Lee Jung Jae’s ‘Breakout Star’ Description in US Outlet Sparks Negative Reaction– Here’s Why
U.S. media outlet, Deadline, is criticized for describing Lee Jung Jae as a "breakout star" following the announcement regarding his first Hollywood project.
With this, fans expressed their disappointment towards the site for using such a description of the "Squid Game" star who is a renowned actor in South Korea.
International Media Agency Slammed After Describing Lee Jung Jae as 'Breakout Star'
Once again, another foreign media agency receives criticism for linking Lee Jung Jae as an actor who suddenly became extremely popular because of the Netflix series.
It came after Deadline exclusively reported that the South Korean star will be having his first major U.S. media project after joining the cast of the "Star Wars" series' "The Acolyte."
In an article released on September 8, the media outlet described Lee Jung Jae as a "Squid Game breakout star" as they confirmed that the actor will be the protagonist in the highly-anticipated series under Lucasfilm.
While the "Squid Game" cast reached global stardom because of the Netflix series, Lee Jung Jae is already a household name in Korea, with numerous recognitions and achievements under his belt.
It can be recalled that this is not the first time that Lee Jung Jae was described similarly.
During the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards 2022, the 49-year-old actor was asked by a reporter from Access Hollywood about his massive global fame and said "going to miss the most about being anonymous?"
Lee Jung Jae, politely answered "nothing" as he smiled at the reporter.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Korean Stars Who Had Awkward Encounters at Award Ceremony: Lee Jung Jae, IU, More
At the time, people slammed the reporter for not doing proper research on who Lee Jung Jae is and his popularity in South Korea.
Lee Jung Jae's Journey From Model to South Korea's Sought-After Male Lead
Born and raised in Seoul, Lee Jung Jae started as a fashion model after being scouted while at his part-time job. From then on, he ventured into acting and the rest is history for the actor.
His breakout performance in the 1995 action-drama series "Sandglass," along with Go Hyun Jung, gained praise from the viewers and even earned Lee Jung Jae with his first ever Baeksang Arts Awards after taking home the Best New Actor trophy.
Interestingly, his fame continued to skyrocket in the Korean entertainment scene after landing blockbuster projects one after the other.
In the 1998 movie "City of the Rising Sun," Lee Jung Jae worked with Jung Woo Sung as they both played main characters. The latter is now his business partner and one of his close friends in show business.
From winning countless awards, the 49-year-old actor landed Netflix's "Squid Game," and continues scoring international awards with the recent is upcoming 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.
He is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, along with contenders Brian Cox (Succession), Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Adam Scott (Severance), Jeremy Strong (Succession), and Jason Bateman (Ozark).
