Lee Sang-yi (actor)

Lee Sang-yi (born November 27, 1991) is a South Korean actor, musical actor and singer. Debuting in the musical Grease in 2014, Lee established himself on the musical and theatrical stage with works like Runway Beat, Bare: The Musical, Infinite Power, Carbonated Boy, Thrill Me, In the Heights, and The Guardsman of Taj Mahal.

Lee to show his presence on television from 2017. Appearing in Prison Playbook (2017) and When the Camellia Blooms (2019) he solidified his position as scene-stealer through diverse acting transformations in each work. Taking on the role of the free-spirited dentist Yoon Jae-seok in Once Again (2020), Lee showcased a chemistry with Lee Cho-hee and earned the nickname of "Sadon Couple" (in-law couple). He continued to impress with roles in Youth of May (2021), Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021) and Bloodhounds.

As a singer, he is best known for being a member of the vocal group MSG Wannabe, known for their performances in Hangout with Yoo and concerts in Jeonju and Seoul in 2023.

Early life and education
Lee Sang-yi was born in 1991 in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. developed an interest in acting during his participation in an English play, "The Sound of Music," in 6th grade at Jeongji Elementary School.

When Lee entered Wonil Middle School, his father suggested he attend an acting academy located near their store. That was the first time he learned tap dancing, acting, and took on supporting roles at the acting academy. Then, before entering high school, he told his parents that he would go to an arts high school and learn acting. He enrolled in the Department of Theater and Film at Anyang Art High School

During his time at Anyang Arts High School, he served as the student council president, a role he pursued due to his desire to interact with students from different departments. He won the election for this position after actively engaging with his peers by arriving at school 30 minutes early to perform songs on the guitar. Additionally, he established a Cyworld club to connect with potential classmates and exchange contact information, showcasing his enthusiasm for making new friends. Encouraged by his peers' recognition of his proactive approach, he continued to take on leadership responsibilities.

In 2008, Lee, still in high school, demonstrated his dance talent by winning first place in the J-Tune Company UCC contest. He impressed the audience with his rendition of Rain's dance in "Rainism," which he shared on platforms like Daum TV Pod, Pikicast, and YouTube. At that time, Lee's dreams changed frequently. He was unsure about his future and considered various paths, including becoming a guitarist, a professional gamer, and a stage designer. Ultimately, he discovered that acting combined all his interests and chose to pursue it as his career.

In 2010, Lee enrolled in the School of Drama at Korea National University of Arts. He was part of the Class of 2010 in the Department of Acting, alongside classmates such as Kim Go-eun, Park So-dam, Lee Yoo-young, Ahn Eun-jin, Kim Sung-cheol, Cha Seo-won, and Lee Hwi-jong. During his college years, he was the head of the acting department's class. Lee also close with senior from Class of 2009, Byun Yo-han, Suho, Lim Ji-yeon and Park Jeong-min.

Early career
During his mandatory enlistment, Lee Sang-yi served as a duty police officer at the National Police Agency. After being discharged, he made his debut in 2014 with the musical Grease. Over the years, he has appeared in various musicals such as Runway Beat, and Legendary Little Basketball Team.

In 2015, Lee acted in the musical Bare: The Musical, portraying the role of Peter. That same year, Lee also auditioned for and was cast in the musical Infinite Power, which was the directorial debut of Actor Park Hee-soon. Lee was selected to play the character of Jang Seon-jae. Actor Park Hee-soon, a former member of the theater company Mokhwa, directed the musical with a unique approach that emphasized the individuality of each actor. Lee remarked, "Having been an actor himself, the director understands the actor's mindset better than anyone else."

In 2016, Lee and Kang Young-seok were both cast as Nathan Leopold in the Korean production of Stephen Dolginoff's musical "Thrill Me." Lee, a newcomer to the production, aimed to portray Nathan as a mild-mannered, soft-spoken character with exceptional logic and quick thinking. Directed by Park Ji-he, the press call for the musical took place on March 3 at Lifeway Hall in Daemyung Cultural Factory Building 2, Daehangno, Seoul. The musical ran from February 19 to June 12, 2016, at Lifeway Hall in Daemyeong Cultural Factory Building 2. Lee garnered attention for her compelling portrayal of Nathan, showcasing intense emotional acting. In the same year, he expanded his acting range with roles like Benny in 'In the Heights' and Baek-seok in 'Me, Natasha, and the White Donkey.'

In 2017, Lee took part in Mongni Music Drama Concert 2017 [Grown Up]. It was performed at KT&G Sangsang Art Hall from February 16th to 26th. Lee dedicated five weeks to rehearsing and honing his dance skills with Park Ji-eun to master the choreography from the popular film La La Land. Their dance cover performance was posted on YouTube in March 2017 and quickly gained widespread attention and popularity. In April, Lee performed onstage in play Crazy Kiss. The play Guards At The Taj! which was premiering in Korea, opened in August at Lifeway Hall, Building 2, DCF Daemyung Culture Factory, Daehakro, Seoul.

