Greta Lee

Greta Jiehan Lee (born March 7, 1983) is an American actress. She had supporting roles in the Netflix comedy-drama series Russian Doll (2019–2022) and the Apple TV drama series The Morning Show (2021–present). The latter earned her a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award. She gained prominence for her starring role in the romantic drama film Past Lives (2023), for which she received a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.

Lee began her career in theatre, making her Broadway debut in the musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2007). She starred in the 2010 revival of the comedic play La Bête on Broadway and in the West End. In 2011, she acted in the Amy Herzog play 4000 Miles at Lincoln Center Theatre.

Early life and education

Lee was born and raised in Los Angeles, California to South Korean immigrants. While attending Harvard-Westlake School, she became interested in the performing arts. After high school, she studied theater at Northwestern University. She then moved to New York City to pursue acting.

Career

Lee made her television debut in 2006 playing Heather Kim in the Law and Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Taboo". The following year Lee made her Broadway debut as high-achieving, multilingual honor student Marcy Park (replacement) in the musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Lee returned to Broadway, portraying Dorine in the David Hirson comedy La Bête (2010) at the Music Box Theatre. Lee acted alongside Mark Rylance, David Hyde Pierce, and Joanna Lumley. She reprised her role in the West End production at the Harold Pinter Theatre.

During this time she had recurring television roles including Heidi in the HBO comedy-drama series High Maintenance from 2012 to 2018, a nurse in Showtime's dark comedy series Nurse Jackie from 2012 to 2013 and as Soojin in Lena Dunham's HBO series Girls from 2013 to 2014. She was a guest star in the TV shows New Girl and Wayward Pines. She also acted in numerous films, playing Hae Won in the comedy Sisters (2015) alongside Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and Amy Lee in the drama Money Monster starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts. Lee continued to act in television shows such as Ruby in the Fox mystery science-fiction series Wayward Pines, Lucy in the Hulu series Chance, and Amber Wood-Lutz in the CBS/Paramount legal drama series The Good Fight.

Lee gained prominence for her roles as Maxine in the Netflix comedy-drama series Russian Doll and as Stella Bak in the Apple TV drama series The Morning Show, the latter of which earned her nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series along with the cast. In 2020, she portrayed Princess Vicky of Valdroggia in Miracle Workers: Dark Ages, Celeste in What We Do in the Shadows, and Ellen Jones in The Twilight Zone. From 2021 to 2023, she played Bubbles as well as various voice roles in the Fox animated sitcom HouseBroken. She voiced Lyla in a post-credits scene of the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a role she reprised in its 2023 sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. In 2021, Lee was reported to be working on a TV adaptation of the book Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong for A24.

Lee gained critical acclaim for her starring role in the 2023 Celine Song–directed romantic film Past Lives playing Nora, a woman who reconnects with her childhood friend from South Korea. Lee won the Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film. Moreover, she also received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Performance.

In June 2023, it was announced that Lee would join the cast of Tron: Ares alongside Jared Leto. In October 2024, it was announced she would join the cast of Kent Jones' Late Fame alongside Willem Dafoe.

Lee has been featured in advertising campaigns of fashion labels Loewe (2023 and 2024) and Calvin Klein (2024).