Lee, a second-generation Korean American born in Ohio, moved to LA when he was nine and grew up there. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a pianist and enrolled in the music program at Oberlin College in Ohio. College life, however, changed his plans.
¡°I had always wanted to be a pianist, but once I started college, I found myself more interested in acting than music,¡± Lee said. ¡°I had the chance to take a few acting classes as electives, and that¡¯s when I decided to become an actor.¡±
After graduating, Lee set out to work in Hollywood in 1990. Life as an aspiring actor was harder than he had expected, and opportunities to appear in films or television dramas were scarce.
¡°I returned to LA after college, began taking acting classes and went to every audition I could for TV and film,¡± Lee recalled. ¡°It was very difficult for Asian actors to break into Hollywood then. I only managed to get small parts in a few dramas and comedy sitcoms.¡±
Lee kept trying and was cast in ¡®Entourage¡¯ in 2004. ¡°I heard they were casting an assistant for Ari Gold, the agent in ¡®Entourage,¡¯ so I auditioned and got the part,¡± he said. ¡°Now some Korean Americans recognize me on the street and say hello, which makes me happy and proud.¡±
Lee, who began filming the seventh season of ¡®Entourage¡¯ in mid-April, said, ¡°I¡¯ll give my best performance for as long as I¡¯m on the show. Acting is my calling. I want to try a wider range of genres and remain an actor audiences love as I grow older.¡±
