Actor Lee Byung-hun drew attention from foreign media with a witty remark after becoming the first Korean actor nominated for a Golden Globe lead actor award for the film No Other Choice.
Lee Byung-hun was recently nominated for the best actor in a musical or comedy category at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards for No Other Choice. In particular, this has become an even bigger topic because it is the first time a Korean actor has been named a lead acting nominee at the Golden Globe Awards.
The roster of nominated peers was also stellar. Timothy Chalamet for Marty Supreme, George Clooney for Jay Kelly, Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, and Jessie Plemons for Bugonia. Each has star power, acting ability and positive reviews that convinced movie fans.
Amid this, Lee Byung-hun gave a witty comment in interviews with foreign media regarding his Golden Globe lead actor nomination. In interviews with Hollywood entertainment outlets such as ETimes and toofab, he said, "It is a great honor just to be one of the nominees. It is especially so because I am the first Korean actor to be nominated for a lead acting award. I was very happy to hear the news."
He also laughed about his strategy for the Oscar race, saying, "I have my own plan for the 'Academy campaign.' It's to eliminate the other nominees." In the nominated film No Other Choice, the protagonist Mansu (Lee Byung-hun) cleverly depicts the process of removing competitors during his job search after losing his job to find reemployment. Lee Byung-hun added, emphasizing, "It's a joke. Sorry," and then, addressing the fellow nominees with a single line that drew laughs, said, "Be careful."
No Other Choice tells the story of Mansu, a salaryman who felt his life was "complete," who is suddenly fired and prepares his own war toward reemployment to protect his wife and two children and the house he worked hard to acquire. The film opened in September and was loved by audiences, drawing about 2.94 million viewers domestically.
In addition to Lee Byung-hun's best actor nomination, No Other Choice was also nominated for best motion picture – musical or comedy and best foreign language film at this Golden Globe Awards. The 83rd Golden Globe Awards, for which No Other Choice and Lee Byung-hun were nominated, will be held on Jan. 11, 2026.
[Photo] OSEN DB, movie poster provided.
[OSEN]