Personal info
Known for
Actor
Gender
Female
Date of Birth
1980-04-09
Location
Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Edit pageLee Yo Won
Biography
Lee Yo-won (born April 9, 1980) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Queen Seondeok in the eponymous hit period drama.
Lee Yo-won was a sophomore in high school when she won a modeling contest and first appeared as a model in the November 1997 issue of fashion magazine Figaro. This led to commercials, then to minor roles in television series and movies.
Though she started getting recognized by the public after the box-office success of the anarchic comedy Attack the Gas Station (1999), her first notable acting role was in the controversial TV drama Blue Mist (2001), where she played a young woman in her 20s who becomes romantically involved with a married man in his 40s.
Tired of playing fragile characters, Lee portrayed Queen Seondeok of Silla in the massively popular period drama Queen Seondeok (2009). Her follow-up, fantasy melodrama 49 Days (2011) in which she played dual roles as a woman possessed, also resonated with audiences.
Afterward, she appeared in The King's Doctor (2012) about a Joseon-era veterinarian turned royal physician, and Empire of Gold (2013) which revolved around a power struggle over a chaebol.
In 2016, Lee made a successful comeback to the small screen with the quirky romantic comedy My Horrible Boss. Her role as a hot-headed career woman was well-received, with many citing it as her "rediscovery role".
She then participated in another film, titled Yes, Family, playing a reporter who is the oldest among four siblings. Lee also starred in the MBC drama Night Light, alongside Jin Goo and Uee.
In 2017, Lee starred in the black comedy series Avengers Social Club.
In 2019, Lee starred in the espionage melodrama Different Dreams and The Running Mates: Human Rights.
