Ma Dong-seok
Ma Dong-seok | |
|---|---|
 Ma at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | Lee Dong-seok March 1, 1971 Seoul, South Korea |
| Other names |
|
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | Columbus State Community College |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Agent | Big Punch Entertainment |
| Spouse | |
| Sports career | |
| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 120 kg (260 lb) |
| Sport | Arm wrestling |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 마동석 |
| Hanja | 馬東錫[citation needed] |
| Revised Romanization | Ma Dongseok |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ma Tongsŏk |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul | 이동석 |
| Hanja | 李東錫 |
| Revised Romanization | I Dongseok |
| McCune–Reischauer | I Tongsŏk |
| Website | bigpunchent.com |
Lee Dong-seok (Korean: 이동석; born March 1, 1971), better known by the stage names Ma Dong-seok (마동석) and Don Lee, is an American[1] actor and film producer based in South Korea. He gained early recognition for his supporting roles in Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time (2012) and The Neighbor (2012).
Ma rose to prominence with his breakout performance in Train to Busan (2016), where he played a tough yet compassionate survivor, earning widespread acclaim. He cemented his status as a leading action star with The Outlaws (2017), in which he portrayed the relentless detective Ma Seok-do, a role he reprised in the highly successful The Roundup film series. His subsequent leading roles include Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018), The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019), The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos (2019), Start-Up (2019), and Ashfall (2019).
In 2021, Ma made his Hollywood debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Eternals, which further expanded his global recognition. He remains one of South Korea's most bankable stars and was named Gallup Korea's Film Actor of the Year in 2018, 2023, and 2024.[2]
Early life
[edit]Ma was born in South Korea. He had South Korean citizenship until 1989 (when he was aged 18), after which he forfeited his South Korean citizenship and became an American citizen. He returned to South Korea at age 30 and began acting.[1]
Career
[edit]Ma rose to fame for his supporting roles in the films The Neighbor, Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time, and The Unjust.[3] He then played leading roles in Norigae, Murderer, and One on One.[4][5]
Ma's role in the zombie film Train to Busan propelled him to international popularity.[6] His subsequent leading roles in films Derailed, The Bros, The Outlaws, Unstoppable, Champion, The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil, The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos and The Roundup along with supporting roles in Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days and Ashfall have met with critical and commercial successes led him to Most Bankable Star of Korean Cinema.[7][8][9][10] Although known for his 'tough guy' persona roles, Ma is often celebrated and criticized for playing similar roles in his movies.[11] In 2019, he joined the cast of the MCU film Eternals as Gilgamesh which marked his Hollywood debut.[12]
On television, Ma is known for his roles in the hit OCN series Bad Guys and Squad 38.[13][14]
In 2022, Ma signed a contract with LDH Japan, another large Japanese agency.[15] His 2022 release action crime thriller The Roundup, sequel to his 2017 film The Outlaws not only opened to unanimous positive reviews but also became the highest-grossing film of 2022 by surpassing 12 million admissions for the first time since 2019 and all time 3rd highest grosser in South Korea.[16][17][18]
In 2024, dystopian film Badland Hunters in which Ma is playing role of wasteland hunter was released on 26 January on Netflix.[19]
Other activities
[edit]Under his Westernized name, Don Lee, and before he turned to acting, Ma was the personal trainer of mixed martial artists Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman.[20]
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With his production company Team Gorilla,[21] Ma is currently involved in planning and writing screenplays. He worked on the screenplay for the film Deep Trap, in which he starred.[22] He is also the co-creator of the OCN Dramatic Cinema series Team Bulldog: Off-Duty Investigation.[23]
Armwrestling
[edit]
Ma has been an amateur armwrestler since 2008, and he became the president of Korea Armwrestling Federation in 2018.[24]
Personal life
[edit]In 2016, Ma was reportedly dating sports reporter and media personality Ye Jung-hwa.[25] On October 20, 2022, Ma's agency stated that he and Ye had registered their marriage the previous year. The wedding ceremony would be held at a later date, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and busy schedules.[26][27]
