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Lee Bong-ryun
South Korean actress (born 1981) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Lee Jeong-eun (Korean: 이정은; born February 7, 1981), better known by the stage name Lee Bong-ryun (Korean: 이봉련), is a South Korean character actress.[3] In 2020, Lee was cast as Princess Hamlet in the gender-blind production of Shakespeare's Hamlet for the 70th anniversary of National Theater Company of Korea. For this role, she won the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actress in a Play. She is also frequently cast in other notable productions by the National Theater Company of Korea.
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Lee started her career on stage in 2005 in Daehangno, performing in plays and musicals. Since 2012, she has appeared in supporting roles in various films and television dramas. Her notable screen works includes the films Burning, Exit, and Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, as well as the series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Crash Course in Romance, and Resident Playbook.[4]
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Early life
Lee Bong-ryun was born as Lee Jeong-eun on February 7, 1981, in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Her father worked at Pohang Steelworks. She lived in Pohang until age sixteen, at which point she dropped out of high school after only a month. She then moved to Daegu, attended an academy for eight months, and decided to take the GED.[2] At the age of 17, she enrolled in Daegu Arts University, where she studied photography. She later pursued a master's degree in photography at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, completing it at the age of 24.[5] Her stage name was originally Zhuge Bong-ryeon, which she used for her photography exhibitions.[2]
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Career
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Beginning
Her first attempt at acting was in a short film directed by a friend who transferred major from photography to film.[6] Around 2003, Lee watched the musical Sing in the Rain and was impressed by Park Dong-ha's performance. Subsequently, she enrolled in the musical department of a social education center at a nearby university, attending night classes for about two years. During this period, her stage director and instructor, Kim Dong-yeon, asked her to assist him as a director for his play Fantasy Fairy Tale.[2][7]
In 2005, Lee made her acting debut in the musical Five Drawings of Love. Initially an understudy, she took the stage when an actor was absent for a month.[2] Since then, she has performed in a variety of plays and musicals.[8][9]
In 2008, Lee was inspired by Lee Jung-eun's portrayal of a grandmother in the musical Laundry and successfully auditioned for the same role in the following season. She went on to perform in the musical for three years.[10][11] Since her work in Laundry, Lee has performed in several notable productions, including Roberto Zucco directed by Oh Kyung-taek, Almost Main directed by Yi Sang-woo, Comrades of the Century Wind directed by Kim Soo-jin, and Beeul (Punishment) directed by Kim Dong-hyun. Lee expressed particular gratitude for her collaboration with director Kim Dong-hyun on Beeul (Punishment). She recalls that when she felt lost during rehearsals, Kim approached her and encouraged her by saying he saw a new side of her acting, beyond the comedic expressions she was known for. This encouragement has remained a source of strength for her.[2]
Theater Company Alleyway, Film and television debut
Lee made her cinematic debut with a minor role in Choo Chang-min's film Late Blossom (2011). This was followed by other minor roles in Masquerade (2012) and Confession of Murder (2012).[12]
Lee first met director Park Geun-hyung at the Namsan Drama Center while he was preparing Jeon Myeong-chul Biography. This initial encounter led to their collaboration. Subsequently, Lee participated when the Alleyway theater company decided to stage Ode to Youth for their 10th anniversary.[2] In Ode to Youth, Lee played a coffee shop waitress who suffered from epilepsy.[13][14] Following this, she officially joined the Alleyway theater company and appeared in July performance of Jeon Myeong-chul Biography. It was followed by lead role in youth drama Red Bus, written and directed by Park Geun-hyung.[2][15]
