'Mr Sunshine' star Lee Byung Hun has turned 50 this year. The actor, singer and model has made a big name in Hollywood too. He is well known for his Korean movies Joint Security Area, A Bittersweet Life, The Good, the Bad, Inside Men, besides television series Iris, I Saw the Devil, Masquerade and Mr Sunshine.
His Hollywood works include G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Red 2 alongside Bruce Wills, Terminator Genisys, and The Magnificent Seven.
Byun Hun was the first South Korean actor to present an Oscar at the annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Here are 10 interesting facts about birthday boy Lee Byung Hun.
1) Asphalt My Hometown
Did you know Lee Byung Hun entered the Korean film industry in 1991? Most people know him from his role in the movie Joint Security Area released in 2000. But he made his entry through KBS drama Asphalt My Hometown in 1991. He also acted in action drama Asphalt Man and romantic film The Harmonium in My Memory before starring in Joint Security Area.
2) Management Company Owner
Lee Byung Hun owns a management company BH Entertainment that was formed in 2006. The company manages popular actors including Han Hyo-joo, Go Soo, Jin Goo, and Han Ji-min.
3) Owns a shop
Lee Byung Hun has also tried his hands at owning a shop. The shop is named BHNC and sells hats, handkerchiefs, pouches, mother-of-pearl boxes, and wallets. Interestingly, these items are designed by Byung Hun himself, who is interested in fashion design.
4) Similarity to Wayne Holden
Lee Byung Hun is not only known in Korean film industry and Hollywood but also popular among video-gamers. It is said that he looks similar to the main character Wayne Holden of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
5) Ambassador
Byung Hun was appointed as California's tourism promotion ambassador to Korea in 2010. He was selected as an honorary ambassador to promote the prestigious 50th Daejong Film Awards in 2013.
6) Love For Foreign Languages
Lee Byung Hun majored in French Literature from Hanyang University. He also holds a major degree in theater and cinematography from Chung-Ang University. In fact, he had to learn English when he started getting offers from Hollywood. His relatives in Seattle are said to have helped him to be fluent in English language.
7) Taekwando King
Known for his love for action movies, Lee Byung Hun is trained in martial arts, especially taekwando. Even to this day, Byung Hun practices taekwando when he has spare time.
8) Linkup with Song Hye Kyo
Byung Hun had announced that he was in a relationship with Song Hye Kyo, which the latter had confirmed and the couple started dating openly in 2002. They starred together in the drama All In that was released in 2003. However, the couple broke up in 2004.
9) Dating and Marriage
Byung Hun was in a relationship with actress Lee Min Jung in 2006. But the couple broke up later and both carried on with their lives. However, love bloomed again and they started dating for the second time in 2012. The couple got married in 2013 at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. Currently, they have a son Lee Joon Hoo, who was born on March 31, 2015.
10) The Blackmail
Byung Hun was blackmailed by singer Dahee of Kpop girl group GLAM and model Lee Ji Yeon for $4 million. The girls had threatened Byung Hun of releasing videos of him making sexual jokes over a drink. Byung Hun reported them to police and both were arrested as they confessed to have tried to scam Byung Hun.
