5 popular English movies starring Korean actors
The Hallyu or Korean wave has brought Korean pop culture to the forefront and turned it into a global phenomenon.
This has caused a steady rise in the incorporation of many Korean things in the Western world as well as in other parts of the world since the late 1990s and early 2000s. Another factor that has pushed Korean culture to the world stage was the increasing popularity of K-pop and K-drama on the global stage.
With the success of BTS, Psy, Blackpink, and other such musical bands, along with the rise of drama series and films from the region, Korea suddenly became a prominent cultural force. The region also produced talented directors and actors, who produced multiple internationally recognized films.
This has also led to many English-language productions hiring Korean actors among their casts.
Fast & Furious, Eternals, and 3 other popular English movies featuring Korean actors
1) Sung-Ho Kang in Fast & Furious franchise
The Fast & Furious franchise has been one of the most popular film series of the 21st century from the house of Universal Pictures. The series kicked off with The Fast and the Furious, which released in 2001, with a focus on illegal street racing in the Big Apple. However, the franchise moved on to almost all things car-related, be it racing or heists.
The third film in the franchise, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift brought the game to Japan and explored the Tokyo underworld racing scene. The film introduced the character of Han Lue, who has now become part of the main cast in the franchise, reprising his roles in multiple sequels.
Han Lue is portrayed by Sung-ho Kang, an American-Korean actor. Born in Clarkson, Georgia, he comes from a South Korean background and has made it big in the industry since his breakout role in the Fast & Furious franchise.
2) Ma Dong Seok in Eternals
Eternals is a superhero action film from the house of Marvel Studios. The film released in 2021 as part of the Phase Four titles in MCU. Chloé Zhao directed the film with Ryan Firpo and Kaz Firpo working on the story, basing it on Marvel Comic's Eternals storyline by Jack Kirby.
The film featured an ensemble of prominent actors like Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Kit Harrington, and last but not least, Ma Dong Seok.
Dong Seok is a South Korean-American actor who hit stardom with his role in Train to Busan.
The movie tells the story of the Eternals, a group of immortal beings who have been on Earth for millennia, fighting against the deviants to save humanity. However, the unsuspecting Eternals are unaware of their real identity and purpose - beings created by Celestials to harvest life on planets to give birth to new Celestials.
Ma Dong-Seok plays the character of Gilgamesh, an Eternal characterized by his immense strength and durability.
3) Lucy choi min-sik
Lucy is a French English-language science fiction action film from the house of Universal Pictures. Written and directed by Luc Besson, the film released in 2014 and became a critical and commercial success. The film garnered praise for its performances and theme while also grossing over $469 million worldwide.
The cast of the film includes prominent actors Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Amr Waked, Choi Min-sik, Julian Thind-Tutt, and others in pivotal roles. Choi Min-sik is a South Korean actor popular for his role in the acclaimed 2003 neo-noir film, Oldboy.
The film follows Lucy, a young woman who gets forcibly pulled into a drug racketeering job and finds herself acting as a mule. But when the packet of drug ruptures inside her body and mixes into her bloodstream, it gives her super-cognitive capabilities, which she uses to exact revenge and leave a legacy.
Min-sik plays the character of Mr. Jang, the leader of the criminal organization dealing in drug trafficking, who plays the lead antagonist in the film.
4) Lee Byung Hun in G.I. Joe franchise
The G.I. Joe film series is a science fiction action film franchise from the house of Paramount Pictures which was inspired from Hasbro's toy line of the same name. The franchise originally released in 2009 with G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra and was followed by G.I. Joe: Retaliation in 2013.
Some of the prominent actors to have starred in the franchise are Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, Ray Park, and Lee Byung-hun among others.
Lee Byung Hun is a critically acclaimed South Korean actor who has been in extremely successful Korean films.
The film revolves around the G.I. Joes, an authorized team of elite US soldiers from different branches with specialized skills. The team fights terrorist organizations who threaten global security, on a level that is beyond the paygrade of the regular military.
Lee Byung Hun played the character of Storm Shadow aka Thomas Arashikage, the archnemesis of G.I. Joe ninja commando, Snake Eyes. The two of them were from the same clan and originally brother-in-arms, only to later turn against each other.
5) Lee Joon Gi in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is the sixth and final installment under the original Resident Evil franchise from the house of Sony Pictures, which was inspired from Capcom's video game series. Written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, the action horror film released in theaters in 2016.
The film starred Milla Jovovich, Iain Glen, Ali Larter, Shawn Roberts, Eoin Macken, Ruby Rose, William Levy, and Lee Joon-gi among others in pivotal roles. Lee Joon-gi is a South Korean artist who initially rose to fame after his breakout role in the popular rom-com series, My Girl.
With humanity on the brink of extinction, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter pits Alice against the Umbrella Corporation in a final showdown for survival. When she comes to know about an anti-virus that Umbrella is holding onto, Alice sets off on a suicidal mission to infiltrate The Hive, destroy the T-virus, and save humanity.
Lee Joon-gi played the character of Commander Chu, the chief of security and second-in-command at Umbrella Corporation. Proficient in taekwondo and other martial art forms, the actor performs most of his stunts and action sequences himself, which has earned him praise and recognition in the industry.
These were some of the more popular English movies which have starred Korean actors in their cast. If you have also fallen in love with all things Korean, or just appreciate their culture and talent, then these might be great movies to get you a glimpse of the same.
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Prem Deshpande