A Candid Conversation with Iconic Actor Dana Lee
After learning I was going to be in the City of Angels, Lee and I arranged to meet at a local park in Studio City on a beautiful June Wednesday afternoon. The weather was perfect, and any fears about the uncontrollable factors like traffic noise, birds chirping, or nosey park goers curious about my camera equipment and wondering who I was filming quickly faded upon meeting the calm, cool, and collected actor. Following a delightful off-camera discussion, the reserved yet gifted Lee opens up about everything from growing up in a segregated Houston, TX, being Jeong’s on-screen father, and his previous work in film and what’s ahead.
Dana Lee discusses working with Margot Robbie in the upcoming DC Comics film Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
Admittedly, there was an added level of excitement in anticipation to talking to Lee. After all, he’s guest starred on basically every action series from my youth. Appearing on shows like Hardcastle and McCormick, The Greatest American Hero, Hawaii Five-O, and my childhood favorite, The A-Team. The mere thought of him having inhabited these various television worlds was exciting enough, and my inner child squealed with delight anytime he mentioned any of those series. Lee has gone on to appear in iconic film franchises such as like Rambo: First Blood Part II, I Spy, and Lethal Weapon 4, and other film and television credits such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and more recently Dr. Ken.
It’s fascinating listening to Lee share the story of how he got into acting and the advice he was given by a mentor which he still abides by to this day. And I can’t imagine the culture shock being born in a small village in China then immigrating at a young age to the United States. You can’t help being captivated hearing him talk about diversity, representation, and avoiding stereotypes in film and television.
Lee also discussed working with Margot Robbie in the upcoming D.C. Comics film Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn where Robbie reprises her Suicide Squad role and Lee plays a character named Doc. The film is set to premiere in the United States on February 7, 2020.
While all interviews are appreciated, even those dreaded red carpet kind where you aren’t sure how long you have to ask your question which may have been asked a hundred times before they got to you, there is something quite extraordinarily unique in having a lengthy, in-depth conversation one on one with someone as iconic as Lee.
While the video sits at 30+ minutes, interviews with this inspiring man are few and far between. Listening to Lee, I quickly realized it was better to listen and let him do most of the talking. What was intended to be a quick Q&A turned into something much more meaningful. I am excited for even casual fans of Lee to watch it.
In this day and age, where much of what we know about celebrities are through tweets or other social media, and short YouTube type videos, we often don’t get to know the celebrity as a person. My goal with sharing this conversation is to provide a candid look at Lee’s life and career through his own words. Frankly, I wish I could do more of these kind of interviews. My sincere thanks and gratitude to Mr. Dana Lee for taking the time to talk.
Check out our conversation below and look for Lee in Birds of Prey And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn in theaters February 2020.
You can check out Dana Lee’s IMDB page here
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Greg Staffa
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