Reggie Lee (actor)
Encyclopedia
Reggie Lee is an American actor who played William Kim on the show Prison Break
and also appeared as Tai Huang in two Pirates of the Caribbean films, as well as The Fast and the Furious
. In 2010, he played the role of Tom in the NBC series Persons Unknown.
descent, Reggie Lee, the oldest of three sons, was born in Quezon City
, Philippines
to Zenaida Telmo and Jesus Espiritu Valdez. He continues to speak Tagalog
. As a child, the family moved to Strongsville, Ohio where Reggie graduated from Padua, a Franciscan High School. The 1990s found Lee relocating to New York City and Los Angeles only to hit the road again and tour nationally in the musical Heartstrings and later in Miss Saigon
. With his tremendous success on stage, it is no surprise that Broadway came calling when he was cast in the original company of the Tony Award-winning musical, Carousel
. In 1997, he received a Dramalogue Critics Award
for his performance in F.O.B.
at East West Players
. With his critical acclaim, Lee also starred in their production of Carry the Tiger to the Mountain".
Since having starred as Lance Nguyen – the snakeskin-wearing, motorcycle-riding, cold-blooded killer – in Universal’s high-octane blockbuster The Fast and the Furious
. He appeared as Tai Huang in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, the third installment to Disney’s incredibly successful Pirates of the Caribbean
series. Lee also plays Special Secret Service Agent Bill Kim in the popular FOX
drama Prison Break
- a character he describes as "a guilty pleasure to play – wonderfully complex and devious". And later this year, Lee stars in the independent feature Chinaman's Chance
opposite Timothy Bottoms, Danny Trejo, Theresa Russell, and Ernest Borgnine. “It’s an important story that definitely needs to be told and humanized,” says Lee of this film that is billed as a Western/ Drama. “Plus I get to play pretend in the Old West. How great is that?!”
"In The Fast and the Furious
, Rick Yune
(of Die Another Day
) and I played the leaders of a gang that rivaled Vin Diesel’s character.” In contrast, that same year Lee starred as the gay romantic lead in the critically acclaimed independent film Drift.
Lee has also appeared in the Sony Pictures Classics
release Masked and Anonymous with Bob Dylan, starred in the Sci-Fi Channel thriller Frankenfish, and the indie X.C.U. (Extreme Close-Up) with Sarah Chalke (NBC’s Scrubs).
In addition to his work in feature films, Lee also played the role of Zhing Zhang in the Fox
comedy LUIS opposite Luis Guzman. He was Officer Jim Chang on Lifetime’s The Division, Dr. Oliver Lee on CBS
’ Judging Amy and Assistant District Attorney Brian Chin on ABC
’s Philly.
Lee has also acted in television. Over the past decade, he has guest-starred in dozens of television shows including ER, Ellen Again, Prison Break, Strong Medicine, Mad About You, Walker: Texas Ranger, Diagnosis Murder, Chicago Hope, Beverly Hills 90210, Babylon 5, Party of Five, Blind Justice, and Night Stalker, among others.
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
and also appeared as Tai Huang in two Pirates of the Caribbean films, as well as The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and the Furious (2001 film)
The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 street racing action film starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Directed by Rob Cohen, The Fast and the Furious was the first mainstream film to feature the Asian automotive import scene in North America. It is the first film...
. In 2010, he played the role of Tom in the NBC series Persons Unknown.
Early life
Born of FilipinoFilipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
descent, Reggie Lee, the oldest of three sons, was born in Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
to Zenaida Telmo and Jesus Espiritu Valdez. He continues to speak Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
. As a child, the family moved to Strongsville, Ohio where Reggie graduated from Padua, a Franciscan High School. The 1990s found Lee relocating to New York City and Los Angeles only to hit the road again and tour nationally in the musical Heartstrings and later in Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
. With his tremendous success on stage, it is no surprise that Broadway came calling when he was cast in the original company of the Tony Award-winning musical, Carousel
Carousel (musical)
Carousel is the second stage musical by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II . The work premiered in 1945 and was adapted from Ferenc Molnár's 1909 play Liliom, transplanting its Budapest setting to the Maine coastline...
. In 1997, he received a Dramalogue Critics Award
Drama-Logue Award
The Drama-Logue Award was a theater award established in 1977, given by the publishers of Drama-Logue newspaper, a weekly west-coast theater trade publication. Winners were selected by the publication's theater critics, and would receive a certificate at an annual awards ceremony...
for his performance in F.O.B.
