Cherylene Alice Lee (June 13, 1953 – March 18, 2016) was an American actress and writer.
Life Lee was born and raised in Los Angeles, and was a fourth-generation Chinese-American. She had two sisters, Priscilla "Puggy" and Virginia. She began a career as a child actress and dancer at age three, and performed in a song and dance team with her sister Virginia in Las Vegas for three summers. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Paleontology and from UCLA with an MS in Geology. She subsequently managed an alternative wastewater treatment plant as a Disney Imagineer. In 1977, she returned to the stage, performing in A Chorus Line. In 1983, she began writing plays, poetry, and fiction. Her plays include The Legacy Codes about the Wen Ho Lee affair and Carry the Tiger to the Mountain about the death of Vincent Chin.
In 2015, Lee self-published an autobiography, "Just Like Really": An Uncommon Chinese American Memoir. On March 18, 2016, Lee died in her sleep with her two sisters at her side, after a long battle with breast cancer.
Filmography
Film
+ Film Year Title Role Notes 1961 Flower Drum Song Wang's Youngest Daughter Uncredited 1963 Donovan's Reef Sarah "Sally" Dedham
Television
+ Television Year Title Role Notes 1956 Playhouse 90 Asian Girl 1 episode 1962 Dennis the Menace Sen Yuen 1 episode 1962 Bachelor Father Blossom 2 episodes 1962 The Lloyd Bridges Show Lo-Ri 1 episode 1962 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Mi Ok 1 episode 1962 Ensign O'Toole Kim Yo 1 episode 1962 Stagecoach to Dancers' Rock Ah Ling TV movie 1962–1963 McHale's Navy Kim SuTani 2 episodes 1963–1964 Vacation Playhouse Kim ChiSamantha Soo 2 episodes 1964 Ben Casey Suzie Umeki 1 episode 1964 Kentucky Jones Annie Ng 3 episodes 1965 My Three Sons Lee Ahn 1 episode 1965 A Letter to Nancy Nancy Lee TV movie 1967 The F.B.I. Linn 1 episode 1968 Missy's Men Missy (as Tracey Lee) TV movie 1972 The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan Susie ChanMimi Chan (voice) 16 episodes 1975 M*A*S*H Korean Daughter 1 episode; uncredited 1977 Corey: For the People TV movie
References
External links cherylenelee.com "Just Like Really": An Uncommon Chinese American Memoir by Cherylene Lee Article by Cherylene Lee about her plays Guide to Lee's plays