Photo by Lesley Bryce
I’m Fine is a poignant and funny series that follows ‘Nate’ (Perry Powell) as he tries to find closure with his ex-boyfriend and break himself out of romantic purgatory. Lee plays ‘Jeff’, who confesses his feelings for Nate in a moment of drunken vulnerability. The original series, which is currently in its second season, is available on the streaming service Dekkoo. The app is the largest collection of gay entertainment. Lee recently wrote a piece for The Advocate in-titled “The Gay Community’s Fear and Loathing of Asian Men Must End”.
In addition to I’m Fine, Lee was recently seen in the indie film, Ktown Cowboys, an L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival Award-winning dramedy based on the hit web-series of the same name. Ktown Cowboys follows the story of a group of guys that band together in Koreatown as they wrestle with their evolution into adulthood. From late night partying at Soju bars and karaoke joints to a brief stint in jail, the film shows each character emerge as a better version of himself. Lee plays Billy Song, the younger brother of Steve Byrne’s character Benny, who the Cowboys bump into at an after-hours restaurant. Nasty words are exchanged between Billy and the terrifying Peter Jae and just when you think the dust has settled, it has not. The film is available on VOD.
Originally from San Francisco, Lee was raised in a multicultural household, his father of Caucasian descent and his mother of Chinese descent. Because his father was an American citizen working in Hong Kong at the time of his birth, Lee has two birth certificates and dual citizenship between China and the U.S. When he was just six months old, his family moved back to the states and settled in the East Bay, where he grew up and found his passion for acting.
Lee spent his childhood obsessing over action movies and idolizing actors such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and anyone who had the privilege of playing James Bond. At the young age of 13, he decided that he wanted to take acting seriously and started in a summer conservatory program where he fell in love with the craft and knew that it was what he wanted to pursue in life. Lee spent five summers at the conservatory and worked at the theater both on and off the stage throughout the school year. After high school, he was accepted into UCLA’s theater program, which brought him down to Los Angeles. Lee also spent a summer studying Shakespeare abroad at the British American Dramatic Academy in Oxford, England.
From countless stage productions to the big screen, Lee has built a promising acting career in Los Angeles. His film credits include The Amateur, 5th & Alameda, The Trees, Barely Legal, After Jake, and Another Stupid Day. His additional acting credits include guest starring roles in ABC’s Last Man Standing, Showtime’s House of Lies and Californication. In addition to I’m Fine, Lee can next be seen in the short film, Ira, which he also produced, and the series Dark/Web.
Hi, Lee! Thank you for granting the interview. We read your piece The Gay Community’s Fear and Loathing of Asian Men Must End. It was insightful and informative. Do you feel the industry is finally recognizing the untapped talent of Asian actors?
Well, first off, thanks so much for reading my piece! It was a really scary and revealing piece to write and I’m feeling so humbled by the positive responses I’ve been receiving from it. I think the industry is finally recognizing that there are an audience and a market for Asian talent. People want to see themselves portrayed accurately on the big and small screens, so I think the untapped talent is finally being brought to the forefront.
Although we see a positive shift towards hiring actors of Asian descent in “non-stereotype” roles, the industry has been slow in casting for lead roles. What are your thoughts?
I think this is true. While we’re seeing an influx of Asian actors working in these “non-stereotypical” roles, I think the community still has a long way to go to prove to Hollywood that Asian men and women can also be lead characters. For Asian men, in particular, there is a stigma that keeps them from playing the romantic lead. I feel that most Asian men have been de-sexualized in mass media and I believe that this has stemmed from years of both misrepresentation and underrepresentation and will be changed over the course of time.
You mentioned Jackie Chan and Jet Li. They have had success, but only as a martial artist. However, Jackie’s latest film, The Foreigner, is about a father who loses his daughter in a terrorist bombing. This is a new venture for Jackie. He’s excellent in this movie. He’s also the main lead. It’s clear that Hollywood is missing out on an untapped market of potential superstars. The opportunities for Asian actors are still limited and few.
I loved The Foreigner. And I thought Jackie was phenomenal in it – diving really deep into the emotions and feelings of a father coping with the loss of a child. That said, I still think the film was marketed utilizing Jackie’s incredible skill-set as a martial artist and his acting accolades came second. It was really refreshing to see him in such a serious role, but as I wrote in my article for The Advocate, the Asian leading actors I saw growing up (such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li) was never really set up to be the romantic leads or to “get the girl”.
You are starring in several projects in 2018, such as the web series I’m Fine. Tell us more.
I am! I’m Fine is on a streaming service called Dekkoo. We just released our second season at the beginning of this year and it’s been getting some really great responses. We were even nominated against some other major web series for a Queerty Award! It’s been really exciting. We’re working on a potential season 3, but that hasn’t been confirmed just yet. I’m really hoping we get to continue telling this story.
Is there a particular role you would like to play in your career?
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to play James Bond. I used to say I would be the first Asian-American to get to play the role. I grew up idolizing Sean Connery in From Russia With Love, which could easily be my favorite Bond film. All jokes aside, I think I look for a challenge in every role. I like to ask “how is this character different from who I am?” and “what can I learn from this experience?”. There’s something really amazing about stepping into the shoes of someone different than you and finding similarities or shared experiences from my own life.
If you were in a position to make changes in the industry, what would you change?
I would love to change the stigmas for Asian actors. I want to break the mold and show Hollywood that people of Asian descent can lead shows and drive audiences to theaters. I want to dispel the myth that Asian men are asexual or are unable to play the romantic lead.
Speaking of inclusion, Black Panther, with a predominantly Black cast and crew, is breaking records. There are even some movie theaters requesting more diversity in filmmaking. Do you feel the Black Panther movie has opened the door for other cultures?
Absolutely. What Ryan Coogler and the rest of the cast and crew have done is incredible. I loved the film and its message. I thought it was beautifully done and inspiring. Knowing that this film is breaking records left and right gives me hope that other filmmakers will be able to push past obstacles and tell their stories, loud and proud. Black Panther is helping pave the way for minorities to be seen in mainstream media.
Thus far, what has been the best experience working in the industry?
Oh, that’s a tough question! I’ve always thought very fondly of my first TV gig on Showtime’s Californication. I really remember being so nervous to go to set that day. It was my first major set and I wasn’t sure what to expect. The cast and crew were so wonderful and welcoming. I had a really fun scene in a bathroom with Evan Handler. It was a blast. Showtime later brought me back for “House of Lies” and I got to reunite with some of the same crew. I loved feeling like I was part of a larger family.
I also really loved working on KTown Cowboys. It was the first opportunity I had to label myself as an Asian-American actor, believe it or not. It was such a pleasure to get to work with an Asian-American filmmaker and a predominantly Asian-American cast.
Do you have any upcoming projects that we haven’t mentioned?
I’ve been writing a lot. I’ve been bitten by the bug since the article and I’ve realized that putting the stories in my brain onto paper can be very cathartic. My best friend and I have been brainstorming and flushing out some really fun ideas for both feature film and television. It’s time that I tell the stories that I am really passionate about.
Complete this sentence, if I had an opportunity to do anything I want, I would do ___________.
Everything! I think my biggest problem is that I want to do everything and that I don’t have the capacity or bandwidth to do so. I can sometimes be a bit of a control freak and don’t like to relinquish power into anyone else’s hands. That said, I do know that I want to tell stories and want to be a voice for those who feel that they don’t have one. I want to use my art and my talents for the greater good. I want to inspire young people to make a change in this world that we live in.
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/ABLpAcc9Ptk”]
Featured Image Credit: Lesley Bryce.
About Author
