Lee Byung-hun Named to NYT Magazine’s 2025 ‘Great Performers’ List for ‘No Other Choice’

Lee Byung-hun has been named to The New York Times Magazine’s 2025 ‘Great Performers’ list, recognized for his work in the film ‘No Other Choice’ (Korean title: ‘어쩔수가없다’). The annual feature frames acting as a direct route to emotion, spotlighting performers who bring raw feelings—love, hate, joy and sorrow—to life on screen.

In the feature, NYT Magazine asks each actor how they access primal emotions in a way that feels truthful rather than performative. Lee explained that he does not mine his personal life as a shortcut. Instead, he aims to immerse himself fully in the story world, allowing emotions to surface organically during filming—sometimes in ways that surprise him compared with his first reading of the script. The answer aligns with the project’s premise: emotion as a universal language that can travel beyond borders.

The 2025 list also features Liam Neeson (‘The Naked Gun’), Kirsten Dunst (‘Roofman’) and Teyana Taylor (‘One Battle After Another’), suggesting the feature is less about box-office headlines and more about the precision and emotional density of screen performances. For Korea’s film scene, Lee’s selection underscores something specific: the conversation is centered on craft—how a performer renders an inner life legible—rather than on reputation alone. Reports also link the news to his Golden Globes nomination in the Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category, positioning the recognition within the broader awards-season narrative and reinforcing his international visibility this year.

• NYT Magazine’s ‘Great Performers’ highlights emotional access and performance craftsmanship.
• Lee Byung-hun is selected for ‘No Other Choice’.
• The recognition coincides with awards-season visibility, including a Golden Globes nomination report.

## 【KStarLoud Insight】 What matters most here is not the headline of “another global list,” but the criteria behind it. By centering the discussion on emotional access and on-screen truthfulness, NYT Magazine places Lee within a craft-first framework where performance travels without cultural footnotes. That is a meaningful form of validation for a veteran actor: it signals consistency and method—an ability to translate complex inner states into screen-readable intensity. When critical recognition converges with awards-season visibility, the downstream effect can be tangible. Media coverage, distribution decisions, and promotional positioning often become more decisive around artists who have been explicitly “named” by authoritative outlets. For audiences, the attention shifts from identity to intention: what he is doing in this role, why the performance stands out, and where the film sits in the broader season. That shift—toward work and craft—is often the clearest indicator of durable international standing.