Lee Byung-hun is the undisputed leading man of South Korean cinema, and beyond. His career has spanned twenty years in genres as diverse as the romance, the wuxia epic, the eastern (Manchurian) western, the period drama, and the bloody thriller. Lee nurtured his domestic popularity by moving back-and-forth between successful TV dramas (Beautiful Days; All In; Iris) and contemporary classics from directors Kim Jee-woon (A Bittersweet Life; The Good, the Bad, the Weird; I Saw the Devil) and Park Chan-wook (Joint Security Area). His partnerships with these world-renowned directors also earned him critical acclaim, and a fervent fan base in the West. Throughout his career, he has chosen to work with debut directors, demonstrating a keen eye for talent through collaborations with Kim Sung-soo (Run Away), Lee Young- jae (The Harmonium in My Memory), Kim Dae-seung (Bungee Jumping of Their Own), Park Young-hoon (Addicted) and Lee Jae- kyoo (The Influence). This willingness to take risks can also be seen in the personae he has taken on, from the sadistic crime lord in Tran Anh Hung's I Come with the Rain, to the one-handed survivor in Woo Min-ho's Inside Men. Lee's first foray into Hollywood was in 2009 with the memorable role of Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. He is fast becoming one of the best known Asian faces in the West for his appearances in blockbuster franchises (Red 2; Terminator Genisys). But he has also maintained a successful commercial career and critical respect at home, winning a Grand Bell Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Choo Chang-min's lavish 2012 period drama Masquerade. It is currently South Korea's 8th most successful (local) film of all time. The same year, Lee and veteran Ahn Sung-ki became the first Korean actors to immortalize their hand- and foot-prints on the forecourts of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. 2016 is proving another landmark year for Lee outside South Korea, beginning in February when he was tasked with presenting the Best Foreign Language Film Award at the 88th Oscars. Lee next appears in Antoine Fuqua's The Magnificent Seven, the latest remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. This year, we are proud to bring him back 'East' as a recipient of one of our anniversary edition's Star Asia Awards.