Orion Lee
Orion Lee | |
|---|---|
Lee at the screening of the film First Cow during the 2020 Berlin Film Festival. | |
| Born | |
| Education | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2009–present |
Orion Lee is a Hong Kong-Australian actor. He was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in the film First Cow (2019).
Early life and education
Orion Lee was born in Hong Kong. He later lived in Malaysia, Australia, New York, San Francisco, Zurich, and London.[1] Before attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and training as an actor, Lee worked in the financial industry as a fund manager.[2]
Career
In addition to his career as a film and television actor, Lee has performed at various theatres in Scotland, England and Ireland, including in 2015 at the Swan Theatre of the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon in Ben Jonson's Volpone in a production by Trevor Nunn as Mosca,[3] at the National Theatre of Scotland in Edinburgh, the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge and in the West End.
In Kelly Reichardt's drama film First Cow, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in August 2019, Lee played the lead role of King-Lu. His performance earned widespread acclaim and several accolades, including Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award nominations.
Filmography
Feature films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Skyfall | Shanghai Barman | |
| 2014 | X+Y | Deng Lagoshi | |
| Panic | Yi | ||
| Fury | Tired GI | ||
| 2015 | Narcopolis | Mr. Chang | |
| M.L.E. | Sebastian | ||
| 2017 | Justice League | Star Labs Scientist | |
| Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Canady's First Order Monitor | ||
| 2018 | Dead in a Week or Your Money Back | Lawrence | |
| I Am Vengeance | Burke | ||
| Catacombe | Charlie Yuen | ||
| Only You | Eddie | ||
| 2019 | First Cow | King-Lu | |
| 2021 | Zack Snyder's Justice League | Star Labs Scientist | Reedit of Justice League |
| Followers | Edward Lee | ||
| 2022 | Turning Red | Jin (voice) | [4][5] |
| 2025 | Rosemead | Charles | |
| 2026 | Project Hail Mary | Dr. Li |
Short films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Macbeth No More | Big Mac | |
| 2012 | Portraits of London | Jonathan | |
| Formalities | |||
| 2013 | #aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei | Sportsman | |
| Happy Birthday Cindy Wei | Michael | ||
| 2016 | The Sea, the God, the Man | Son | |
| That Day Comes | Tony Lin Xiao | ||
| 2017 | Pov | Michael | |
| 2018 | Pommel | Dad | |
| 2019 | Vanish in Smoke | Ralph |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Silent Witness | Dr. Oliver Matthews | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Dates | Tony | 2 episodes |
| Run | Andy | Episode: "Ying" | |
| 2015 | EastEnders | Obstetrician | 2 episodes |
| Critical | Brian Zhao | 6 episodes | |
| Code of a Killer | Jack Wu | Episode: "Episode 2" | |
| Tyrant | Ambassador Zhang | 4 episodes | |
| 2016 | DCI Banks | Chang Li | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Strangers | Allen Ma | 2 episodes |
| Informer | Jin Weijun | 3 episodes | |
| 2019 | Chimerica | Tang Wen Lei | 3 episodes |
| Warrior | Po | Episode: "If You're Going to Bow, Bow Low" | |
| 2022 | Significant Others | Father Shirley | 2 episodes |
| Bump | Karl | 2 episodes | |
| 2024 | Rematch | P.C. | 6 episodes |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Battlefleet Gothic: Armada | Tau Air Caste, Tau Water Caste | |
| 2017 | 007 Legends | Mr. Ling, Moonraker Scientist | |
| 2022 | The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend | Cheung Po Tsai |
Web
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Expert | Anderson | [6][7][8] |
Stage credits
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | Enron | Senator | Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester | |
| Royal Court Theatre, London | ||||
| Noël Coward Theatre, London | ||||
| Minerva Theatre, Chichester | ||||
| 2011 | The Wheel | National Theatre of Scotland, Edinburgh | ||
| 2012 | Wild Swans | Shou-Yu | American Repertory Theater, Cambridge | [9] |
| Shibari | Hideo | Abbey Theatre, Dublin | [10] | |
| 2015 | Volpone | Mosca | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon |
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Film Critics Society | 2021 | Best Breakthrough Performance | First Cow | Nominated |
| Georgia Film Critics Association | 2021 | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |
| Gotham Award | 2021 | Breakthrough Performer | Nominated | |
| Independent Spirit Award | 2021 | Best Supporting Male | Nominated | |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |
| 2020 | Breakout of the Year | Nominated | ||
| North Dakota Film Society | 2021 | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |
| Sunset Film Circle | 2020 | Best Breakthrough | Won |
References
- ^ "Actor Orion Lee Travels Back In Time In A24's 'First Cow' - Character Media". 2020-03-27. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
- ^ "Netflix Movies Starring Orion Lee". www.netflixmovies.com. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
- ^ "Orion Lee theatre profile". www.abouttheartists.com. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
- ^ "Jin Lee - Voice Actor". www.behindthevoiceactors.com.
- ^ "Review: 'Turning Red' is a thrilling funhouse ride fueled by the empowering message to be yourself". abcnews.go.com.
- ^ "Can You Draw Seven Perpendicular Lines?". www.mmsonline.com. 2025-04-25. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
- ^ Ferro, Toni (2015-02-24). "The Real Problem with "The Expert"". UX Magazine. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
- ^ Lauris Beinerts (2014-03-23). The Expert (Short Comedy Sketch). Retrieved 2025-05-16 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Orion Lee | A.R.T." americanrepertorytheater.org. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ^ "SEARCH FOR A PLAY – PlayographyIreland". Retrieved 2026-03-18.