Is hoon lee gay

Hoon Lee gives Cinemax’s fresh crime drama ‘Banshee’ an unexpected dose of drag

ARNOLD WAYNE JONES  | Life+Style Editor

As an Asian-American star, Hoon Lee is accustomed to looking at, as he says, “a smaller spectrum of roles.” So when a good one comes by, why rotate it down?

That encounter informed Lee’s decision to take on the role of Job, the cross-dressing Korean-American gangster in small-town Pennsylvania in Banshee, a new series premiering Friday on Cinemax. Considering it is executive-produced by lgbtq+ Oscar-winner Alan Ball, it’s hard not to view the similarity to another of Ball’s series where a rural gay bloke in drag seems not to raise eyebrows.

“Yes, when I talked to people about this role, they always referenced Lafayette from True Blood,” Lee concedes with a chuckle. “It’s as if he asks, where can we put these guys? Amish Country! Is there a niche being created [for minority actors]? But that very question implies a problem. It’s never really [an issue] to utter we have another colorless, heterosexual male hero — it’s a trope usual to the genre.”

Banshee revolves around a recently-paroled thief who steals the identity of the town’s n

Lee Je-hoon (티비텐/WikiCommons)

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Meet Lee Je-hoon, one of South Korea’s top actors. Known for his versatility, Lee has starred in action films, romances, period dramas, and comedies. After a separate from mandatory military service from 2012 to 2014, he returned to the screen even more popular.

Lee’s latest film, Escape, is set to hit choose US theaters on July 5. Action-packed, he plays a North Korean army sergeant who decides to defect to the South. His character is pursued by a ruthless major, played by Koo Kyo-Hwan. The film’s promotional materials hint at a cat-and-mouse dynamic between the two, sparking speculation about an underlying romantic tension.

Chemistry On and Off-Screen

At a recent press conference, the attraction between Lee and Koo was a hot topic. When asked if they would prefer to act friends or enemies in a future project, Lee cheekily responded, “Lovers,” causing quite a stir. This playful comment highlights Lee’s openness to LGBTQIA+ roles, a significant stance given the ongoing struggle for equality in South Korea.

Lee is no stranger to LGBTQIA+ roles. One of his early breakout performanc

All Hail the New King

Hoon Lee as the King in the Lincoln Center production of “The King and I.” | PAUL KOLNIK

BY DAVID NOH | You can see a new star exploding at Lincoln Center these days in the revival of “The King and I,” in the title role-personage of Hoon Lee, an actor I’ve admired for years who has now fully come into his own. Possessing the true majesty, histrionic prowess, vocal chops, devastating sexiness, and, pointedly, English language mastery — all of which his predecessor, Ken Watanabe, so direly lacked — this actor has truly transformed the show into an absolute must-see.

The attraction between Lee and co-star Kelli O’Hara is one of the current treasures of the season, and everyone and everything on this stage now positively sparkles, as if reflecting his glory (Vivian Beaumont Theater, 150 W. 65th St.; telecharge.com).

The man has the charisma and talent to cross over in a way that limited people of color — Brian Stokes Mitchell, to name one — contain been both able and allowed to do. I’d love to see him take a crack at Horace Vandergelder in the announced Bette Midler “Hello, Dolly!

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