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JOSIAH D. LEE - PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Josiah D. Lee (http://josiahdlee.com/), a Korean actor who has found film and television success and notoriety in Korea, is one of many Asian actors who are part of a growing movement to expand the market of opportunities for Asians in Hollywood. July 27, 2004 Los Angeles (CA) – Josiah D. Lee, is a 29 year old South Korean born actor who has prospered in Korea with many lead roles in Asian films and television, including hosting the Korean TV show “Awesome” for two seasons, which earned him recognition and a fan base throughout Asia. Lee is now trying to make his way in Hollywood; a town where Asian actors are typically relegated to roles as Chinese food delivery men or kung-fu tough guys. Lee is not either. Rather, he is a fully 3 dimensional artist with years of experience under his belt and the versatility to tackle the most complex of roles. But where are these roles??? Through the years we have watched doors open and more characters created for African Americans, Latinos, and for women. Are we to believe that there are no significant stories to be told on screen about Asian people? Josiah does not believe that this is the case. He and his fellow Asian actors are trying to break thru this cultural glass ceiling and let the industry know that this is a culture with many stories to tell and great actors to portray them. Josiah D. Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea and moved to Seattle, WA at the age of ten. As many Asians are encouraged to do, Lee focused on academics, eventually enrolling in Babson College in Boston; a school known for its business training. During college, Lee won the role in a Boston University film about the life of a tragic stand up comic who could not get laughs. After a brief stint as an accountant after college, Lee gravitated back towards what he grew to love while making that student film. Aware of the small percentage of Asian roles in Hollywood, Lee headed back to his native Korea where he worked in two prominent theatre groups and eventually gained entrée into film and television. He won many lead roles in films and hosting engagements on various television programs. Lee finally arrived in Los Angeles in April of 2003. Lee earned his SAG card almost immediately from prominent casting director Barbara Harris who saw potential in Lee and cast him as a voiceover artist in the Tom Cruise film “Collateral.” According to Lee, “Asian actors are looking for good roles that portray them accurately, such as family men, doctors, lawyers…not just Chinese food delivery boys!” In Lee’s case, he is also playing the real life role as a staunch supporter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org), an organization that raises funds and awareness to find treatments for blood related cancers. Lee’s personal promise to the organization is to raise $4,000.00 in the near future, which will go towards better treatments for people suffering from the disease. CONTACT Allison Kugel Allison Dawn Public Relations Ph: 516-942-0264 |