FOB (play)
FOB is a 1980 Obie Award-winning play by American playwright David Henry Hwang. Hwang's first play, it depicts the contrasts and conflicts between established Asian Americans and "fresh off the boat" newcomer immigrants...
at East West Players
East West Players
East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1965. As one of the nation's first Asian American theatre organizations, East West Players today continues to produce works and educational programs that give voice to the Asian Pacific American...
. With his critical acclaim, Lee also starred in their production of Carry the Tiger to the Mountain".
Since having starred as Lance Nguyen – the snakeskin-wearing, motorcycle-riding, cold-blooded killer – in Universal’s high-octane blockbuster The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and the Furious (2001 film)
The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 street racing action film starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Directed by Rob Cohen, The Fast and the Furious was the first mainstream film to feature the Asian automotive import scene in North America. It is the first film...
. He appeared as Tai Huang in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, the third installment to Disney’s incredibly successful Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean is a multi-billion dollar Walt Disney franchise encompassing a series of films, a theme park ride, and spinoff novels as well as numerous video games and other publications. The franchise originates with the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, which opened at Disneyland in...
series. Lee also plays Special Secret Service Agent Bill Kim in the popular FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
drama Prison Break
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
- a character he describes as "a guilty pleasure to play – wonderfully complex and devious". And later this year, Lee stars in the independent feature Chinaman's Chance
Chinaman's chance
The expression a Chinaman's chance means someone has no chance at all of accomplishing or successfully doing an action.The original phrase, from the California gold rush, was that one had only a Chinaman's Chance in Hell, but it morphed through usage into its current state.-History:The historical...
opposite Timothy Bottoms, Danny Trejo, Theresa Russell, and Ernest Borgnine. “It’s an important story that definitely needs to be told and humanized,” says Lee of this film that is billed as a Western/ Drama. “Plus I get to play pretend in the Old West. How great is that?!”
"In The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and the Furious (2001 film)
The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 street racing action film starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Directed by Rob Cohen, The Fast and the Furious was the first mainstream film to feature the Asian automotive import scene in North America. It is the first film...
, Rick Yune
Rick Yune
Richard "Rick" Yune is a Korean American actor, screenwriter, producer, and martial artist.Yune, a Korean American, was born in Washington D.C. He is the older brother of actor Karl Yune...
(of Die Another Day
Die Another Day
Die Another Day is the 20th spy film in the James Bond series, and the fourth and last film to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond; it is also the last Bond film of the original timeline with the series being rebooted with Casino Royale...
) and I played the leaders of a gang that rivaled Vin Diesel’s character.” In contrast, that same year Lee starred as the gay romantic lead in the critically acclaimed independent film Drift.
Lee has also appeared in the Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics is an art-house film division of Sony Pictures Entertainment founded in December 1991 that distributes, produces and acquires specialty films from the United States and around the world. Its co-presidents are Michael Barker and Tom Bernard...
release Masked and Anonymous with Bob Dylan, starred in the Sci-Fi Channel thriller Frankenfish, and the indie X.C.U. (Extreme Close-Up) with Sarah Chalke (NBC’s Scrubs).
In addition to his work in feature films, Lee also played the role of Zhing Zhang in the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
comedy LUIS opposite Luis Guzman. He was Officer Jim Chang on Lifetime’s The Division, Dr. Oliver Lee on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
’ Judging Amy and Assistant District Attorney Brian Chin on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
’s Philly.
Lee has also acted in television. Over the past decade, he has guest-starred in dozens of television shows including ER, Ellen Again, Prison Break, Strong Medicine, Mad About You, Walker: Texas Ranger, Diagnosis Murder, Chicago Hope, Beverly Hills 90210, Babylon 5, Party of Five, Blind Justice, and Night Stalker, among others.
Actor
- Safe (2012)
- Crazy, Stupid, LoveCrazy, Stupid, LoveCrazy, Stupid, Love. is a 2011 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, written by Dan Fogelman, and starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, Analeigh Tipton, and Kevin Bacon...
(2011) .... Agent Huang - GrimmGrimm (TV series)Grimm is an American fantasy/mystery/crime drama series that made its debut on NBC on October 28, 2011. It airs Fridays at 9:00 pm ET/8:00 pm CT. The show has been described as "a cop drama—with a twist.....
