Ma Dong-seok’s biography, net worth, fact, career, awards and life story

Ma Dong-seok (born Lee Dong-seok on March 1, 1971), also known as Don Lee, is a Korean–American actor. With his break out performance in Train to Busan and subsequent leading roles, Ma has become one of the most popular and bankable actors in South Korea.

Early life

Ma was born in 1971. He has American citizenship.

Career

Ma rose to fame for his supporting roles in the films The Neighbor, Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time, and The Unjust. He then played leading roles in Norigae, Murderer, and One on One.

Ma’s role in the zombie film Train to Busan propelled him to international popularity. His subsequent leading roles in films Derailed, The Bros, and The Outlaws have been critical and commercial successes. However later, Ma received criticism for always playing the same roles. In 2019, he joined the cast of the Marvel Cinematic Universe film The Eternals.

Meanwhile on the small screen, Ma is known for his roles in the hit OCN TV series Bad Guys and Squad 38.

Other activities

Under his Westernized real name Don Lee and before he turned to acting, he was once the personal trainer of mixed martial artists Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman.

Ma – through his own contents planning and creation company “Team Gorilla” – is currently involved in planning and writing screenplays together with a team. He has worked on the screenplay for the film Deep Trap, in which he starred. He is also the co-creator of the upcoming OCN Dramatic Cinema series Team Bulldog: Off-Duty Investigation.

Personal life

In 2016, Ma was reportedly dating sports reporter and media personality Ye Jung-hwa, who is 17 years his junior.

Awards and nominations