Paul Sun-Hyung Lee has been acting professionally for more than 30 years, and has been acting consistently since making his first appearance. His career has become one that many actors can only dream of. From the big screen to the small screen, Paul has shown time and time again that he can rise to the occasion to play any role. Paul is best-known for playing Appa in the TV series Kim’s Convenience and Captain Carson Teva in The Mandalorian. Paul’s versatility and his ability to engage the audience has truly set him apart and there will likely be a lot more great opportunities coming his way in the future. Continue reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Paul Sun-Hyung Lee.
1. He Didn’t Get Into Acting Until College
Paul is definitely someone who would be considered a late bloomer in the acting world. Unlike many other stars, he didn’t decide he wanted to act until he was already in college. While studying at the University of Toronto, he enrolled in the acting program although he didn’t finish.
2. He Was Born In South Korea
Paul has spent almost all of his life living in Canada and he is widely considered a Canadian actor, however, he was actually born in Daejeon, South Korea. When he was just a few months old, he and his family relocated to Canada where he was raised and still lives there today.
3. He’s A Baseball Coach
Despite having a busy schedule, family time is something that Paul always makes time for. One of his favorite ways to spend time with his kids is by attending their sporting events. He recently became the assistant coach of his youngest son’s baseball team and he takes great pride in being an active father.
4. He Is A Playwright
There are plenty of actors who are perfect find with spending their entire careers being in front of the camera or on the stage, but Paul has decided that he also wants to know what things are like on the other side. On top of his work as an actor, he is also a playwright. His play Dangling debuted at the fu-GEN Theatre Festival in 2010.
5. He’s A TV Host
Paul’s sense of humor and charismatic personality have made him the perfect for the TV hosting opportunities. He hosted Canada’s Smartest Person which is a reality competition show where people compete to see who is the most intelligent. The series debuted in 2015.
6. Being Cast In The Mandalorian Was A Dream Come True
Every actor is thankful for the opportunity to work, but it’s even more exciting when a dream project comes along. For Paul, who is a life long fan of Star Wars, getting the chance to be a part of The Mandalorian was that moment for Paul. He told the CBC, “I was five years old again. I got transported to that galaxy far, far away, [I’ve spent] my entire life watching the movies. To finally be there, to be sitting there, didn’t want to leave.”
7. He’s Done Voice Acting
Live action roles aren’t the only opportunities Paul has taken advantage of throughout his career. He done some voice acting as well and his most well-known project was voicing the role of Jung Park in the 2006 video game Rainbow Six: Vegas. He reprised the role in 2008 for the sequel.
8. His Dad Didn’t Support His Dream Of Becoming An Actor
Paul comes from a traditional his parents were hoping that he’d follow a traditional path. As you can imagine, his father wasn’t too happy about his son deciding to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Apparently, Paul’s paternal uncle had been an actor and had fallen on hard times later in his career and died in poverty.
9. He Wanted To Be A Visual Artist
Before Paul had dreams of becoming and actor there was another area of the arts that had his attention. Paul told Readers Digest, “Originally, I wanted to be a writer and visual artist. My girlfriend was going to the University of Toronto, so I decided to go there. I remember hearing about the drama program and fell in love with it.”
10. He’s A Hockey Fan
As someone who has spent almost his entire life living in Canada, it’s only right that Paul be a fan of the country’s most popular sport: hockey. Paul loves the Toronto Maple Leafs and likes to attend as many games with his children as possible. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic means that going to live sporting events probably won’t be happening any time soon.
