Ki Hong Lee

Quick Facts: Who was Ki Hong Lee?

Subject:

Ki Hong Lee

Known for:

American actor known for roles in The Maze Runner and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Born:

1986-09-30

Century / Era:

1986s Historical Era Archive

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Ki Hong Lee (born September 30, 1986) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Minho in the Maze Runner film series and Dong Nguyen in the Netflix sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea, on September 30, 1986. When he was six years old, his parents moved the family to Auckland, New Zealand. When he was eight, his family moved to Los Angeles, California.

Career & Major Achievements

Lee studied psychology at the University of California, Berkeley from 2004 to 2008. During college, Lee was part of a college chapter of Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) and interned at their headquarters. He served as an elected senator at the Associated Students of the University of California (the students association of the University of California, Berkeley) from 2005 to 2006, while being affiliated with the Student Action party. He ran for re-election for the 2006–2007 academic year as "Ki Hong (Donkey Kong) Lee" with the affiliation with The Mario Party, but failed to garner the necessary votes for the position. Lee began acting in middle school, doing skits at church retreats.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He initially wanted to become a teacher, but was inspired to pursue acting after watching Aaron Yoo in the film Disturbia (2007) while in college. After college, he worked at his parents' sundubu-jjigae restaurant, Tofu Village, in Little Tokyo while pursuing acting. Lee made his stage debut in Wrinkles, presented by East West Players and directed by Jeff Liu. It opened on February 16, 2011 and closed on March 13, 2011 at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts in Downtown Los Angeles. Since 2012, Lee has collaborated with Wong Fu Productions (WFP) featuring in more than five short videos including the Away We Happened mini-series.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1986 (1986-09-30): Birth of Ki Hong Lee — American actor known for roles in The Maze Runner and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
2. 2004: 2004 Milestone — Lee studied psychology at the University of California, Berkeley from 2004 to 2008.
3. 2005: 2005 Milestone — He served as an elected senator at the Associated Students of the University of California (the students association of the University of California, Berkeley) from 2005 to 2006, while being affiliated with the Student Action party.
4. 2006: 2006 Milestone — He ran for re-election for the 2006–2007 academic year as "Ki Hong (Donkey Kong) Lee" with the affiliation with The Mario Party, but failed to garner the necessary votes for the position.
5. 2007: 2007 Milestone — He initially wanted to become a teacher, but was inspired to pursue acting after watching Aaron Yoo in the film Disturbia (2007) while in college.
6. 2011: 2011 Milestone — It opened on February 16, 2011 and closed on March 13, 2011 at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts in Downtown Los Angeles.
7. 2012: 2012 Milestone — Since 2012, Lee has collaborated with Wong Fu Productions (WFP) featuring in more than five short videos including the Away We Happened mini-series.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Ki Hong Lee

True or False: “Ki Hong Lee's initial career goal after high school was to become a professional musician.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): He initially intended to become a teacher before being inspired by acting after watching Aaron Yoo in the film Disturbia.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aaron Swartz — Contemporary (Born in 1986) (1986): Pioneering programmer, activist, and hacktivist known for RSS, Markdown, and progressive organizing.
• Adolph Caesar — Contemporary (Died in 1986) (1986): Acclaimed American actor known for his deep voice and Off-Broadway staple status.
• Agnez Mo — Contemporary (Born in 1986) (1986): Iconic Indonesian artist who transitioned from child star to global pop figure.
• Abd al-Rahman I — Shared historical date (09-30 · Died) (788): Founder of the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba, establishing a lasting dynasty in al-Andalus.
• Aliya Mustafina — Shared historical date (09-30 · Born) (1994): Esteemed Russian artistic gymnast, celebrated for multiple world and Olympic titles.
• Ahn Jae-hong (actor) — Historical peer (Born in 1986) (1986): Acclaimed South Korean actor known for roles in Reply 1988 and Mask Girl.
• Ahn Se-ha — Historical peer (Born in 1986) (1986): South Korean actor known for his roles in television and film.
• A. A. K. Niazi — Historical peer (Died in 2004) (2004): Pakistani general who commanded Eastern Command during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
• Ahn Ji-ho (actor) — Historical peer (Born in 2004) (2004): South Korean actor known for starting his career in web series.
• Ahn Jae-hwan — Historical peer (Died in 2008) (2008): South Korean actor known for roles in films like Beautiful Temptation and Show Show Show.
• 1986 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1986
• September 30 (09-30) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on September 30

Frequently Asked Questions about Ki Hong Lee