Honoured alongside global stars, he thanked longtime collaborator Park Chan-wook, recalling their first hit Joint Security Area in 2000 and celebrating Korean cinema’s global recognition
Lee Byung Hun at TIFF 2025
Lee Byung Hun is on track to have a breakout year in 2025, with roles in Squid Game, KPop Demon Hunters, and now No Other Choice. After opening at the Venice Film Festival, the cast and crew took their masterpiece to the Toronto International Film Festival. Byung Hun was honoured alongside Idris Elba, Guillermo del Toro, Jodie Foster, Nina Hoss, Channing Tatum, and Catherine O'Hara, to name a few. During his statement, the actor thanked filmmaker Park Chan-wook for making his dream a reality.
Lee Byung Hun expresses gratitude
This is Korean director Park Chan Wook's third collaboration with actor Lee Byung Hun. When Park delivered the prize to Byung-hun, the actor started his speech with deep appreciation. He said, "Thank you to director Park for your kind words. Congratulations to the Toronto International Film Festival for its 50-year anniversary. This is my fifth year at TIFF, and I’m so proud to be a small part of this great festival. I began my acting career 35 years ago in television dramas. But in my heart, I always had a love for film. In the year 2000, I was in a film directed by Park Chan-wook called Joint Security Area. I was finally able to realise my dream of being in a hit film."
He went on to say, "Now, 25 years later, we are here to present our new film, No Other Choice. This was a story I first heard from him more than 15 years ago. And finally, it’s being brought to life on screen. I believe this is a story that must be seen, and I hope to continue greeting audiences with films that you will have ‘no other choice’ but to watch. Thank you to everyone at TIFF. I humbly accept it not just as an award for myself, but as recognition of the proud achievement and growth Korean culture has made throughout the world."
On the work front for Lee Byung Hun
Park Chan Wook's dark comedy is inspired by Donald Westlake's novel The Axe. The film's ensemble cast includes Son Ye Jin, Park Hee Soon, Lee Sung Min, Yeom Hye Ran, and Cha Seung Won. In the film, Byung Hun plays Man Soo, a man who, after years of unemployment, takes extraordinary means to eliminate his rivals in his search for a new job.
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