Squid Game’s global icon Lee Jung-jae has become the first Korean to be honored with the coveted Chaplin Award Asia. The Charlie Chaplin Foundation bestowed the honor on Lee in recognition of his influential role in Asian cinema and his incredible 30-year acting career.
Lee became an international sensation with his Emmy-winning performance as Seong Gi-hun in Netflix’s Squid Game, a desperate, down-on-his-luck fellow roped into a lethal game of survival. The show was an international phenomenon, shattering streaming records and winning multiple awards, including several Emmys. Lee became the first Asian actor to be awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Organizers at the award ceremony cited Lee’s “persistent and positive impact on Asian cinema” during the award ceremony. In his acceptance speech, Lee said he was grateful and noted the legacy of Charlie Chaplin: “It’s nerve-wracking and humbling to accept an award in the name of Charlie Chaplin, a great filmmaker, artist, and creative icon. I hope to use this honor to have a positive influence as an Asian filmmaker.
Since its launch in 2018, Chaplin Award Asia has recognized other film legends including Tony Leung, Zhang Yimou, and Brigitte Lin.
Aside from Squid Game, Lee’s filmography boasts memorable performances in award-winning movies like Il Mare (2000), The Housemaid (2010), New World (2013), and Deliver Us from Evil (2020). Hailing as a model, he began acting in the 1990s and is now one of Korea’s most credible actors.
He recently entered Hollywood with a lead role in Star Wars: The Acolyte and is also all set to return to Korean TV in the upcoming tvN drama Nice to Not Meet You.