Rex Lee
About
Biography
Biography
After struggling to find his footing following a sporadic string of guest appearances, actor Rex Lee was finally propelled to stardom as the abused, but resilient assistant Lloyd Lee on the popular cable comedy, "Entourage" (2004-2011). Debuting on the show in its second season, the openly gay Lloyd became an instant fan favorite thanks to his enduring patience in the face of racial and sexual epithets hurled by his venomous boss, Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven). Infusing his character with enduring level-headedness, infinite optimism and an insatiable desire to become an agent, Lee delivered one stand-out performance after another and opened the doors for bigger opportunities. He spent six years on "Entourage," which finally came to an end in 2011, leading Lee to make his way to network television and co-starring on the popular family-oriented comedy, "Suburgatory" (ABC, 2011-14). Though he struggled for the better part of a decade in guest roles, go-nowhere jobs and obscure stage work, Lee was finally elevated to the star status he deserved.
Born on Jan. 7, 1969 in Warren, OH, Lee was raised by his doctor father and his homemaker mother who was also a born-again Christian. When he was nine years old, his family moved to Boston, MA and eventually settled in Los Angeles when he was an adolescent. Throughout his youth, Lee developed a strong aptitude in music and mathematics, nourishing a particular gift for the piano. His advanced musical skills led him back to Ohio and its heralded Oberlin College of Music, where he actually became interested in acting after an unsuccessful foray from music to dance. Lee switched majors once again and decided to pursue a career back in Los Angeles upon graduation, while taking jobs in retail and working at a coffee shop along the way. It was around this time that his relationship with his strict parents became especially strained after he came out as a gay man, leading to a years-long estrangement that persisted throughout his career.
In the early part of his career, Lee's acting résumé amassed a variety of stage, commercial, television and film work, while performing in the children's theater company, Imagination Company, and working as a casting assistant. In 1994, he managed to land a guest starring role on the Harry Anderson sitcom vehicle "Dave's World" (CBS, 1993-97), but would have to wait another five years before being seen again on screen. Following a guest stint on the obscure Judge Reinhold series "Redemption High" (1999) and a small role in the Playboy movie "Word of Mouth" (1999), Lee began landed more notable appearances on primetime television with episodes of "Son of the Beach" (FX, 2000-02), "Lucky" (FX, 2003), "Twins" (The WB, 2005-06), and "What About Brian" (2006-07). He also appeared in numerous stage productions, including the AIDS drama "Queen of Angels," as well as "Taming of the Shrew" and "Letters to a Student Revolutionary."
In 2005, even as he was in the midst of a five-year stint as a casting director, Lee landed the role of Lloyd Lee, the openly gay assistant to über-agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) on "Entourage" (HBO, 2004-2011). Lloyd was introduced in season two as Ari's new assistant and immediately made an impression with his ability to endure his boss' unrelenting insults about his sexuality and ethnicity while willingly embarking on all manner of crude and unethical requests - all with the hopes of one day becoming an agent himself. Lee proved to be a popular edition to the show and was elevated to series regular in the third season, ultimately staying on until the finale. Following his six-year run on "Entourage," he joined the cast of the family comedy, "Suburgatory" (ABC, 2011-14), which focused on a single father (Jeremy Sisto) who moves from New York City to the suburbs with his not-too-thrilled daughter (Jane Levy). Lee played Mr. Wolfe, Levy's good natured and openly gay high school guidance counselor. Meanwhile, Lee made a cameo as a judge for Nationals on the popular "Glee" (Fox, 2009-15).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Life Events
1994
Made TV debut on the CBS sitcom "Dave¿s World"
1999
Feature acting debut, "Word of Mouth"
2002
Appeared on the FX shows "Son of the Beach" and "Lucky"
2004
Worked as a casting director for the comedy short "The Cure for a Diseased Life"
2005
Joined the cast of HBO¿s "Entourage" in its second season as Hollywood agent Ari Gold¿s assistant Lloyd Lee
2009
Nominated for the 2009 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Fab-u-lous
2011
Cast as the earnest guidance counselor Mr. Wolfe on ABC's "Suburgatory"
2012
Guest starred on Fox musical series "Glee"
