"Greta Lee's Life Transformed by the Phenomenal Success of "Past Lives""

Actress Greta Lee Takes on Korean Role in "Past Lives"

Before 2023 actress Greta Lee had built her career on a wide range of supporting roles – as the rollicking birthday party host Maxine in "Russian Doll"; as the entitled gallerista Soojin in "Girls"; as Stella Bak, a millennial and very fashion-forward boss uncowed by her anchors, in "The Morning Show." But the film role that's vaulted the Los Angeles-born Lee into awards contention has her doing something she didn't expect: acting in Korean.

In "Past Lives," the 40-year-old Lee stars as Nora, a playwright who left Korea as a child. Now living in New York, Nora reunites with her Korean childhood crush, and … it's complicated.

"I think I have a lot of feelings about my Korean-ness," Lee said. "My speaking Korean is something that is so personal. Like, I really had categorized that completely separate from work, essentially."

To watch a trailer for "Past Lives" click on the video player below:

Is it hard to emote in a second language? "Yes," she laughed. "You cannot use any of your former tricks. You cannot use 'em in a totally different language, in a totally different culture. And that, also, was so incredibly terrifying."

Actress Finds Success on Broadway

A talented actress, Lee has always been drawn to the spotlight. From a young age, she entertained her family with her performances and dreamed of becoming a star. "I was a ham," she admitted. "I would always try to be the lead in all the shows I put on for my family."

As the oldest of three children, Lee's passion for performing only grew stronger. She pursued her dreams and attended Northwestern University, where she honed her skills. After graduating, she quickly found success on Broadway.

In 2007, Lee and I met as castmates in the musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." She played the role of Marcy Park, a talented and ambitious student. Her performance was captivating, and it was clear that she had found her calling.

Reflecting on her career, Lee said, "The future seemed wide open. I had always dreamed of being a stage actor, and 'Spelling Bee' was a validation of that dream. I felt like the Philip Seymour Hoffman of my generation."

Lee's talent and dedication have brought her success on Broadway, and she continues to thrive in the industry. Her journey is an inspiration to aspiring actors everywhere.

Greta Lee's Journey to Success

Well, not just yet. After the play closed in 2008, Lee ended up working for a time at a New York City restaurant, and as an MTV fashion VJ, before making her way back to the stage, in "La Bête" and "4000 Miles."

That was where Lena Dunham took note, and wrote Lee into her HBO show "Girls." Other stars who saw something special in Lee included Amy Schumer, Natasha Lyonne and Amy Poehler. "They were able to create these characters for me that stepped outside of a certain box of, maybe, what you would assume for someone who presented like myself," Lee said. "I got to play a full spectrum of very wild sort of women … yeah, it's no accident that it comes from women."

Including "Past Lives" writer and first-time director Celine Song, herself a major awards contender this season.

The movie has changed Greta Lee's present life in ways she could only imagine before. "I'm having this experience now, where I'm connecting with audiences," she said. "I'm at the grocery store, I'm, like, picking out my cereal. And someone will stop me and say, 'Oh, my gosh, I saw 'Past Lives,' and start to cry. And to receive all of that, yes, is entirely overwhelming."

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When asked if the film's success has made her rethink her future, Lee replied, "Yes, which is so exhausting at this point in my life! I had already made peace with, maybe, the fact that I wasn't gonna have an opportunity like this, that it just wasn't in the cards for me. And then, this happened. To have all of this happen has completely ruined everything!"

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