Later that year, he made his television debut by joining the cast of the drama Manhole as Oh Dal-soo. In November, he appeared in the Prison Playbook series as Oh Dong-hwan. Despite his TV roles, he remained devoted to the stage.

In 2018, Lee starred in a supporting role in the musical rom-com To. Jenny, alongside Kim Sung-cheol and Jung Chae-yeon. In 2018, he played Brown in the musical Red Book.

Today's Show - Moving Day.

Lee appeared as Elvis Impersonator Casey with Park Eun-seok and Kang Young-seok in musical The Legend of Georgia McBride. It was a work written by American playwright Matthew Lopez and premiered in the United States in 2014.

In 2019, Lee appeared as a villain in Special Labor Inspector and as baseball coach Yang Seung-yeop in When the Camellia Blooms.

Career Breakthrough
In 2020, Lee starred in 100 episodes weekend drama Once Again, where he played the role of Yoon Jae-seok, a dentist and the younger brother of one of the show's leads, Yoon Gyu-jin, portrayed by Lee Sang-yeob. Lee's romantic storyline with Lee Cho-hee's character became a fan favorite, and their on-screen couple, known as the Sadon Couple, lovingly called as the "national in-law". In the end of the year they won the Best Couple Award at the 2020 KBS Drama Award. Lee also won Best New Actor Award at the same event. The drama's success helped him gain tremendous popularity. After a two-year hiatus from musical, Lee returned to perform in the musical A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. He played the role of Monty Navarro, a man who aims to become a count by eliminating eight heirs of the D'Ysquith family. Lee's portrayal of Monty Navarro won over the hearts of the audience with his unique 'nerd beauty' and solid acting skills, as he comically searched for the members of the D'Ysquith family one by one. He received positive feedback for his exceptional character synchronization with Monty Navarro, showcasing his talent as an actor. Lee captivated the audience with his versatile charm and received praise for delicately portraying the changing expressions, gestures, and speech of Monty Navarro, a man who tries to become a viscount by eliminating eight people and their heirs one by one. He convincingly depicted the process of gradually transforming into a figure befitting the position of a viscount.

Following his success in Once Again, Lee remained busy in 2021. In May 2021, he joined the cast of the KBS2 Monday-Tuesday drama Youth of May. Lee Soo-chan, a determined individual balancing family responsibilities and running the family business. Soo-chan's educational background, business administration at a university in France, fueled his ambition to establish a pharmaceutical company in 1980s Gwangju. Despite challenges, he remained resilient, supported by his affection for nurse Kim Myung-hee, portrayed by Go Min-si. Lee Sang Yi's authentic portrayal received praise, exploring themes of love, family, and ambition. His performance in "Youth of May" showcased his talent and solidified his presence in the Korean drama industry.

in the same year, on May, 2021, Lee was revealed as one of the MSG Wannabe members who passed on variety show program Hangout with Yoo and debuted as a member of MSG Wannabe and was part of the sub-unit JSDK.

In June 2021, he was confirmed to star in the tvN drama Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha alongside Kim Seon-ho and Shin Min-a. He portrayed Ji Sung-hyun, a workaholic variety show director who has a bright personality. In the drama, Lee covered a song titled "Love is Forgotten" by Love from the artist Hareem. He also contributed to the OST by singing a song called "I Hope You're Happy," which was released as a single on October 17, 2021.

On November 24, 2021, Lee reprised his role as Ji Sung-hyun and became virtual guide for Gongjin VR tour in contents of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha that were released through LG U+ XR platform U+DIVe. Studio Dragon utilized its premium intellectual property to present virtual reality (VR) contents in partnership with Korea Tourism Organization and LG U+. The project aimed to promote Korea's beautiful tourist destinations using drama content as a medium. All content was filmed in VR, capturing the unique emotions of various tourist spots in 3D 180-degree high-definition video to enhance the immersive experience.

In November 2021, Lee reprised his role as Monty Navarro in the musical A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.

Also in, November, Lee confirmed his appearance in Netflix Original Series Bloodhounds. It depicts a story about three young people who set foot in the world of private loans in pursuit of money and get caught up in a huge force.

At the end of 2021, Lee became an MC for the 2021 MBC Entertainment Awards with Jun Hyun-moo and Kim Se-jeong.

In 2023, Lee took part in Kim Dong-yeon's play Shakespeare in Love, adapted from the 1998 film of the same name. He shared the role of William Shakespeare with Jung Moon-sung and Kim Sung-cheol in a triple cast.The play received favorable reviews and Lee's performance was praised by the critics and the audience.