalf of a boy with supernatural abilities (Lee Jong-suk) a decade ago after she witnessed the boy's father being murdered.[27] Critics said with her stubborn and argumentative character, Lee was able to break free of her previous calm and elegant image.[28] She won several awards for her performance, including the Daesang ("Grand Prize"), the highest honor at the SBS Drama Awards.[29][30] Lee was selected as Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year in 2013.[4]
In 2014, Lee played a mother who travels back in time two weeks before her daughter's kidnapping and murder in God's Gift - 14 Days.[31][32] In 2017, Lee starred in SBS legal thriller Whisper,[33] playing the role of a section chief of criminal division who gets dismissed from the police and later on disguise herself and work as an undercover at a law firm.[34]
In 2018, Lee played the titular character in the tvN drama Mother - a role for which she won Best Actress at the 2018 Seoul International Drama Awards - a story adapted from the Japanese television series of the same name.[35][36][37] She then starred in the melodrama When My Love Blooms in 2020[38] and black comedy Mine in 2022.[39]
Other activities
Lee is active in environmental causes, including the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.[40][41] She and husband Ji Sung also makes donations to charitable causes regularly.[42][43]
While on acting hiatus in 2015 during her pregnancy, she published the book Time of Love, a collection of essays on 23 books with themes of love, consolation and growth that have impacted Lee throughout her childhood and adulthood; they include The Little Prince, José Mauro de Vasconcelos's My Sweet Orange Tree, and Alain de Botton's Essays in Love.[44]
Lee was confirmed to host 2017 SBS Drama Awards together with Shin Dong-yup.[45] Previously, Lee has emceed the same award ceremony in 2013 together with Lee Hwi-jae and Kim Woo-bin.[46]
In February 2023, Lee hosted the Accompanying charity concert to support children Ukrainians oppressed by the ongoing war.[47]
Personal life
Dating and marriage
Lee met actor Ji Sung on the set of 2004 TV series Save Last Dance for Me, and they confirmed their relationship in 2007.[48][49][50][51] On August 2, 2013, they announced their engagement by uploading handwritten letters on their respective official fan sites.[52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59] They married at Aston House, W Seoul Walkerhill Hotel on September 27, 2013.[60][61][62] Their first child, daughter Kwak Ji-yoo was born on June 13, 2015.[63][64] Their second child, a son named Kwak Woo-sung, was born on February 5, 2019.[65]
Philanthropy
In 2015, Lee donated 100 million won to the Children's Cancer Center at Seoul National University Hospital.[66]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | My Brother | Mi-ryung |
| 2006 | A Dirty Carnival | Hyun-joo |
| 2008 | Once Upon a Time | Haruko / Choon-ja |
| 2009 | More Than Blue | Eun-won ("Cream") |
| I Am Happy | Soo-kyung |
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Escape from Unemployment | Cha Mi-rim | [67] | |
| 2003–2004 | Long Live Love | Se-ryung | [68] | |
| 2004 | People of the Water Flower Village | Yoo Yeo-kyung | ||
| Jang Gil-san | Kwi-rye | [69] | ||
| 2004–2005 | Save the Last Dance for Me | Yoon Soo-jin | ||
| 2005 | Encounter | Choi Eom-ji | [70] | |
| My Sweetheart, My Darling | Yoo In-young | |||
| 2005–2006 | Ballad of Seodong | Princess Seonhwa of Silla | ||
| 2006 | Mr. Goodbye | Choi Young-in | ||
| 2006–2007 | Queen of the Game | Kang Eun-seol | ||
| 2010 | Becoming a Billionaire | Lee Shin-mi | ||
| Golden House | Yoon Seo-rin | |||
| Athena: Goddess of War | Jo Soo-young | guest appearance (episodes 3–5) | ||
| 2011–2012 | Bravo, My Love! | Kang Jae-mi | ||
| 2012 | Man from the Equator | Han Ji-won | ||
| 2012–2013 | My Daughter Seo-young | Lee Seo-young | ||
| 2013 | I Can Hear Your Voice | Jang Hye-sung | ||
| 2014 | God's Gift: 14 Days | Kim Soo-hyun | ||
| Pinocchio | Hye-sung car navigation | voice cameo (episode 3) | ||
| 2017 | Whisper | Shin Young-joo | ||
| 2018 | Mother | Kang Soo-jin | ||
| 2020 | When My Love Blooms | Yoon Ji-soo | ||
| Start-Up | Woman at pub | Cameo (Episode 10) | [71] | |
| 2021 | Mine | Seo Hee-soo | [39] | |
| 2023 | Agency | Go Ah-in | [72] | |
| See You in My 19th Life | Lee Sang-ah | Special appearance | [73] | |
| 2024 | Hide | Na Moon-young | [74] |
Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | She's Olive - Lee Bo-young from Grasse to Paris |
Host | |
| 2013 | eat CITY - Lee Bo-young's Italian Cafe | [75] |
Music video appearances
| Year | Song title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "Crying, Calling" | Zia & 4Men | [76] |
Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andre Kim Best Star Awards | 2007 | Female Star Award | Lee Bo-young | Won | [77] |
| 2009 | Female Star Award | Won | [78] | ||
| APAN Star Awards | 2013 | Top Excellence Award, Actress | I Can Hear Your Voice, My Daughter Seo-young | Won | [79] |
| Best Couple Award | Lee Bo-young with Lee Jong-suk I Can Hear Your Voice |
Won | |||
| 2018 | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Mother | Nominated | [80] | |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2008 | Best New Actress – Film | Once Upon a Time | Nominated | |
| 2013 | Best Actress – Television | My Daughter Seo-young | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | I Can Hear Your Voice | Won | [81] | ||
| 2018 | Mother | Nominated | [82] | ||
| Brand Customer Loyalty Awards | 2023 | Best Actress – Drama | Agency | Won | [83] |
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | 2006 | Best New Actress | A Dirty Carnival | Won | [84] |
| Grimae Awards | 2013 | Best Actress | I Can Hear Your Voice | Won | [85] |
| KBS Drama Awards | 2005 | Best New Actress | My Sweetheart, My Darling | Won | [86] |
| 2006 | Excellence Award, Actress | Mr. Goodbye | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama | Becoming a Billionaire | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | Top Excellence Award, Actress | Man from the Equator, My Daughter Seo-young | Nominated | ||
| Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama | Man from the Equator | Won | [87] | ||
| Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama | My Daughter Seo-young | Nominated | |||
| Best Couple Award | Lee Bo-young with Lee Sang-yoon My Daughter Seo-young |
Won | [87] | ||
| Korea Drama Awards | 2013 | Grand Prize (Daesang) | I Can Hear Your Voice, My Daughter Seo-young | Won | [88][89] |
| Best Couple Award | Lee Bo-young with Lee Jong-suk I Can Hear Your Voice |
Won | |||
| MBC Drama Awards | 2011 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Bravo, My Love! | Won | [90] |
| SBS Drama Awards | 2005 | New Star Award | Ballad of Seodong | Won | [91] |
| Top 10 Stars | Nominated | [92] | |||
| 2006 | Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Queen of the Game | Nominated | ||
| Top 10 Stars | Won | [93] | |||
| 2013 | Grand Prize (Daesang) | I Can Hear Your Voice | Won | [29] | |
| Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
| Producer's Award | Won |