Parasite actor Lee Sun-kyun’s leading roles remembered, from South Korean movie A Hard Day to k-drama My Mister
- Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, one of the stars of Oscar best picture winner Parasite, who has died in an apparent suicide, had a career full of memorable roles
- His favourite role, he has said, was as a warm-hearted engineer in 2018 drama My Mister; he won a best actor prize for playing a corrupt detective in A Hard Day
News of the death of Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, best known for his role in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, in an apparent suicide has sent shock waves across the global entertainment industry.
We look back at five of Lee’s most memorable screen roles.
1. The White Tower (2007)
The White Tower is adapted from Japanese novelist Toyoko Yamasaki’s novel Shiroi Kyoto. It describes a power struggle in the healthcare industry and the ethical dilemmas doctors face when treating patients. The drama series was nominated for best TV drama at the 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards.
Lee plays doctor Choi Do-young, who puts patients’ well-being first and doesn’t care about personal power and status. His performance had won him the Golden Acting Award in the MBC Drama Awards in 2007.
2. Pasta (2010)
Pasta is a workplace romance about two young people dreaming to become elite chiefs. In typical K-drama style, the pair go from not liking each other to gradually falling in love. In South Korea the TV series scored a high domestic viewership rating of 24.2 per cent in 2010.
Lee plays a chef who has returned from overseas and has a stereotypical view of female chefs, but these gradually change after he falls for one.
3. A Hard Day (2014)
Lee plays a corrupt detective who accidentally kills someone while on his way to his mother’s funeral. The unfortunate event pushes him into a criminal path of no return. A Hard Day won a slew of awards, including best film in the 1st Korean Film Producers Association Awards, and was selected to compete in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.
Lee plays the hapless detective, and his brilliant portrayal of a complex character won him the best actor prize in the 51st Baeksang Arts Awards.
4. My Mister (2018)
This drama explores how a man and woman, both weighed down by life’s burdens, are able to form a warm relationship despite their huge age difference. The drama was well received not only in South Korea but overseas. It won the prize for best drama in the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Lee plays a warm-hearted but quiet 40-year-old structural engineer who initially has issues with Ji-an, a 21-year-old woman, but gradually grows fond of her.
Lee cited My Mister as his favourite work in a recent interview to promote his latest film, Sleep.
5. Parasite
Lee plays the father in the upper-class family, who looks down on the poor without understanding their struggle. His character’s actions suggest it is not the underprivileged but the rich who are the true social parasites.