In 2013, Lee began her acting career in television. Her first role was as a college friend of Na-jung (played by Go Ara) in tvN drama Reply 1994.[16] Despite a brief appearance, she made a lasting impression as a college student from Yeosu who engaged in whose hometown was better dispute with Hae-tae (played by Son Ho-jun) from Suncheon.[17]
In 2014, she starred in Park Geun-hyung's play, Manchurian Front, which explored the lives of young Koreans in Manchuria around 1940. Set in Xingjing (modern-day Changchun, China), the play followed students who met to discuss literature, history, and their shared ambition of achieving wealth and honor in Manchuria, aspiring to live like the Japanese.[18] The play ran at Small Theater Siwol and was critically acclaimed, earning a spot as one of the BEST 7 performances of 2014 by the Korean Theater Company. She reprised her role in Manchurian Front when it served as the opening performance for the 2015 Seoul Theater Festival at the Daehakro Jayu Theater.[19]
In 2015, Lee acted in play The House of Bernarda Alba.[20] Lee landed her first supporting role in 2015 as Mi-ran in the JTBC drama Songgot: The Piercer, which starred Ji Hyun-woo and Ahn Nae-sang. The drama was based Choi Kyu-seok's webtoon Awl, inspired by a true story from 2007.[6][21] This was followed by minor film roles including A Matter of Interpretation (2015), Girl On the Edge (2015), Life is but an Empty (2015).[12] In 2016, Lee act in play Press Guideness. This was followed by minor film roles including Run Off (2016), and How to Break up with My Cat (2016).[12]
In 2017, Lee played the role of a receptionist in the action-adventure film Okja, directed by Bong Joon-ho. Director Bong, is a fan of the theater company Alleyway. According to the assistant director of Okja, Bong remembered Lee from the play Manchurian Front, and she was cast after multiple meetings.[22] In the Jang Hoon's A Taxi Driver (2017), Lee played a pregnant woman who received a free ride from taxi driver Kim Man-seop (played by Song Kang-ho).[12]
That same year, Lee costarred in Yoo Je-won's Tomorrow, with You. She acted as Oh So-ri, best friend of Ma-rin (played by Shin Min-a) who runs piano academy. She then costarred in the drama While You Were Sleeping.[23] In 2017 Lee signed exclusive contract with C-JeS Entertainment.[24] Lee also joined the musical Heavy Metal Girls in 2017.[25] This was followed by her appearance as Katya in the Korean premiere of the play Valentine's Day, a work by Golden Mask Award-winning artist Ivan Vymilfayev, at Jayu Small Theater until January 14, 2018.[26]
In 2018, Lee appeared in the drama Life on Mars. She also played the older sister who informed Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) that Haemi (Jeon Jong-seo) was a liar when he was searching for her in Lee Chang-dong's film Burning (2018).[12] In December 2018, Creative Table Quartz confirmed Lee Bong-ryun's appearance in the Korean premiere of the one-man play Everything Shines on Me, an original work by Duncan McMillan that had participated in various overseas festivals, including Edinburgh and Perth in Australia, since the 2013 Lurdle Fringe Festival.[27]
Critical acclaim and further recognition
In 2019, Lee had a busy year with several film and drama appearances. Lee appeared in the dramas When the Devil Calls Your Name and Melting Me Softly. In the film Birthday, she played Jeong-suk, a family member who calmly supports Jeong-il (Sul Kyung-gu) and Soon-nam (Jeon Do-yeon) after they lose their son. She also appeared as the third older sister of the main character Yong-nam (Jo Jung-seok) in the action film Exit, which surpassed 10 million viewers at the box office.[28] Lee gained wider recognition for her role in Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, film starring Jung Yu-mi and Gong Yoo. Based on the million-seller novel of the same name by Cho Nam-Joo, it was released on October 23, 2019.[29] She portrayed Hye-soo, a character becomes a strong supporter for Ji-young. Hye-soo supports Ji-young's dreams, assists her in returning to work both materially and spiritually, and provides sound advice when needed.[30]
Lee has been a frequent cast member in productions staged by the National Theater Company of Korea. In 2020, she was cast as Princess Hamlet in the gender-blind production of Shakespeare's Hamlet for the National Theater Company's 70th anniversary. For this role, she won the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actress in a Play.[31][32]
