Lee Sang-yi

Lee Sang-yi (이상이) built his rise from the stage up, then converted that training into one of the more reliable screen climbs in contemporary Korean drama. He debuted in theatre in 2014 and carried that musical-theatre discipline into television, where sharp comic timing and real physical precision quickly set him apart from standard supporting-player traffic.

The breakout widened through tvN hits like Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, then shifted into a more forceful mainstream lane with Netflix action series Bloodhounds. Lee also kept a second public identity alive through MSG Wannabe, which made the singer side of his résumé newly visible instead of leaving it buried inside theatre credentials.

That mix is why his current run works. He can sell warmth, pressure, and humour without feeling overdesigned, and the 2025 to 2026 cycle around Good Boy and The Legend of Kitchen Soldier keeps him in the premium-series conversation. Now represented by Good Friends Company, Lee sits in a sweet spot: recognisable enough to headline, still flexible enough to make ensemble casting sharper the second he walks into frame.