China Lee
| China Lee | |
|---|---|
| Playboy centerfold appearance | |
| August 1964 | |
| Preceded by | Melba Ogle |
| Succeeded by | Astrid Schulz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 2, 1942 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.[1] |
| Height | 5 ft 4.5 in (1.64 m)[1] |
China Lee, born Margaret Lee, (born September 2, 1942)[1] is an American model and actress. She was Playboy's Playmate of the Month for the August 1964 issue, and the first Asian American Playmate. Her centerfold was photographed by Pompeo Posar.[1] According to her Playmate profile, her name is pronounced "chee-na" to rhyme with "Tina".
Early life
Lee was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Chinese parents who had emigrated to the United States after their marriage. The family owned a laundry. She is the youngest of eight children and the younger sister of Harry Lee, who served as the sheriff of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana for about 28 years.[2] The name "China" is derived from the nickname "Chinita" ("little Chinese girl") bestowed on her by Spanish-speaking neighbors who admired her dancing as a child.
Career
Lee worked as a hairstylist and waitress, then as a Playboy Club Bunny, before appearing in Playboy. She had been a "Training Bunny," which required her to travel to different Playboy Clubs to teach prospective Bunnies their duties.
Lee appeared at the end of Woody Allen's What's Up, Tiger Lily?, performing a striptease.
Personal life
She married comedian Mort Sahl in 1967. They divorced in 1991. Their only child, Mort Sahl, Jr. died on March 27, 1996 at the age of 19.[3]
Partial filmography
- Medium Cool (1969)
- Don't Make Waves (1967)
- Good Times (1967)
- The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (1967)
- The Swinger (1966)
- What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966)
- Harper (1966) .... Dancer
- Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965)
- The Troublemaker (1964)
References
- ^ a b c d e "Playmate data". Retrieved 2 February 2011.
- ^ Feng, Rex (12 November 2007). "Showdown With The 'Chinese Cowboy': Wrangling with the legacy of late Louisiana Sheriff Harry Lee". AsianWeek. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
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Army Archerd (June 21, 1996). "Copperfield Act Could Blow Away Auds". Variety. Retrieved 2006-11-09.
Mort Sahl, "picking up the pieces" since the March 27 death of his son, Mort Jr., returns to the stage, with a four-week stand at the Tiffany, starting July 17.
External links
- China Lee at Playboy Online
- China Lee at IMDb
| International | |
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| National | |
