Jason Scott Lee
| Jason Scott Lee | |
|---|---|
 Jason Scott Lee (left) with Hawaiian navigator Nainoa Thompson (center) and artist Layne Luna, Hawai'i, 2003 |
|
| Born | November 19, 1966 Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Spouse | Diana Chan (2008 - present) |
Jason Scott Lee (Chinese: 李截; pinyin: Lǐ Jié, born November 19, 1966) is an American actor and martial artist. Lee is perhaps best known for portraying Bruce Lee in the 1993 martial arts film Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.
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[edit] Personal life
Lee was born in Los Angeles, California.[1] He was raised in Hawaii by Robert and Sylvia Lee[2] and is of Chinese-Hawaiian descent.[3] He attended school at Pearl City High School and is a friend of Carrie Ann Inaba, of Dancing with the Stars, whom he dated briefly.
[edit] Acting
Lee has trained in Bruce Lee's martial art Jeet Kune Do since portraying Lee in martial arts film Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story in 1993.[4] He continues to train and is now a certified instructor under former Bruce Lee student Jerry Poteet. Lee performed in another film role as Mowgli in the 1994 film The Jungle Book. Lee was considered for the role of Liu Kang in 1995 film Mortal Kombat, but he turned down the role and was replaced by Robin Shou.
[edit] Other films
Lee also showed off his martial arts skills in a starring role in the film Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision, the sequel to the original 1994 film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Lee also co-starred in the 1998 movie Soldier with Kurt Russell.
Lee is among the actors, producers and directors interviewed in the documentary The Slanted Screen (2006), directed by Jeff Adachi, about the representation of Asian and Asian American men in Hollywood.
[edit] Marriage
Lee married Diana Chan, a Public Relations professional and a native of Singapore, in May 2008 on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Lee made his operatic debut in the non-singing role of Pasha Selim in Hawaii Opera Theatre's production of Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio at the Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, Hawaii, in February 2009.[5]
[edit] Filmography
| Actor | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
| 1987 | Born in East L.A. | Paco | |
| 1989 | Blind Fury | ||
| Back to the Future Part II | Whitey | ||
| 1993 | Map of the Human Heart | Avik | |
| Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story | Bruce Lee | ||
| 1994 | Rapa Nui | ||
| Picture Bride | |||
| The Jungle Book | Mowgli | ||
| 1997 | Murder In Mind | Holloway | |
| 1998 | Tale of the Mummy | Riley | |
| Soldier | Caine 607 | ||
| 2000 | Arabian Nights | Aladdin | |
| 2002 | Lilo & Stitch | (voice) David Kawena | |
| 2003 | Dracula II: Ascension | Father Uffizi | |
| Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision | Ryan Chan | ||
| 2005 | Dracula III: Legacy | Father Uffizi | |
| Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch | (voice) David Kawena | ||
| The Prophecy: Forsaken | |||
| Only the Brave | |||
| 2006 | Nomad | ||
| The Slanted Screen | documentary | ||
| 2007 | Balls of Fury | Eddie | |
| 2008 | Dance of the Dragon | Cheng | |
| Actor | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | TV Series | Role | Other notes |
| 2010 | Hawaii Five-0 | Detective Kaleo | 1 episode |
[edit] Honors and recognition
In recognition of Lee's positive impact on the image of Asians in America through his physical, attractive roles, Goldsea, the Asian American Supersite, placed him at Number 7 on its compilation "The 120 Most Inspiring Asian Americans of All Time".[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Jason Scott Lee Biography (1966-)
- ^ http://web.singnet.com.sg/~shade/insight3.htm
- ^ Todd Gilchrist. "Jason Scott Lee Interview". IGN. http://dvd.ign.com/articles/646/646153p1.html.
- ^ Rainer, Peter (May 7, 1993). "'Dragon,' Jason Scott Lee: They Have the Chops : The biopic depicts a larger-than-life Bruce Lee. The actor playing him meets the challenge and proves himself a star in the making.". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1993-05-07/entertainment/ca-32436_1_bruce-lee. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
- ^ http://www.hawaiiopera.org/news_and_events/112108_jason_scoot_lee
- ^ "The 120 Most Inspiring Asian Americans of All Time". http://goldsea.com/Personalities/Inspiring/inspiring.html.