In 2020, Lee starred in When the Weather Is Fine. In late 2020, Lee had two notable supporting roles on the small screen. She played Myung-sook in Lee Eung-bok's Netflix series Sweet Home, portraying a grieving mother pushing an empty stroller, unable to cope with the loss of her baby. Myung-sook later transforms into a monster driven by an overwhelming desire to protect her child; however, her monstrous form is non-aggressive and does not attack others. Lee was praised for her heartbreaking performance in this role. Later in 2020, Lee appeared in the JTBC drama Run On Park May, the CEO of a film company specializing in art films and the best friend and roommate of Oh Mi-joo (Shin Se-kyung). She was praised for her on-screen chemistry with Shin.[33][34][35]
In 2021, Lee reunited with director Yoo Je-won and Shin Min-a for the romantic-comedy TV series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. She portrayed Yeo Hwa-jung, a native of Gongjin who served as the village chief and superior of Chief Hong (Kim Seon-ho). Hwa-jung owned a seafood restaurant and was the landlady of Hye-jin's (Shin Min-a) dental clinic and home. A divorcée, she co-parented her son Yi-jun with her ex-husband Jang Young-guk (In Gyo-jin).[36] This was followed by her role as Hwang Ma-jin in the JTBC drama Only One Person. In November 2021, after her contract with her former agency expired, Lee joined Shin Min-a's agency AM Entertainment.[37]
In 2022, she acted as Deaconess Jung, Yo-hwan's church figure (portrayed by Hwang Jung-min) in the Netflix Original Series Narco-Saints.[38] Also in 2022, Lee starred in her first film leading role opposite Lee Han-seo in director Jang Seon-hee's independent film Two Woman. The film depicted a chance encounter between a young girl delivering newspapers and a woman putting up flyers to find her lost child. It premiered at the 48th Seoul Independent Film Festival (SIFF).[39]
There are stories that are difficult to share with close people. Isn't there a time when it seems that people who know me well don't know my heart anymore. This film depicts a magical moment in which you unknowingly tell a story to someone you met in an unexpected situation, so you can catch your breath for a while. When I first read the script, I felt fortunate. The conversation between the girl and the woman gave the two of them a chance to sit down and breathe for a while on their own arduous journey.
— Lee Bong-ryun, Marie Claire Korea[40]
In 2023, Lee reunited with director Yoo Je-won and Jeon Do-yeon in the romantic-comedy TV series Crash Course in Romance, portraying Kim Young-joo, the best friend of Nam Haeng-seon (Jeon Do-yeon).[41] Her performance was noted for complementing Jeon's acting.[42] This was followed by a role in Destined With You.
In 2024, Lee made a special appearance in Yoo Je-won's drama Love Next Door and acted as an announcer in the film I, the Executioner. In 2025, she made a special appearance in Kim Won-seok's drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, written by Lim Sang-choon. Also in 2025, she starred in the tvN drama Resident Playbook, a spin-off of Hospital Playlist,[43] where she was cast as Seo Jeong-min, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Jongno Yulje Hospital.[44] Despite a one-year delay, the drama was successful, earning Lee a reward trip to Bali with the cast and crew.[45]
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Personal life
Lee is a Catholic, but when choosing a stage name, she was drawn to names with a Buddhist resonance. She selected the name 'Bong-ryeon' after seeing a middle school boy named Bong-ryeon featured in current affairs program VJ Special Forces about name changes; the boy expressed great relief after changing his name, which resonated with her. She liked the sound of 'Bong' as it felt familiar and humorous. When writing her name in Chinese characters, she chose 鳳輦, meaning 'a palanquin that the king rides,' noting that the Chinese characters could be changed if needed, potentially becoming 峰 (peak) or 蓮 (lotus).[30]
Lee married actor Lee Gyu-hee on March 11, 2019. They met as junior and senior in Alleyway Theater Company.[46]
Filmography
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