Lee Jong-Suk’s Best Performances, Ranked

Lee Jong-Suk is one of the most reputable actors in South Korea. He has built a stellar reputation nationally and internationally through his charming visuals and versatile acting. The actor made his debut as a model in 2005, becoming the youngest male model to walk the Seoul Fashion Week. He made his acting debut in 2010 in the drama Princess Prosecutor. Since then, he has been on the heartthrob list and has gathered an army of female fans. The 32-year-old is best known for his acting roles in While You Were Sleeping (2017) and Doctor Stranger (2014). He earned the nickname "Sukki" from his fans, who got smitten by his handsome visuals on screen.

After leaving for his mandatory military service in January 2021, fans were desperately waiting to make a comeback for them to enjoy his acting. Now fans will not have to wait any longer as he has made his comeback this year with one of the most anticipated dramas of 2022: Big Mouth. Here are Lee Jong-Sul's best performances, ranked, to celebrate his comeback.

6 School 2013 (2012)

This coming-of-age drama is directed by Lee Min-Hong and reflects the angst of the real-life Korean school system. This show follows the story of the delinquent Ko Nam-Soon (Lee Jong-Suk), who becomes class president with the help of gang members in the school. School 2013 was Lee Jong-Suk’s first lead role. He delivers a heartwarming performance with some of the wittiest dialogue. Jong-Suk’s bromance chemistry with costar Kim Woo-Bin can bring viewers to tears from laughing. They show a brother-like bond between them, and the fact that the two actors are like this in real life made the combo even better. The heartfelt show about friendship touches on serious topics like bullying, making the viewers feel various emotions.

5 Doctor Stranger (2014)

Directed by Jin-Hyeok, Doctor Stranger follows the story is reputable genius surgeon Park Hoon, who was trained in North Korea and managed to run away due to his father’s sacrifice. As he gains fame and reputation, he aims to reunite with his love interest Song Jae-Hee in North Korea. This show also stars Park Har-Jin and Kang So-Ra in lead roles. Fans get to see their Sukki in action in a white lab coat performing intense surgeries, while throwing witty dialogue along the way. The character of Park Hoon is the opposite of the comedic roles he has done before. However, he is the highlight based on the level of commitment he depicts in character by even practicing surgeries beforehand. As the mystery of his love interest unravels, fans witness some stellar instances of acting from Jong-Suk, making it clear that fans would not have liked this show if he were not the lead. Due to his versatility, he was the best choice to play the complicated, secret-harboring character of Park Hoon.

4 W: Two Worlds Apart (2016)

Directed by Jung Dae-Yoon, W: Two Worlds Apart became the most talked about show when it aired because of its peculiar storyline. It follows the love story between Kang Chul (Lee Jong-Suk), a wealthy CEO in a webtoon and Oh Yeon-Joo (Han Hyo-Joo), a surgeon in the real world. This show got known for mixing the elements of action, romance, and fantasy seamlessly. Kang Chul is Jong-Suk's most iconic character to date. Besides the heart-wrecking backstory, Jong-Suk's visuals steal the show. In multiple scenes where his face transitions into a webtoon character, the actor's face seamlessly fits in. Fans mention Lee Jong-Suk to be a real-life webtoon character. He also shows an unyielding will to overcome hardships in his webtoon life and became a source of inspiration for many. This thriller romance is also very unpredictable regarding how the storyline progresses with mind-boggling plot twists.

3 Pinocchio (2014)

Starring Lee Jong-Suk as Ha-Myeong, whose family was ruined by a news channel, and Park Shin-Hye as Choi In-ha, a girl with Pinocchio syndrome, this show is directed by Jo Soo-Won. It tells the story of these two leads as competitive journalists, with Ha-Myeong as Choi Dal-Po now, wanting to clear his family's name and look for his lost brother. This show launched Lee Jong-Suk's career extensively as it showed him as an actor who could comfortably pull off complex characters living a double life, with romance being involved. Additionally, fans first saw him in a white lab coat and now see him in this drama with a journalist microphone, making his character even more exciting.

2 While You Were Sleeping (2017)

Lee Jong-Suk marked his versatility in the show While You Were Sleeping. Starring alongside Bae Suzy and Jung Hae-In, this show tells the story of Nam Hong-Joo (Bae Suzy) having the power to look into the future. With the help of prosecutor Jung Jae-Chan (Jong-Suk) and police officer Han Woo-Tak (Jung Hae In), the three of them work on preventing her visions from turning into reality. Though the drama is a romantic thriller, Nam Hong-Joo is a character that saves the viewers from immense stress due to his comic relief. However, he also knows when it's time to be serious, making Lee Jong-Suk the perfect man to play this character. The portrayal of the subtle love triangle, entertaining and cinematic action scenes, and Lee Jong-Suk's adorable aegyo have made this show a favorite for many.

1 Hymn Of Death (2018)

Directed by Park Soo-Jin, Hymn of Death is a miniseries based on the true story of Kim Woo-Jin and Yun Sim-Deok. It follows the story of Kim Woo-Jin (Lee Jong-Suk), a married play drama writer who falls in love with Yun Sim-Deok (Shin Hye-Sun), the first Korean soprano and pop singer. This show follows their love story, which ends tragically. Lee Jong-Suk's acting as Kim Woo-Jin did immense justice to who he was. He completely embodied his mannerisms and perfectly portrayed every emotion ranging from pain and turmoil to happiness and love. This beautiful romantic adaptation is the actor's best work to date. His acting seems quite different from that in his conventional roles, being more severe and solemn, further solidifying his well-built reputation.