East West - The Asian American Lifestyle Magazine

By Eliza Gano 

“I'm checking into base camp right now. Can I call you back?”

Base camp?

For the uninitiated, it might sound like actor James Kyson Lee was talking to me from a rock climbing expedition in the Himalayan mountains. But when you're starring in “Heroes,” one of the most talked about and intriguing shows on television, not much seems unusual.

Our conversation soon restarts, this time with Lee's explanation, in his deep timber of a voice, “Sorry about that. I'm on location right now, shooting the last few episodes in Hawthorne [California].”

Lee's character on “Heroes” is Ando Masahasi, best friend to time-traveling, teleporting Hiro Nakamura. While Hiro, formerly a lowly office worker in his father's Tokyo company, has the power to manipulate time and space, Ando has no powers - not yet anyway. Following in the footsteps of many other memorable yin and yang twosomes, the pair has been compared to C-3PO and R2-D2, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and Lucy and Ethel; on set they've even earned the moniker of the modern day Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

“The show has so many factors of science fiction and comic book that come together, but it's rooted in reality and in relationships,” Lee says. “There's human drama as well as the comedic parts; that's where we [Ando and Hiro] come in. At the core, the show is about different people coming together with the notion that maybe we're meant for more.”

Right away, viewers saw the comedic element between the pair in “Genesis,” the show's first episode in which Hiro discovers he can turn a clock back one second. He runs throughout his office, yelling “Yatta!” (I did it!) But Ando dismisses Hiro's powers, joking that he has the same skills as Mr. Spock.

In episode four, “Collision,” Ando, wanting to have some fun, convinces Hiro to head to Las Vegas and use his powers to make some easy money. In a homage shot to Rain Man, the pair is shown coming down an escalator, wearing crisp new suits and exuding an air of suave confidence.

“I loved that episode,” Lee says.

Later in the season and for three episodes thus far, George Takei (famously known for his role as Mr. Sulu on the original “Star Trek” series) played Hiro's father. Lee became quick friends with Takei; Takei even attended Lee's birthday party in December.

“It was great to work with him,” Lee says. “People like him have paved the way. I have such great respect for him.”

The respect is mutual.

Takei was so impressed with Lee, he said of him in a TV Guide interview, '“Do you know that he is from South Korea and does not understand nor speak Japanese? I was dumbfounded. He has a fantastic ear. It's one thing to mimic a foreign language, but it's quite another to be able to act in it. Amazing.”'

As the “Heroes” season has progressed, fans have been able to see increasingly more of Lee's “amazing” acting skills with the character of Ando subtly growing beyond just a trusty sidekick.

“He's as much a part of the mission with as much responsibility,” Lee says. “In episodes 15 and 16, Ando actually switches parts with Hiro, spitting back the same lines he told him.”

With the role reversal between the pair, is Ando meant for something more? Perhaps discovering he has his own powers?

Lee laughs: “It'll be awesome if he does. I would make cheese out of thin air. I could say 'mozzarella' or 'spaghetti sauce!' Or, I could be a karaoke hulk. When Ando gets mad, he could start singing Journey - 'Don't stop believing!'”

As for dropping any hints on how the first season of “Heroes” will end, he says almost conspiratorially, “You get to see how some of the characters are in the future. There's a lot that happens.”

Lee, 31, grew up in Seoul, South Korea, and moved with his family to New York City when he was 10. He studied communications at Boston University and the New England Institute of Art. After finishing school, he worked a corporate job, tended bar and spent a lot time trying to figure out the next phase of his life. One night, he was invited to try improv and the performance, he says, was a turning point.

“I sold my used car for $1,800 and bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles.”

From there, the prerequisite training and resume building for would-be performers started: jazz singing, musical theater, dance, plays and student films.

“I had always been fascinated by jazz,” Lee says. “When I first moved to L.A., I would go to clubs and sing jazz. I'd always be the lone Asian up there. People would look at me with this strange look like, 'What is this Asian dude doing?'”

His first ever television audition landed him a guest-starring role on CBS' “J.A.G.”

“I didn't tell my family about my acting until 'J.A.G.' aired. They were like, 'What was this?'” he says. “I came to Los Angeles not necessarily for Hollywood but to discover myself and explore life. It was amazing. It was as if 20 years of pent-up creativity came out. I never really felt any type of pressure to do something at a certain time because I didn't come with any expectation. It was utter joy and ecstasy that I found my true calling.”

Fans will have many more chances to witness Lee's creative explosion in the coming years. Gamers can catch him in “The Darkness,” a new action game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. He will also be seen in several upcoming feature films, including: Big Deal, an independent ensemble comedy with Treat Williams, Daniel Baldwin and Charlotte Ross; Point of Contact, a sci-fi film where he plays a doctor researching the case of man who woke up after being in a coma for 12 years; and Big Dreams, Little Tokyo, a comedy in which he plays a Nikkei bookstore owner. Lee also recently signed on to roles in Shutter, a horror flick, and the romantic comedy White on Rice.

“I'm more interested in human life stories, and I really respect actors who are chameleons. I hope that's the career I have,” Lee says, thoughtfully. “I hope to be an instrument for a greater good. Maybe it's through acting, maybe it's not. I can only be open to that and be prepared for it so I'm ready. Whatever you're good in, you should use it for a greater good. It's only better for the world to share it.”

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