Check Out Michael Sun Lee’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Sun Lee.

Hi Michael Sun, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Aloha, I was born and raised on the Island of Oahu. My childhood consisted of falling off roofs, picking Macadamia nuts and lychee, boogie boarding at Walls Waikiki, buying cigarettes, catching crayfish at the stream, playing football and basketball, and watching lots of television. Right now, I am an Actor and Voice Over Artist somewhat known for things like “CSI: Vegas”, “NCIS: New Orleans”, “Disney’s Moana”, “Fuller House”, “General Hospital”, “Hawaii Five-O” and Brat TV’s “Sunny Side Up”. In high school, I participated in Football, Basketball and Track. And it was in where I started performing in College Musicals like “West Side Story ” and “Leader of The Pack”, then I transitioned into doing straight dramas and comedies in local theater before graduating and moving to Los Angeles where I starved for about 10 years before landing small parts and stumbling into voice-over work in Animated features, TV and Audiobook narration. I do not starve anymore but I do go hungry from time to time for the acting business. Show business is really tough BUT graduating college was even tougher. Doing college theater allowed me to tolerate my studies and graduate. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest challenge has been not getting the opportunity to fail, for it is not the rejection part that was hard for me, what was hard for me was not even getting the chance to even be rejected. It has been an up and down bumpy and windy road for sure especially in the first ten years. And I have found the entertainment business to be a very competitive every man for himself kind of business (at least among my peers). But the main challenges for me and for most struggling actors continue to be a lack of individual opportunities and finances. It’s all part of the game so even though it took me so long to be able to get on the team I am happy to have earned my way on to the bench and be called to play from time to time.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Well, I currently (at the time of this interview) have been in a career slump, but thankfully, I continue to audition for roles in TV, Film, And Voice Over and I am grateful for my Manager Jacob Gallagher, he has been essential to me in the last couple of years. Personally, right now I am learning to be in integrity to myself and not self-sacrifice so much all the time. I am great at doing things for others but not so much for myself, if you know what I mean. And over the years in order to survive I have found myself getting good at the survival things, jobs I do not like – mostly due to integrity and the notion that – how you do something is how you do everything. They say 90% of success is showing up, and I have been great at showing up and embracing the unknown

What does success mean to you?
Hmmm, I have been pursuing this acting career for at least 20 years now and still have not “made it”. That is a good question and not even sure if I can even define it because I have not felt success yet as a whole. There are many targets and many bullseyes to hit so it keeps needing to redefine, redirect, and/or rebegin. Perhaps success is the accomplishment of continuous, changing, leveled goals. But I keep on going, doing, trying, crying, and perhaps one day I will get it “right.” Oh it just came to me, …SUCCESS IS DOING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO …I think…I dunno…I am still figuring it out and having fun along the way.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @michaelsunlee
• Facebook: @michaelsunlee
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-sun-lee-a8077ba5/
• Twitter: @michaelsunlee
• Youtube: @michaelsunlee