Lee Jong-hwa (born February 15, 1994), also known as Jota, is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He is a former member of South Korean boy group Madtown.[1]

Lee Jong-hwa
Born
Lee Jong-hwa

(1994-02-15) February 15, 1994 (age 30)
Busan, South Korea
Other namesJota
EducationDong Ji High School
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
  • model
AgentKing Kong by Starship
Musical career
Genres
Instrumentvocals
Years active2014–present
Labels
Korean name
Hangul
이종화
Hanja
Revised RomanizationI Jong-hwa
McCune–ReischauerYi Chonghwa

Early life

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In high school, Lee planned to become a professional judo competitor. However, an ankle injury ended that dream and he decided to pursue a career in entertainment instead.[2]

In 2013, he was a backup dancer in Lee Hyori's "Bad Girls" music video and promotions.

Career

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Lee debuted with the South Korean boy group Madtown in October 2014, under his stage name Jota. In December 2015, he auditioned for Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education, where he was chosen for judo and was announced as the new ace due to his professional judo skills. He won many matches with experienced judo players. In early January 2016, it was confirmed that he would be a cast member of the Law of the Jungle in Tonga.[3] In May 2016, he joined the fourth season of We Got Married, appearing alongside model Kim Jin-kyung.[4]

In 2017, Madtown disbanded.[5] In October 2018, it was announced that he signed an exclusive contract with King Kong by Starship to promote as an actor under his real name.[1]

Filmography

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Variety show

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Year Title Role Notes
2015-2016 Let's Go! Dream Team Season 2 Fixed member Jota won 2nd place in the episode 259,1st place in 267,278,317,329
Cool Kiz on the Block Cast member Judo (Episodes 131–143, 168, 170)
Volleyball (Episodes 146–163)
Wrestling (Episodes 166–167)
2016 Law of the Jungle in Tonga Cast member Episodes 203–207
We Got Married Cast member with Kim Jin-kyung (Episodes 321–350)
Real Men Cast member Manly Men Special
King of Mask Singer Contestant as "Sexy Brain Scarecrow" (Episode 85)
2017 Idol Acting Competition – I'm an Actor Main cast Episode 1–12
2018 Law of the Jungle in Mexico Cast member Episodes 314 - 320

Drama

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Year Title Role Notes
2016 Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo Choi Tae-hoon Cameo (Episodes 1, 15)
2019 Touch Your Heart Lee Jong-hwa Intern Jong-hwa (Episodes 8)
2019 The Running Mates: Human Rights Lee Sung Woo Cameo (Episodes 7, 8)

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Nominated work Category Result
2016 SBS Entertainment Awards Law of the Jungle in Tonga Bromance Best Couple Award (with Seo Kang-joon) Nominated
MBC Entertainment Awards We Got Married Best couple (with Kim Jin-kyung) Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b "매드타운 조타→이종화, 킹콩과 전속계약…'연기 활동 시작' [공식입장]". Naver (in Korean). OSEN. October 9, 2018. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  2. ^ "MADTOWN's Jota Recognized For His Judo Skills | KpopStarz". Archived from the original on 2016-05-11. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  3. ^ "'Laws of the Jungle in Tonga' confirms its full lineup". Archived from the original on 2016-06-05. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  4. ^ "Who is the mystery husband to model Kim Jin Kyung on 'We Got Married'?". Archived from the original on 2016-05-29. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  5. ^ "'더 유닛' 매드타운 출신 대원 "이건과 향후 행보 얘기 중"". Ten Asia. Archived from the original on 2019-08-09. Retrieved 2018-04-02.