Who was the first artiste from a non English show to win an Emmy Award? Meet Lee Jung-jae

Lee Jung-jae is an award-winning South Korean actor, former fashion model and filmmaker considered one of the most successful actors in South Korea.

Lee Jung-jae won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2022 for his performance in Squid Game, making him the first person to win that award for a non-English-speaking role, and the first Asian man to win that award.

Lee Jung-jae began his career as a fashion model before transitioning to acting. He made his acting debut in the 1993 television drama “The Scent of Love” and later appeared in the films “The Young Man” (1994) and “The Fox with Nine Tails” (1994).

Lee Jung-jae gained critical acclaim for his role in the 1996 film “An Affair.” Lee continued to act in various films and television dramas throughout the 2000s, including “Il Mare” (2000), “The Housemaid” (2010), and “Assassination” (2015).

In 2018, Lee Jung-jae starred in the film “Believer,” which was a remake of the 2012 Hong Kong film “Drug War”. In 2021, Lee gained international fame for his starring role in the hit Netflix series “Squid Game” (2021– ; Ojing-eo geim).