Today we’d like to introduce you to TK Lee.
Hi TK, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hey, I’m TK Lee. Born in San Francisco, raised in South Korea. If I’m being honest, my journey into acting started way back. Before I even knew what it really was.
I’ve always been drawn to stories. Just in different forms depending on where I was in life. When I was little, I used to read picture books with my mom. We didn’t have that many, but I’d read the same ones over and over, and somehow, they always felt different each time. I’d imagine new things, new places. Those stories were like my own little amusement park. Each ride took me to different places.
As I got older, those picture books turned into novels… then comics… then cartoons, anime then eventually, to movies and TV shows. I just loved getting lost in those worlds.
Then when I was 17, I moved back to the U.S. to Parker, Colorado. I came here alone and lived with a guardian. To learn English, I started going to the public library and renting DVDs. Honestly, I just wanted to watch movies I couldn’t afford back in Korea. I used to wait for them to show up on TV, but I’d usually miss the beginning, so I never got to fully enjoy them. But here, I could borrow two DVDs a week, for free! I was so happy.
I’d watch them with English subtitles, pause whenever I didn’t understand something, and look up the words. I told myself I was studying, but really I was just enjoying myself. Still, not gonna lie, it helped a lot. It was a fun way of learning English. And looking back, I think that time shaped a big part of who I am today.
Even though I was watching a lot of movies and falling in love with acting and storytelling, I didn’t see it as something I could actually do. It felt far away, like a fantasy. People knew me more for my art. I was taking AP art classes, winning contests, even getting some scholarship offers. But private art schools were expensive, and around that time, I found out my mom was running out of money back in Korea. She was still trying to send me money, and knowing her, she would’ve drained her account just to support me. So I shut down my bank account so she couldn’t keep sending me anything, and I got a job at a restaurant as a cook to pay rent.
After high school, I took a year off. I worked. I sold some art, took commissions drawing family portraits, stuff like that. I also got into kickboxing. I’ve come to see martial arts as another way of expressing myself, and it actually helped later on when I had to embody certain roles.
Anyway, I had a lot of free time on my hand, and with all that space to think, I started getting deep. Like, philosopher mode deep. I was reading books like “Demian” by Hermann Hesse, “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, and I started asking myself, “Who am I, really? What makes me behave the way I behave or act the way I do? Aren’t I just a product of my environment and shaped by whom I’ve been around or just continuously influenced by them? Can I actually call myself as authentic ‘Me’?”
I came to a conclusion that if I went somewhere where nobody knew me, maybe I could finally figure out who I really was.
And then I thought, what job would actually help me do that?
Acting. It made sense at the time. If I became an actor, I could live a bunch of different lives, play all kinds of people, go through different situations most people never get to experience. I figured that would help me discover the “real me”.
But come to think of it now, I think I was just looking for an excuse to finally chase something I’d always wanted. Deep down, I’d always wanted to be an actor. I just never had the guts to say it out loud. I thought people would laugh at me, especially my friends. So I didn’t tell anyone. Not even my best friend. I just packed my bags and moved to LA.
I took acting classes, worked at a DVD rental store. Auditioned a few times. But I lacked the discipline..
No one was there to keep me in check. No family, no friends, no one to disappoint. I surrounded myself with the wrong people. I was distracted and my vision started getting blurry.
Eventually, I told myself “Ahh man, acting is different than I imagined. It’s got nothing to do with finding myself. Hollywood is not inclusive, it ain’t never going to work. This is so unrealistic.” and then I quit.
Some of it was true, though. Acting alone doesn’t help you find yourself, unless you’re actively practicing self-reflection. You could play a hundred roles or travel the world, but without taking time to look inward and examine your choices, you won’t really learn anything about who you are. I believe that even the simplest, most boring job can teach you more about yourself if you’re honest and reflective.
And yeah, Hollywood wasn’t kind to Asian actors back then. This was before Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite made history at the Oscars.
Nevertheless, I know the real reason I quit. I was just lazy and didn’t have enough backbone to go through the whole process.
So I moved on. I worked all kinds of jobs: fast food, sushi place, coffee shops, bank teller, uber driver, spa, dollar store, music store, waiter, you name it. I also went to junior college, kept switching majors from art to business, real estate. I eventually got a job in an escrow company, worked there for a couple of years in the marketing department, then became a licensed real estate agent.
I was about seven months in, trying to make it work, but getting burned constantly by buyers who’d use me and then go with a different agent for more commission cashback. Typical new agent stuff.
Then one day, my broker had this brilliant idea. He said physical business cards will be gone and everything will be virtual. He suggested that we create QR codes that clients could scan, which would take them to our website, where we’d pop up in a video and introduce ourselves and our business. He brought in a friend of his, who used to be a director, to shoot short intro videos for us. So I wrote a little script, rehearsed it in the mirror, and then boom. Camera, lights, action.
And damn. It was fun. Like, stupid fun.
It was the first time in years I felt that spark again. That joy. That thing that made me feel alive. After years of chasing money doing things I didn’t like, that one day of filming reminded me of what I’d been missing.
That night, I looked in the mirror, saw this goofy smile on my face, and thought, I have to try again. Not to “find myself.” Just to let my soul breathe again.
I’ve been acting professionally for about four years now. I’m back on this path, but with a new mindset. Not chasing a dream out of ego, not trying to prove anything. Just doing what makes me feel most alive.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Auditioning is always a bumpy road. It pains me to let go of characters I worked so hard to prepare without having the chance to show them to the world. Sometimes it feels like I’m throwing hundreds of eggs at a brick wall. But I believe some of those eggs are golden, and one day, I’ll break through the wall with one of them.
And of course, paying bills is one of the hardest parts of this career because the income is so inconsistent. I always have to prepare for tough times.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m an actor.
To me, filmmaking feels like building this giant collage. Everyone brings their own color, texture, or piece to the board. Every role on set adds something unique, and my job is to show up with the most interesting and fitting piece for whatever part of the story I’m helping to tell.
I don’t think I have that one project I can say that I am “known for” yet. I’m still on the climb. But I’ve been lucky to work on some great things recently.
I’ve appeared in several episodes of the popular YouTube series Dhar Mann.
And I just wrapped a short film with Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes, which I’m really excited about.
I’ve also worked on a few feature films, including Road Wars: Max Fury, and have been part of a ton of short films I’m genuinely proud of.
I am also proud and grateful to be a working actor in this super competitive industry. I have seen firsthand how hundreds of new actors arrive every day, often starting in background roles, just hoping for a shot.
That keeps me grounded. I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m in it for the ride. And I’m staying humble along the way.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is living a happy life surrounded by the people I love and care about. The world can feel cold and isolating at times, or it can be full of warmth and beauty, and I think a lot of that depends on who you have around you.
I’m incredibly grateful for few of those people who’ve stood by me through the highs and lows.
Life is short, and for me, the real key to a meaningful life is simple: share it with the ones who truly matter.
Pricing:
- Regarding booking or audition request, please contact my manager, Jackie Joyner <[email protected]>
Contact Info:
- Website: https://demoreel.com/tklee
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tk_lee__?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Other: imdb.me/tklee
Image Credits
Sklaerenn Lorand Anderson Ballantyne Maury Phillips Dhar Mann Studio Tananarive Due Lada Egorova