Filmography
[edit]Accolades
[edit]Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 33rd Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | The Neighbor | Nominated | |
| 2013 | 49th Baeksang Arts Awards | Won | [28] | ||
| 22nd Buil Film Awards | Nominated | ||||
| 17th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival | It Award | — | Won | ||
| 2016 | 5th APAN Star Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Squad 38 | Nominated | |
| 25th Buil Film Awards | Familyhood | Nominated | |||
| 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Train to Busan | Nominated | |||
| 2017 | 8th KOFRA Film Awards | Won | [29] | ||
| 11th Asian Film Awards | Nominated | ||||
| 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Nominated | ||||
| 22nd Chunsa Film Art Awards | Nominated | ||||
| 2018 | Golden Egg Awards | Best Actor | The Outlaws | Won | [30] |
| 54th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (Film) | Nominated | [31] | ||
| 23rd Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | [32] | ||
| 2nd Korea China International Film Festival | Best Actor | Won | [33] | ||
| 2022 | Beautiful Artist Awards (Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation) |
Film Artist Award | The Roundup | Won | [34] |
| 9th Korean Film Producers Association Awards | Best Actor | Won | [35] | ||
| 2022 Kinolights Awards | Actor of the Year (Domestic) | 5th | [36] | ||
| 2023 | Visionary Awards[a] | 2023 Visionary | — | Won | [38] |
| 59th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor – Film | The Roundup | Nominated | [39] |
Listicles
[edit]| Publisher | Year | Listicle | Placement | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cine21 | 2021 | Actors that will lead Korean Video Content Industry in 2022 | 6th[b] | [40] |
| Gallup Korea | 2017 | Gallup Korea's Film Actor of the Year | 2nd | |
| 2018 | 1st | [41][42] | ||
| 2019 | 2nd | [43][44] | ||
| 2020 | 3rd | [45] | ||
| 2021 | 3rd | |||
| 2022 | 2nd | |||
| 2023 | 1st | |||
| The Screen | 2019 | 2009–2019 Top Box Office Powerhouse Actors in Korean Movies | 10th | [46] |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Visionary Awards, which started in 2020, selects and awards people who lead roles in the Korean entertainment industry. It highlights the meaning and achievements of a person whose chosen trend keywords penetrated the entertainment industry, including broadcasting, movies, music, and performances, and presents the next vision of the cultural sector with outstanding achievements and influence.[37]
- ^ mentioned together with Wi Ha-joon, Kim Soo-hyun, Jo Jung-suk, Park Jeong-min, Kim Seon-ho, Song Kang-ho, Ahn Bo-hyun, Ryu Jun-yeol, Choi Woo-shik
References
[edit]- ^ a b 마동석, 한국 국적인줄 알았는데 외국 국적이라 놀란 스타 1위. The Seoul Economic Daily (in Korean). August 5, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ Nam, Yoo-jung (December 12, 2018). 마동석, 하정우·이병헌 누르고 '올해 빛낸 영화배우' 1위 [Ma Dong-seok beats Ha Jung-woo and Lee Byung-hun to win 1st place in 'Film actor of the Year']. Busan Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021 – via Naver.
- ^ Hwang, Hee-yeon; Kim, Hyung-seok (October 17, 2014). "10 Scene Stealers⑤ - MA Dong-seok: Wild but Tender". Korean Cinema Today. Archived from the original on September 14, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- ^ Park, Si-soo (April 1, 2014). "Watch out! They 'steal' scenes, your heart". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on April 1, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ^ "An interview with Ma Dong-seok: "One On One"". MBN Star. June 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 14, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2018 – via HanCinema.
- ^ "'Train to Busan' takes Don Lee to Hollywood". The Korea Times. September 28, 2016. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- ^ "Tough guy film star finds success being sweet : Known for aggressive roles, Ma Dong-seok is not afraid to be cute". Korea JoongAng Daily. November 18, 2016. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- ^ "[INTERVIEW] Ma Dong-seok to rise as new hero in crime action genre". The Korea Times. October 1, 2017. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- ^ "The many personalities of Ma Dong-seok: Actor's ability to play a wide range of characters has led to his success". Korea JoongAng Daily. November 10, 2017. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- ^ "'The Roundup' tops 10 mln admissions in S. Korea". The Korea Herald. June 11, 2022. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
- ^ "Ma Dong-seok's heroism grows stale: Some are calling out the star's most recent films for their depiction of women". Korea JoongAng Daily. December 1, 2018. Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
- ^ Gonzalez, Umberto (April 17, 2019). "Marvel Studios Taps Ma Dong-seok for 'The Eternals' (Exclusive)".