Meet Rex Lee

We were lucky to catch up with Rex Lee recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rex , so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

For me, my imposter syndrome took the form of a mantra: produce, produce, produce. If I wasn’t producing – whatever that meant – I was failing. Constant resume expansion was the goal. Act! Write! Create! Hold on tight to your cardinal rule, otherwise you’ll never outrun your shadow. If you don’t produce, if you give yourself a chance to breathe, you’ll relapse back to mediocrity – or so I thought.

Imposter syndrome has a way of digging into your bones. It gets into your head and settles there. Worse yet, it becomes a lifeline that you cling to in desperation that you’ll expose your inadequacy to everyone and yourself. I gave myself the big lie, that my mantra – a manifestation of imposter syndrome – was my saving grace. I was not good enough. Therefore, I needed this animating force to keep me on track. I had somehow twisted my imposter syndrome into my rallying cry and secret weapon.

However, as time went on, my secret weapon became detrimental. Creating became a chore. I wasn’t having fun anymore. I didn’t want to produce anymore. One day, I was on stage, in the midst of one of my monologues, with the entire theater in electric tension, only to be daydreaming about what my next project would be. Not my greatest moment.

At some point, I asked myself a simple question: is my tenet of “produce, produce, produce” actually helping me produce? The answer was a resounding “no”. In that moment, my illusion dissipated. What was once was seen as my animating creed was exposed as a major obstacle to my career and my mental health. And so, a paradigm shift was ushered into my life. My achievements were unequivocally a result of my hard work, my luck, and my wonderful collaborators. My achievements happened because of who I am, not in spite of who I am.

Every now and then, the familiar feeling resurfaces, injecting a pang of panic. But armed with a new perspective, I can face it differently. While it still comes and goes, I’ve noticed that the projects I’m creating now are a lot more enjoyable.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a Taiwanese-American actor, writer, and theatermaker from the sun-soaked suburbs of Southern California, now based in New York City. At this moment, I’m leaning more toward the “writer” category. Growing up in a predominantly Asian community, I have – like so many – seen the joys and tensions within the immigrant experience. As a result, my work often tackles the themes of belonging and inherited guilt, along with exploring the complexities of navigating identity amidst shifting expectations. For me, theater serves as a transformative space—a way to distill complex ideas, cultural discourse, and geopolitical tensions into stories that resonate on a human level. Lately, I’ve been trying to workshop a full-length play involving these themes. Hopefully, it comes to fruition!

On the acting front, I’ve recently moved back to America after living in London. There, I was trained at the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and performed Off-West End productions, festival films, and commercials for the American market. Moving to a new city like New York, with its own theatre traditions and way of doing things has been an incredibly fascinating challenge, but I’m deeply thankful to have met some wonderful people here to help me navigate everything.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

As I reflect on my journey, I know I’m still in the process of figuring things out. Maybe in a few years, these insights will shift entirely. But for now, here are three principles that have been instrumental to my growth and happiness:

1. Collaborate Generously
Seek every opportunity to collaborate. In the arts—and especially in theater—no one is a Swiss army knife. Achieving excellence requires collective strengths, and I’ve found that the most compelling work emerges when actors, directors, and creatives come together, each bringing unique perspectives and interpretations. Beyond enhancing the work itself, collaboration builds a network of mentors, friends, and future partners. Few things are as fulfilling (and fun!) as creating art in sync with a team of people who inspire and challenge you.

2. Strike a Balance—Through Experience
“Find balance” is extremely annoying to read – I get it. It’s classic advice but often feels elusive. As a newcomer, it’s nearly impossible to know where your limits are. Only experience can teach you that. At the onset of your career, you’ll likely overpromise, risk burnout, and experience moments of clarity after your baptism by fire. With each project, you come closer to understanding your unique balance and how to sustain your passion over the long haul.

3. Don’t Take Things Personally
In the creative industry, rejection is routine, and the reasons behind it are often out of your control. As an actor, I can’t watch myself in the moment, so I have to rely on feedback and trust the process. Sometimes you’ll leave an audition feeling you nailed it, only to receive a rejection. Other times, you might feel shaky and land the part anyway. What you imagine might not align with what casting envisions. Just keep showing up and giving your best—eventually, something will resonate (fingers crossed).

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

It might sound a bit high-schooly, but Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” has been an anchor in my life. “Leaves of Grass” is a collection of poems by the nation’s poet. These poems are a verdant symphony of the human experience—a poetic celebration brimming with boundless optimism and hope. In each poem, he calls to his fellow Americans to embrace one another amid the country’s divisions leading up to the Civil War. There’s plenty of doom and gloom out there, especially with my generation feeling the weight of the world’s troubles. When I feel that creeping sense of despair, I turn to Whitman’s words and find an electric, timeless awe within his pages. I’m transported by his songs of individuality and collective spirit, his reverence for the body and soul, and his immense, almost divine love for humanity.

Whitman’s words feel like seeds of joy, planting themselves in me, reminding me that I live in the same world he cherished. I touch the same leaves of grass, and walk the same streets of New York. This world, this city, still holds the romance and optimism he saw—and maybe I’m capable of seeing it, too. “Leaves of Grass” has been a constant light in my life, inspiring me to believe in the transcendent power of art. It’s a call to action, urging me to create art that embodies hope and optimism, much as he did.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rexlee12.com
• Instagram: @rexsl12