(2011) .... Sgt. Wu - Persons Unknown (2010–Present) .... Tom
- No Ordinary FamilyNo Ordinary FamilyNo Ordinary Family is an American television series on ABC. The 45-minute science fiction comedy-drama was produced by ABC Studios for the 2010–11 television season. The series ran from September 28, 2010 to April 5, 2011, on Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/PT...
(2010–Present) .... Dr. Francis Chiles - Life as We Know ItLife as We Know It (film)Life as We Know It is a 2010 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Greg Berlanti, starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel. It was released on October 8, 2010, after sneak previews in 811 theaters on October 2, 2010...
(2010) .... Alan Burke - Star Trek (2009) .... Kobayashi Maru Test Administrator
- Drag Me to HellDrag Me to HellDrag Me to Hell is a 2009 American horror film, directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Sam and Ivan Raimi. The plot focuses on loan officer Christine Brown , who tries to impress her boss by refusing to extend a loan to a gypsy woman by the name of Mrs. Ganush...
(2009) .... Stu Rubin - Tropic ThunderTropic ThunderTropic Thunder is a 2008 American action satire comedy film written, produced, and directed by Ben Stiller, and starring Stiller, Robert Downey, Jr., and Jack Black. The main plot revolves around a group of prima donna actors who are making a Vietnam War film...
(2008) .... Byong - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) .... Tai Huang
- Chinaman's Chance (2007) .... Sing
- Prison BreakPrison BreakPrison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
.... Secret Service Special Agent William 'Bill' Kim / ... (15 episodes, 2006–2007) - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's ChestPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's ChestPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 adventure fantasy film and the second film of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, following Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl . It was directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and produced by...
(2006) .... Hadras - Night StalkerNight Stalker (TV series)Night Stalker is a television series that ran for six weeks in the Fall of 2005 on ABC. The series starred Stuart Townsend as Carl Kolchak, an investigative reporter whose wife was murdered. Kolchak spends his time investigating other strange murders, believing they are linked in some way to his...
.... Stanley Kim (1 episode, 2006) - Dimples (2006) .... Dr. Ross Hammer
- AmateurAmateur (film)Amateur is a 1994 film written and directed by Hal Hartley starring Isabelle Huppert, Martin Donovan and Elina Löwensohn.-Title:The title is also an acronym, encompassing elements of the film* Accountancy* Murder* Amnesia* Torture* Ecstasy...
(2005/II) .... Ron Harper - Blind Justice .... Don Yun (1 episode, 2005)
- FrankenfishFrankenfishFrankenfish is a 2004 creature horror movie dealing with genetically engineered fish in the bayou. The film was based on the snakehead fish incident in a Crofton, Maryland, pond...
(2004) .... Anton - Coming In (2004) .... Duke
- LuisLuis (TV series)Luis is an American sitcom starring Luis Guzmán that aired on Fox from September to October 2003. Scheduled in the Friday night death slot, the series received low ratings and was canceled after five episodes. The series was the first show of the 2003-2004 season to be canceled.-Season One:...
(2003) TV Series .... Zhing Zhang (unknown episodes) - The DivisionThe DivisionThe Division is an American Lifetime Television original series about a team of women police officers in the San Francisco Police Department. The series premiered on January 7, 2001 and ended on June 28, 2004 after 88 episodes.-Synopsis:...
.... Officer Jim Chang (4 episodes, 2001–2003) - Net Games (2003) .... Laurence
- Masked and AnonymousMasked and AnonymousMasked and Anonymous is a 2003 comedy-drama film directed by Larry Charles, who is better known for his writing on successful TV sitcoms, Seinfeld and Mad About You and for executive producing episodes of The Tick and Dilbert. The film was written by Larry Charles and Bob Dylan, the latter under...
(2003) .... Armed Man - Strong MedicineStrong MedicineStrong Medicine is a medical drama with a focus on feminist politics, health issues and class conflict. The television series aired on the Lifetime network from 2000 to 2006. It is distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The series was created and produced in part by comedienne and...
.... Dr. Nakashima (1 episode, 2002) - Judging AmyJudging AmyJudging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly...
.... Dr. Oliver Lee (2 episodes, 2001–2002) - The First $20 Million Is Always the HardestThe First $20 Million Is Always the HardestThe First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest is a 2002 film based on a novel by technology-culture writer Po Bronson. The film stars Adam Garcia.- Plot :...
(2002) .... Suit - PhillyPhilly (TV series)Philly is a television series created by Steven Bochco that focused on criminal defense attorney Kathleen Maguire . It lasted a full season and was canceled due to low ratings...
