Never one to be stereotyped into either ethnic or martial arts roles, Jason Scott Lee has drawn rave reviews for his extraordinary acting talent in both action and dramatic roles.
Born in Los Angeles, the third generation of Hawaiian/Chinese ancestry, Lee was raised on the island of Oahu, where his family settled when his was two.
He began acting at the age of 19, while attending Fullerton Junior College in California, through the encouragement of drama teacher Sal Romeo, who would also become his mentor. Foregoing a college degree, Lee joined Romeo’s "Friends and Artists Theatre Ensemble" (F.A.T.E.) in Hollywood – where its tiny 50-seat black box theatre became his sanctuary for exploring and focusing his craft in acting. At the same time, Lee began landing small roles on television and in films like “Born in the East L.A.”
His first major break came in the critically-acclaimed independent film, “Map of the Human Heart.” A year later, Lee starred in the box office hit, “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story,” as the legendary martial arts phenomenon, opposite Lauren Holly as Linda Lee. While preparing for “Dragon,” he trained in Jeet Kune Do and the Filipino fighting arts, and has since become a certified instructor under Sifu Jerry Poteet.
He went on to achieve international fame as the classic character of Mowgli in Walt Disney Pictures’ “The Jungle Book” – then take on such major roles as the lead in London's West End Stage production of “The King and I” and the voice of David in Disney's animated “Lilo and Stitch.”
