Ma Dong-seok facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ma Dong-seok
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Ma at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con
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| Born |
Lee Dong-seok
March 1, 1971 |
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| Other names |
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| Citizenship | United States | ||||||||||
| Education | Columbus State Community College | ||||||||||
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2005–present | ||||||||||
| Agent | Big Punch Entertainment | ||||||||||
| Spouse(s) |
Ye Jung-hwa
(m. 2021) |
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| Korean name | |||||||||||
| Hangul |
마동석
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| Hanja |
馬東錫
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| RR | Ma Dongseok | ||||||||||
| MR | Ma Tongsŏk | ||||||||||
| Birth name | |||||||||||
| Hangul |
이동석
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| Hanja |
李東錫
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| RR | I Dongseok | ||||||||||
| MR | I Tongsŏk | ||||||||||
Lee Dong-seok (Hangul: 이동석; born on March 1, 1971), known by his stage names Ma Dong-seok (Hangul: 마동석) and Don Lee, is an American actor and film producer. He is famous for his roles in action movies and for playing tough but kind characters. He works mostly in South Korea.
Ma first became known for his supporting roles in movies like Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time (2012) and The Neighbor (2012). He became very popular after starring in the zombie film Train to Busan (2016). In this movie, he played a strong survivor who cared deeply for others.
He then became a leading action star with The Outlaws (2017). In this film, he played a determined detective named Ma Seok-do. He played this role again in the very successful The Roundup film series. Ma has also starred in other popular movies such as Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018), The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019), and Eternals (2021). Eternals was his first Hollywood movie, which made him known around the world. He is one of South Korea's most successful actors and was named Gallup Korea's Film Actor of the Year in 2018, 2023, and 2024.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to Korea
Ma Dong-seok was born in South Korea. He was a South Korean citizen until he was 18 years old. In 1989, he became an American citizen. He later returned to South Korea when he was 30 and began his acting career.
Ma Dong-seok's Acting Career
Ma first gained fame for his supporting roles in films like The Neighbor, Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time, and The Unjust. After these roles, he started playing main characters in movies such as Norigae, Murderer, and One on One.
His role in the zombie movie Train to Busan made him famous internationally. After this, he starred in many successful action films. These include Derailed, The Bros, The Outlaws, Unstoppable, and Champion. He also had important roles in Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days and Ashfall. These movies helped him become one of the most successful stars in Korean cinema.
Even though he often plays "tough guy" roles, Ma is also known for bringing warmth and humor to his characters. In 2019, he joined the cast of the MCU film Eternals as Gilgamesh. This was his first role in a Hollywood movie. On television, Ma is well-known for his parts in the popular OCN series Bad Guys and Squad 38.
In 2022, Ma signed a contract with LDH Japan, a big Japanese entertainment company. His 2022 action crime thriller, The Roundup, was a sequel to his 2017 film The Outlaws. This movie received great reviews and became the highest-grossing film in South Korea in 2022. It was the first movie since 2019 to sell over 12 million tickets. It is also the third highest-grossing film of all time in South Korea. In January 2024, his dystopian film Badland Hunters, where he plays a wasteland hunter, was released on Netflix.
Other Activities and Interests
Before he became an actor, Ma Dong-seok, using his Western name Don Lee, worked as a personal trainer. He trained famous mixed martial artists like Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman.
Ma also has his own production company called Team Gorilla. He helps plan and write screenplays for movies. He worked on the screenplay for the film Deep Trap, in which he also acted. He is also one of the creators of the OCN Dramatic Cinema series Team Bulldog: Off-Duty Investigation.
Armwrestling
Ma has been an amateur armwrestler since 2008. In 2018, he became the president of the Korea Armwrestling Federation.
Personal Life
In 2016, news reported that Ma was dating sports reporter and TV personality Ye Jung-hwa. On October 20, 2022, Ma's agency announced that he and Ye had officially registered their marriage in 2021. They plan to hold a wedding ceremony later, when their busy schedules allow.
Filmography
Awards and Recognition
Ma Dong-seok has received many awards and nominations for his acting. He won the Best Supporting Actor award at the 49th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2013 for The Neighbor. He also won the Best Supporting Actor award at the 8th KOFRA Film Awards in 2017 for his role in Train to Busan.
In 2018, he won the Best Actor award at the Golden Egg Awards for The Outlaws. More recently, in 2022, he received the Film Artist Award at the Beautiful Artist Awards and the Best Actor award at the 9th Korean Film Producers Association Awards for The Roundup. He was also named Actor of the Year (Domestic) at the 2022 Kinolights Awards.
Ma is often recognized as one of the top actors in South Korea. He was ranked 6th among "Actors that will lead Korean Video Content Industry in 2022" by Cine21. He has also been listed multiple times in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list, including 27th in 2025. Gallup Korea has frequently recognized him as one of the top film actors, naming him Film Actor of the Year in 2018 and 2023.
See also
In Spanish: Ma Dong-seok para niños
