Lee Ho-jae (actor)

In 2022, Lee Ho-jae (81), go on stage to commemorate the 60th anniversary of his stage life. It is a new play titled Jealousy dedicated to Lee Ho-jae's 60th acting anniversary, written by Lee Man-hee. The play is centered on 'Wan-gyu' (Lee Ho-jae), who lives and runs a business alone in a plastic house office after divorce, and 'Chun-san' (Nam Myeong-ryeol), a friend. The drama depicts the romance of twilight with Sujeong (Nam Ki-ae), a local drugstore pharmacist. Directed by Choi Yong-hoon, which performed from 27 May to 5 June 2022 at Hakjeon Blue, Daehangno, Seoul.

Since 2018, Lee Ho-jae became one of member of Theater, Film and Dance Division of The National Academy of Arts.

In 2017, four masters of the theater, met at the 2nd Neulpureun Theater Festival. Lee Ho-jae and fellow actor Oh Hyun-kyung represent actors, Director Kim Do-hoon and playwright Noh Kyung-shik represent creator. The masters have average age of 79 years old. In this festival Lee Ho-jae performed his play Let's Go Over the Hill. This was written by Lee Man-hee as tribute to him and the time of its premiere in 2007, it received a great response from the middle-aged audience with his warm and pleasant gaze toward the silver age and delicious lines. Directed by Choi Yong-hoon, the play performed at Daehangno Arts Theater from August 17 to 27, 2018.

Dongnang Repertory Theater Company's World Tour Return Commemorative Performance was held as an opportunity to attend the "World Theater Month" commemorative event hosted by the American Headquarter of International Theatre Institute (ITI), which held in New York, USA from March 15th. Following the performance at the commemorative event, the troupe toured around the U.S. in Dallas, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Hawaii, as well as in Paris, France and the Netherlands.

In 2015, Lee joined project to celebrate the 110th anniversary of Dongnang Yoo Chi-jin, reenactment of The Han River Flows. The play performed at the Drama Center of Namsan Arts Center in Yejang-dong, Seoul. Oh Tae-seok, chair professor at Seoul Institute of the Arts, was the director and Dong-rang's son, Yoo Deok-hyeong, president of Seoul Institute of the Arts, will be the artistic director.

Lee, who was the first actor to win the Lee Hae-Rang Theater Award, one of the major theater awards in Korea, has been praised as a master of speech by acting with a restrained emotion. In 2011 Lee was awarded the 2011 Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit (South Korea) by the government.

In 2011, he was awarded the 2011 Order of Cultural Merit (Level 3) by the government.

In 2010, Lee performed in the play Even if I deceive you (written by Lee Man-hee, directed by Ahn Kyung-mo to commemorates his 70th birthday.

Lee Ho-Jae worked several times with playwright Lee Man-hee, his junior in Whimoon High School. One of their work together was play Let's Go Over the Hill (2007), a deliciously unraveling story of a love triangle between three friends at their sunset age. Lee Ho-jae also worked with National Theater Company's Oh Young-soo and Jeon Yang-ja. Directed by Lee Seong-sin, it was performed at the Hakjeon Blue Small Theater in Daehak-ro.

In 2006, Lee Ho-jae and Jeon Moo-song joined play Dragon and Tiger Sangbak, directed by Oh Tae-seok. The reunion project after 8 years since A Thousand Years of Beast in 1997 their last project together, and it is exactly 30 years since the three of them collaborated to put on a performance at the Namsan Drama Center where they were starting their career.

In 2005 Lee performed The story of two knights moving around the world, by Betsuyaku Minoru, one of the leading playwrights in modern Japan.

Lee Ho-jae debuted on the musical stage for the first time in The stars love each other with meaning in the world. The musical written by an active psychiatrist, Kim Jong-il, depicts the devastated mental world of Jung Hoon, who suffers from mental illness, through various events that happen in a dream overnight which is a reminder of the importance of life. Directed by Song Mi-sook, this work was performed at the Hakjeon Small Theater from December 1, 1994 to Januari, 1995.

Lee recognized as one of notable actor in history of South Korea modern theatre in the 70s. Lee was nicknamed "The Eternal Watchman of the Theater World" because he stayed in the theatre even when his seniors and colleagues left for television dramas and movies. Lee wanted to be financially independent by only do plays, but due to circumstances after marriage with children, since 1980s he was forced to also do radio, television dramas and films.

In 1977, with his fellow actor Jeon Moo-song, Lee performed in play Crown Prince Hamyeol (an adaptation of Hamlet) at La MaMa in New York City, which marked the first time a Korean theatre troupe had traveled outside Korea.

In 1977, Lee with Jeon Moo-song and Oh Taeseok, joined Dongnang Repertory Theater Company's World Tour Return Commemorative Performance. This was first full-fledged overseas tour of a Korean theater. Dongrang Repertory theater company led by CEO Yoo Deok-hyung (president of Seoul Institute of the Arts at that time) toured the world for about three months from March 9 to May 30 19777, sponsored byJoongang Ilbo, Dongyang Broadcasting, and the American Headquarter of International Theatre Institute (ITI), co-hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation in the United States). The repertoire of this world tour theater performance is "Tae (Life Cord)" and "Crown Prince Hamyeol" (directed by Ahn Min-su, an adaptation of Shakespeare's original Hamlet).

Lee also joined them in invitation performance of Crown Prince Hamyeol in American Headquarter of International Theatre Institute (ITI) World Theater Day, from 15 to 20 June 1977 in Los Angeles, United States.

In 1975 Lee with his fellow actor Jeon Moo-song and playwright Oh Taeseok joined National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK). His most memorable and notable work there was play Peer Gynt.

In 1966 he was called to enlist for 36 months. He fulfilled his military enlistment by participating in the Vietnam War and discharged in 1969. He's back to the theater company afterward after working in a company for a short time. His major works with this theater company were works of playwright Oh Taeseok, his original works Chobun and Tae (lifecord) and also Sootduki Play (1974), adaptation of Scapin the Schemer by Molière.

After graduation in 1964, Lee and fellow classmate Jeon Moo-song became member of Dongnang Repertoire Theater Company.

In 1963, Lee debuted on stage at the Myeongdong National Theater in 1963 as Lenny Small in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, produced by theater company belong to his friend Kim Bul-rae (Now professor at Hongik University). Kim coaxed Lee into joining the play in exchange of free drinks at his mom's bar.

Lee was born in Seoul and grew up in the Jongno-dong neighborhood. He's the eldest of 6 siblings, 3 boys and 3 girls. His father had a big business in dyes and pigments. Lee didn't plan to be an actor. He was an ice hockey player at Whimoon High School in Seoul [ko]. In the spring of 1960, He was a freshmen in Yonsei University's Department of Political Science and Diplomacy. Because of his good voice, a senior appointed Lee him to read the April 19 Revolution Manifesto in student protest, but that incident made Lee expelled. He was wandering for two years, then in autumn 1962, he decided to enter newly established Korean Theater Academy', founded by Dongnang Yoo Chi-jin (1905-1974) which was predecessor of today Department of Theater and Film of Seoul Institute of the Arts. Class of 62 was the first batch from the academy, Lee's fellow classmate include Shin Gu, Jeon Moo-song, Ban Hyo-jeong (who did not graduate), and playwright Yoon Dae-seong.

Lee Ho-jae (Korean: 이호재; Hanja: 李豪宰; born 2 May 1941) is a South Korean actor. Lee began his career on stage in 1963, in the play Of Mice and Men, and has appeared in numerous works of Korean theatre, film and television.