‘Kim Convenience’ Star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee Makes a Surprise Appearance on ‘The Mandalorian’
For Lee, an avid cosplayer and huge ‘Star Wars’ fan, this was a “dream come true.”
Still of Paul Sun-Hyung Lee in The Mandalorian.
Kim Convenience star, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, is officially part of the Star Wars Universe.
The Korean-Canadian actor made a surprise appearance on chapter 10 of Disney+’s The Mandalorian as Captain Carson Teva, a rebel pilot who pulls up to The Razor Crest on its travels through the system.
When Kimbits first spotted everyone’s favourite Appa on the episode, they were initially unsure if it was him. However, Lee casually confirmed his appearance via Twitter, causing everyone to go wild.
Yesssss. ASIANS IN STAR WARS. Check out my man @bitterasiandude piloting a friggin' X-wing in The Mandalorian! #StarWars pic.twitter.com/HPSZo7PvzX
— Phil Yu (@angryasianman) November 6, 2020
Yessssss! Our 🇨🇦 Paul @bitterasiandude in @themandalorian ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/vs9g42evjd
— Ashley Taylor (@thisashleytay) November 6, 2020
Lee’s entry into the Star Wars universe is especially special, as the Canadian Screen Award winner is also an avid cosplayer known for the incredible costumes and props he creates from the franchise.
Lee expressed on Twitter the role was a “dream come true” and that he “cried during the costume fitting.” He shared with fans that while he didn’t make the costume he wore on The Mandalorian, he did “help them a little with the placement and rigging of the ejection harness.”
According to CBC, his journey to Star Wars started in 2018 when he bumped into Deborah Chow, an old friend from his days working at Toronto’s Factory Theatre. Chow mentioned she was shooting The Mandalorian, and told Lee that Dave Filoni, the executive producer, was a fan of Kim’s Convenience and wanted to wrte him a part.
Lee says his journey to Star Wars started in 2018 when he bumped into Deborah Chow, an old friend from his days working at Toronto’s Factory Theatre. He and the cast of Kim’s were in L.A. for a celebration of Asians in the media.
Chow mentioned she was shooting a show called The Mandalorian and told Lee that Dave Filoni, the executive producer, happened to be a fan of Kim’s and wanted to write him a part.
Flash forward to February 2020, and Lee travelled to Los Angeles to film the episode.
“I was five years old again,” he told CBC. “I got transported to that galaxy far, far away, [I’ve spent] my entire life watching the movies. To finally be there, to be sitting there, didn’t want to leave.”
Lee’s Kim’s Convenience castmates were quick to celebrate his monumental appearance in the Disney+ franchise, acknowledging this was a big dream for the actor.
Today is a very special day because one of my best friends, Calgary’s own, and Canada’s Appa, @bitterasiandude joins the @themandalorian and Star Wars universe!!! If you know him, you know this is a dream come true and I couldn’t be more proud. ❤️ #proudofpaul pic.twitter.com/2n5KAArRrt
— Andrew Phung (@andrewphung) November 6, 2020
SNEAK ATTACK! CAN YOU BELIEVE?! pic.twitter.com/s3gSTp7Jlf
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) November 6, 2020
A huge congratulations to our favourite geek – @bitterasiandude's dream of being part of the Star Wars universe has officially been achieved 👏 We're so proud of you, Paul!
— Kim's Convenience (@KimsConvenience) November 6, 2020
Catch Paul in The Mandalorian Season 2, now streaming!
Art by sals_animated_life on Instagram pic.twitter.com/ZsZDdUxVIk
Lee also told CBC he hoped his inclusion in the series would inspire others, especially since he felt frustrated that as a young, Korean-Canadian Star Wars fan, he didn’t see anyone who looked like him in the movies.
“A Korean-Canadian in the Star Wars universe gives hope to a lot of people that dreams do come true. That this is attainable. That’s Star Wars in a nutshell for me,” he told CBC.
Here’s hoping we see more of Lee in this franchise!