.... Brian Chin (2 episodes, 2001–2002) - Reality School (2002) .... Student
- Black HoleBlack holeA black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
(2002) .... Justin - The Parlor (2001) .... Slappy Sue
- The Ellen ShowThe Ellen ShowThe Ellen Show is a television sitcom starring Ellen DeGeneres that aired during the 2001–2002 season on CBS. It was DeGeneres's second attempt at a sitcom, after Ellen on ABC , but it was unable to garner strong ratings and was quickly cancelled.After coming out of the closet as a lesbian on her...
.... Kwan (1 episode, 2001) - The Fast and the FuriousThe Fast and the Furious (2001 film)The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 street racing action film starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Directed by Rob Cohen, The Fast and the Furious was the first mainstream film to feature the Asian automotive import scene in North America. It is the first film...
(2001) .... Lance Nguyen - XCU: Extreme Close UpXCU: Extreme Close Up-Cast:*Susan Egan as Karen Webber*Sarah Chalke as Jane Bennett*Jay Michael Ferguson as Dylan Dean*Reggie Lee as Nuey Phan*Danica McKellar as Sarah*Ellina McCormick as Cody Ironwood*A. J. Buckley as Terrance "T-Bone" Tucker...
(2001) .... Nuey Phan - Drift (2000/I) (as R.T. Lee) .... Ryan
- Chicago HopeChicago HopeChicago Hope is an American medical drama series created by David E. Kelley that ran from September 18, 1994, to May 5, 2000. It takes place in a fictional private charity hospital.-Premise:The show stars Mandy Patinkin as Dr...
.... Sam (1 episode, 2000) - Walker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
.... Chan (1 episode, 2000) - Psycho Beach PartyPsycho Beach PartyPsycho Beach Party is a 2000 Comedy horror film based on the off-Broadway play of the same name, directed by Robert Lee King. Charles Busch wrote both the original play and the screenplay...
(2000) .... Dancer - Southstreet Lullaby (2000) .... Mahler Greeter
- Sons of ThunderSons of ThunderSons of Thunder is a television show that ran from March to April 1999 on CBS. It was a spin-off of Walker, Texas Ranger.-Pilot:The two-hour pilot, Sons of Thunder, was shown as episode 4.24 of Walker...
.... Bad Guy (1 episode, 1999) - Two of a Kind .... Waiter (1 episode, 1999)
- The Big Blind (1999)
- Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
.... Richard (1 episode, 1998) - Seven Days .... Duncan (1 episode, 1998)
- Mad About YouMad About YouMad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist...
.... Gardner's Assistant (1 episode, 1998) - Hyperion BayHyperion BayHyperion Bay is an American drama series that ran for one season on The WB Television Network from September 1998 to March 1999.-Synopsis:...
.... Lives-on-Pizza (1 episode, 1998) - Sister, SisterSister, Sister (TV series)Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom about identical twin girls Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell , who were separated and adopted at birth, when one day they come face-to-face after 14 years apart....
.... Lawson Hicks (1 episode, 1998) - ERER (TV series)ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
.... Christian (1 episode, 1998) - The Wayans Bros.The Wayans Bros.The Wayans Bros. is a situation comedy that aired from 1995 to 1999 on The WB. The series starred real-life brothers Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans. Both brothers were already well-known from the sketch comedy show In Living Color...
.... Reporter #2 (1 episode, 1998) - Babylon 5Babylon 5Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
.... Chen Hikaru (1 episode, 1998) - The Journey of Allen StrangeThe Journey of Allen StrangeThe Journey of Allen Strange is a television series on Nickelodeon's SNICK block of programming for three seasons from 1997 to 2000.-Premise:...
(1997) TV Series .... Zero (unknown episodes) - Moloney .... Ramon (1 episode, 1997)
- Dangerous MindsDangerous Minds (TV series)Dangerous Minds is an American drama television series that aired on ABC network between September 1996 and March 1997. The series is based on the motion picture film, Dangerous Minds...
.... Student (1 episode, 1997) - Diagnosis: MurderDiagnosis: MurderDiagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman...
.... Kim Ho (1 episode, 1996)
External links
- Reggie Lee's website
- Reggie Lee at FEARnetFEARnetFearnet is a cable channel, website and Video on Demand television service owned by Horror Entertainment LLC, a joint venture between Comcast, Lions Gate Entertainment, and Sony Pictures Entertainment...