Paul Sun-Hyung Lee Biography

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee was born in Daejeon, Soth Korea, but when he was three months old, his parents emigrated to Canada, where they lived at various times in London, Toronto, and Calgary. He attended the University of Toronto's drama program in 1990.

His career in acting started off with small roles on television and in movies. One of his first roles was in the TV movie Where’s the Money Noreen? (1995). He made his feature film debut in Harriet the Spy (1996). Some of his notable work includes playing Tiffany's father in the feature film Ice Princess (2005), and Randy Ko on the soap opera Train 48 (2003-2005). His most recognized work is as Mr. Kim a.k.a. Appa on the beloved Canadian show Kim’s Convenience (2016-2021).

Paul has won four Canadian Screen Awards awards (2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022) and has five nominations all associated with his role in Kim’s Convenience (2016-2021). He has also been nominated twice for the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role. The nominations were for his work in The Monster Under the Bed in 2010 and the play version of Kim’s Convenience in 2012.

In 2023 he received a prestigious National Centre Arts Award for his body of work in Canadian film, television and theatre.

After filming on Kim's Convenience ended, Paul landed a continuing role on the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian. was asked to audition for what he was told was a basketball film. It turned out to be the starring role as Uncle Iroh on the live-action series Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix) (2024), which was filmed in British Columbia. He was thrilled to get the role because his sons were big fans of the animated series that the show is based on.

Paul has two children named Noah and Miles, with his wife, Anna. They live in Toronto with their dog. A self-confessed geek, he enjoys dressing up as different characters to attend event such as Fan Expos and Comic Cons. He is passionate about bringing Asian stories into film and television and inspiring new generations of immigrants, families, and actors with his work.

Filmography:

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)
Ahsoka (2023)
The Mandalorian (2020-2023)
The Book of Boba Fett (2022)
Kim's Convenience (2016-2021)
Kitty Mammas (2020)
22 Chaser (2018)
End of Days, Inc. (2015)
RoboCop (2014)
The Untitled Work of Paul Shepard (2010)
Nurse.Fighter.Boy (2008)
The Echo (2008)
P2 (2007)
One Way (2006)
Ice Princess (2005)
Khaled (2001)
Harriet the Spy (1996)