Tong Hoon Lee (born July 18, 1973) is an American stage, film and television actor, known for playing Job in the Cinemax original series Banshee and the King in the Broadway revival of The King and I, and voicing Hamato Yoshi/Splinter in the 2012 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shredder in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Hoon Lee | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lee in 2016 | |
| Born | Tong Hoon Lee July 18, 1973 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Spouse | Sekiya Lavone Billman (m. 2008) |
Early life and career edit
Lee graduated from Harvard University in 1994. He appeared in 2001 in the Broadway production of Urinetown.[1] He played many roles over the years until he was cast as Rosencrantz in a musical version of Hamlet.[2] In 2008, Lee won a Theatre World Award[3] for Distinguished Performance in Yellow Face.[4]
In television, Lee got his first role as Dr. Mao in an episode of Sex and the City in 2003. He also made guest appearances in Law & Order, Fringe, Royal Pains, White Collar, NCIS: New Orleans and other series. He also had small roles in movies such as Saving Face, We Own the Night, Premium Rush, and The Oranges.
In March 2012, he was cast in a starring role as Job, a crossdressing ultra-level computer hacker, in the television series Banshee.[5]
On June 18, 2015, it was announced that Lee will succeed Jose Llana in the role of the King of Siam in Lincoln Center's Tony-winning revival of The King and I. Lee formally joined the cast on September 29, 2015, playing the King until April 2016.
Personal life edit
Lee's parents are Jung Ja Lee and Moon Soo Lee, and his brother is Tony Lee, the renowned club volleyball coach at MIT (winning the 2014 nationals competition). Lee was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts.[6] He married Sekiya Lavone Billman in October 2008. They met in 2001 while performing in a production of Making Tracks at a benefit in Taipei, Taiwan, for Second Generation, an Asian-American theater company in Manhattan.[6]
Filmography edit
Film edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Saving Face | Raymond Wong | |
| 2007 | We Own the Night | Emergency Services Driver | |
| 2011 | The Oranges | Henry | |
| 2012 | Exposed | Taki | |
| Premium Rush | Floor Manager | ||
| 2016 | Identity Crisis | Assassin | Short film |
| 2020 | Mulan | Village Magistrate | |
| 2023 | The Monkey King | Jade Emperor (voice) |
Television edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Sex and the City | Dr. Mao | Episode: "The Domino Effect" |
| 2006 | Law & Order | Huot Mam | Episode: "Hindsight" |
| 2008 | Fringe | Richard | Episode: "Power Hungry" |
| 2009 | The Unusuals | Officer Chung | Episode: "Crime Slut" |
| Royal Pains | Stu | Episode: "The Honeymoon's Over" | |
| White Collar | Lao Shen | Episode: "All In" | |
| 2010 | Blue Bloods | Detective Tuan | Episode: "Chinatown" |
| 2012 | NYC 22 | Detective Lee | Episode: "Crossing the Rubicon" |
| 2012–17 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Hamato Yoshi / Splinter, Master Yuuta, Truck Driver (voice) | Series regular, 77 episodes |
| 2013 | Archer | Korean Agent (voice) | Episode: "The Honeymooners" |
| 2013–16 | Banshee | Job | Main role, 31 episodes |
| Banshee Origins | Job | 3 episodes | |
| 2014 | The Blacklist | Mako Tanida | Episode: "Mako Tanida" |
| 2015 | Hawaii Five-0 | Kee Mun | Episode: "E 'Imi pono" |
| 2015–18 | Bosch | Reggie Woo | 6 episodes |
| 2017 | Outcast | Dr Kenneth Park | Series regular, 7 episodes |
| 2017–18 | Iron Fist | Lei Kung the Thunderer | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | NCIS: New Orleans | Norman Wong | Episode: "Crab Mentality" |
| 2019–23 | Warrior | Wang Chao | Main role |
| 2019–20 | Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Ancestor, Oroku Saki / Shredder (voices) | 4 episodes |
| 2021 | See | Toad | Main role (season 2) |
| 2022 | DMZ | Wilson Lin | Miniseries |
| TBA | Your Friends and Neighbors | Upcoming series |
Video games edit
| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Gangster |
| 2009 | Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned | The Crowd of Liberty City |
| 2011 | Homefront | Col. Jeong / Cmdr. Park |
| 2013 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Hamato Yoshi / Splinter |
| 2014 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze | |
| 2023 | Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 |
References edit
- ^ "Urinetown Original Broadway Cast - 2001 Broadway - BroadwayWorld". Retrieved 2013-09-28.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (18 June 2008). "Whips and Scorns of Time, Stinging All They Touch". NY Times. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
- ^ "Lortel Archives--The Internet Off-Broadway Database". Archived from the original on 2015-04-07. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
- ^ "Yellow Face - Variety". Retrieved 2013-09-28.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (14 March 2012). "Ivana Milicevic To Star In 'Banshee', Derek Richardson Joins 'Anger Management'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Sekiya Billman and Hoon Lee". New York Times. 26 October 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
