Lee Hee-joon

Lee Hee-joon (Korean: 이희준; born June 29, 1979) is a South Korean actor. He first gained recognition portraying a minor character in the television series My Husband Got a Family (2012). Lee is best known for the films 1987: When the Day Comes (2017), Miss Baek (2018), The Man Standing Next (2020), and Handsome Guys (2024), as well as the television series The Queen of Office (2013), Steal Heart (2014), Mouse (2021), and A Killer Paradox (2024).

Lee was born on June 29, 1979 in Songhyeon-dong, Dalseo District, Daegu, South Korea. After completing high school without knowing what he wanted to do, he entered the Department of Chemical Engineering at Yeungnam University.

The turning point in his life came a week before his military enlistment, when he had a farewell party and got into a car accident that required major surgery. As a result, he was exempted from military service. Despite being exempt, he lost interest in his studies and wandered for a while, spending his days playing guitar, singing, and drinking. During this time, he happened to see a poster for a children's theatre company in Daegu and out of curiosity, he visited the theatre company. Lee worked as the youngest member of the Daegu theatre company "Onnuri" for approximately 2 years and 6 months. Instead of being an actor, his role within the troupe involved tasks such as cleaning, cooking, and putting up posters. Lee independently studied and followed Stanislavsky's book Actor's Class.

Lee debuted on in 1999 with the play Tourist Zone. He discovered a passion for acting while performing in children's plays such as The Jungle Book and Cinderella. Later on, he developed a strong desire to receive formal acting training, which led him to drop out of the chemical engineering department at Yeungnam University.

In 2002, Lee, who dropped out of Yeungnam University, met Lee Yun-taek and joined the Yeonheedan street troupe and lived at Miryang Theater Village for a year. He also appeared as King Oedipus in the opening production of the 2nd Miryang Theater Festival, Oedipus.

Afterwards, Lee moved to Chaimu Theater Company and played the lead role, making a name for himself in Daehakro.

Afterwards, he wanted to take acting lessons in a more systematic way, so he applied to Korea National University of Arts, but was rejected. In the end, he took the exam again and proudly entered school at the age of 24 (Class of 2003). The university is famous for its rigorous, practical-oriented curriculum. When he was an engineering student, he was tired of theory classes, so life at a practical-oriented Korean art school was like heaven. To paraphrase his own words, "I loved school." So good was he that he attended on scholarship for all eight semesters, three of which he even received full scholarships.

In 2005, he further showcased his talent by appearing in the musical Lee. He continued to hone his acting skills through various projects, including notable works like The King and the Clown and the 2007 play Byun. In 2009, he further enriched his repertoire with performances in Melodrama and There in Chuncheon.