‘Squid Game’ Star Lee Jung-Jae to Attend Monte-Carlo Television Festival With ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’
Actor Lee Jung-jae will attend the Monte-Carlo Television Festival next month for the French press launch of Lucasfilm’s latest live-action series “Star Wars: The Acolyte,” which streams on Disney+. In the show, Lee plays a Jedi Master.
It was his role in the globally successful Netflix series “Squid Game” that first catapulted Lee’s career to an international level. Starring as Seong Gi-hun (No. 456), a financially struggling father who participates in a deadly survival game, his performance earned him the Emmy Award for best actor in a drama series, a first for a non-English speaking actor.
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This tremendous success significantly elevated the career of Lee, who is now considered by many as the international standard-bearer for a highly creative and avant-garde Korean culture.
In “Star Wars: The Acolyte,” an investigation into a series of shocking crimes pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee) against a dangerous warrior from his past. As new clues emerge, they embark on a dark path where sinister forces reveal that not everything is as it seems.
The series also stars Amandla Stenberg, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo and Carrie-Anne Moss.
Leslye Headland created the series, based on “Star Wars” by George Lucas, and serves as an executive producer along with Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers. Rayne Roberts, Damian Anderson, Eileen Shim and Rob Bredow are the producers. Headland also directed the premiere episodes (Eps. 101 and 102). Directors Kogonada (Eps. 103 and 107), Alex Garcia Lopez (Eps. 104 and 105) and Hanelle Culpepper (Eps. 106 and 108) round out the directing duties on the series.
Cécile Menoni, executive director of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, commented: “We are honored that Lee Jung-jae and the Disney+ team will join us next month for the French press launch of ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte.’ The Principality is delighted to welcome such a distinguished actor and to support this unique media event. Lee Jung-jae’s participation underscores the festival’s commitment to celebrating excellence in television and cinema. His presence will undoubtedly attract fans and media from around the world, providing a fabulous opportunity for attendees to meet one of the industry’s most global esteemed talents.”
Born in South Korea, Lee began his career on the fashion runways before transitioning to the screen. Discovered by a designer, he was propelled into the modeling world before discovering the realm of acting in 1993 with the drama series “Dinosaur Teacher,” In 1994, he landed a role in the film “The Young Man,” earning him the best actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, making him the youngest actor to receive this distinction.
Lee went on to star in a string of successful films, including “An Affair” (1998), “Asako in Ruby Shoes” (2000), “The Housemaid” (2010), “The Thieves” (2012), “The Face Reader” (2013), “Assassination” (2015), and “Deliver Us From Evil” (2020). On television, he appeared in series such as “Feeling” (1994), “Sandglass” (1995), “Air City” (2007), and “Chief of Staff” (2019).
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