Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Kyna Lee of West Hollywood

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Kyna Lee. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Kyna, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity is the quality that matters most to me, because it influences both my energy and my intelligence as an actress.

In this industry, integrity shapes the way you show up on set, how you collaborate, and the standards you hold for the work you do. It guides your energy — the groundedness, the presence, the openness you bring into a character.

At the same time, energy is just as essential to me. Acting is an energetic profession. Whether I’m stepping into a rom-com or building a character for TV, the energy I bring — grounded, open, connected — affects everything.

Integrity keeps me aligned.
Energy keeps me alive in the work.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an Australian actress based in Los Angeles, working in TV, film, and national commercial campaigns. My journey has been anything but linear, but what’s kept me anchored is a deep love of storytelling and character work.

I recently wrapped a role in a new romantic comedy produced by Gloria Sanchez Productions, which was a beautiful reminder of how aligned opportunities show up when you stay committed to the craft and do the inner work.

At the core of everything I’m doing is a commitment to integrity, energy, and creating work that feels aligned rather than forced. That’s been the biggest shift recently — choosing projects, clients and partnerships that match where I’m headed, not where I’ve been.”

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
What needed to be released was the belief that I needed to be ‘ready enough’ or ‘established enough’ before leaning into bigger opportunities or presenting myself with more confidence.

This past year has shown me that momentum comes from alignment, not approval. When I elevated my branding, trusted my instincts, and committed to showing up with integrity and clear energy, the right opportunities started arriving.

“I’ve had to let go of the survival-mode version of myself — the one who was always bracing for things not to work out.
She kept me going during challenging seasons, but she can’t lead me into this next chapter.
My work is better, my energy is better, and my opportunities are better when I’m not acting from fear.”

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
For so long, I tried to compartmentalize or minimize the things that felt too heavy — because in this industry, you’re encouraged to be polished, positive, and resilient at all times. This industry is full of rejection.

But pain is part of being human, and it’s part of being an artist.

When I stopped trying to ‘perform’ perfection and instead allowed myself to feel fully — in life and in my work — everything shifted.

It made my acting more honest.
It made my choices braver.

And it made me show up with presence instead of pretense.

Now I see my experiences, even the hard ones, as part of my emotional toolkit. They give me depth, empathy, and a point of view.
They inform my characters, my craft, and the woman I’m becoming.

Turning pain into power didn’t happen all at once — it happened when I decided to stop shrinking and started allowing my truth to be part of my artistry.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
What you see publicly is me — just a distilled version, expressed with purpose and integrity. The quiet, tender parts of me that don’t show up online are the ones that make my work as an actress deeper and more honest. They’re not hidden — they’re honored.
So yes, the public version of me is real.
It’s just the version of me that knows who she is, what she stands for, and where she’s going.

I’ve learned that as an actress, you have to hold space for both: the private inner life that fuels your emotional depth, and the public presence that communicates your professionalism and artistry.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What will you regret not doing? 
I have this deep knowing that I’m meant to tell stories on a larger scale, and I’d regret looking back and realizing I held myself back out of fear, timing, or the illusion that I wasn’t ready yet.

I’d regret not taking the bigger risks — the ones that require courage, visibility, and trust.
Not stepping into leading roles.

Not letting myself be fully seen.

Most of all, I’d regret not backing myself completely.

Because the work I want to do — the roles, the characters, the stories — require me to show up wholeheartedly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm9118334?s=8ccd5ee4-75e9-ceb9-b489-a397165fae03&site_preference=normal
• Instagram: @kyna__lee

Image Credits
Photographer -Jonny Marlow