Asian American Actor: Justin Lee Biography of Golden Globe Winning Series “Arrested Development”

Raised in Mission Viejo, California, Justin Lee was born in Los Angeles of two Korean immigrant parents, his mother Cindy and his father Ellis. Justin’s lifelong dream is to become a respected actor and a professional athlete. From the age of 3, Justin’s parents were very supportive of extracurricular activities, which instilled a deep understanding and appreciation for hard work and discipline. Justin was involved with everything from acting, to playing musical instruments, to actively competing in a variety of athletics.

For Justin’s 11th birthday, he was enrolled in his first acting class at Talent Studios of Orange County. A few months later, Justin showcased for five agencies and received a call back from all of them. He made the decision to join the young people’s department at Kazarian Spencer and Associates (now Kazarian Spencer Ruskin and Associates), with Bonnie Ventis, Jody Alexander, and Philip Marcus. In pursuit of his dream, Justin has appeared in a variety of television shows and films including: ABC Family’s “10 Things I Hate About You,” “The Bernie Mac Show,” Showtime’s hit sitcom, “Shameless,” and Nickelodeon’s “Shredderman Rules.” Justin is widely recognized for 3 seasons as, “Annyong Bluth,” on the highly esteemed, 6 time Emmy and 2 time Golden Globe winning series, “Arrested Development.”

At the age of 16, Justin moved to Fullerton, California and began his senior year in high school at Sunny Hills with a 3.9 GPA. As a mixed martial artist, Justin joined the wrestling team and competed at 112-­‐125 pound weight divisions. After high school, Justin enrolled to Fullerton College studying FilmBlack and Psychology and was awarded an honors certification for outstanding academics.

Currently, Justin studies with his mentor, Steven G. Lowe at The Actors Room and is the co-­‐ founder/Production Executive at Black Canvas, where he hopes to write, direct, and produce a legacy of blockbuster films. Justin has 18 years of combat sports experience, over a hundred fights, matches, games, and holds an undefeated mixed martial arts record. His list of martial arts includes: Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Tae-­‐Kwon Do, Savate, STX, Jeet Kune Do, Wrestling (Catch, Greco, Freestyle), Brazilian Jiu-­‐Jitsu, Judo, Sambo, etc. Justin looks to integrate his passion for sports with his love for acting and telling a story.

Influences: Cindy Lee (mother), Ellis Lee (father), Jimmy Valenzuela (high school wrestling coach), Victor Phan (screenwriting professor), Erik Paulson (Mixed Martial Arts coach at Combat Submission Wrestling), Steven G. Lowe (mentor/manager/talent coach at The Actors Room), and God.

Source: MAY 23, 2012 BY KONNECT MAGAZINE

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