Why Sergeant Jimmy Kee From East New York Looks So Familiar
CBS' "East New York" has been a hit so far after first airing Oct. 2, 2022 (via Variety). The drama follows a newly promoted cop (Amanda Warren) who proposes several changes for the betterment of her community, though not all of her fellow servicemen are on board at first. Her goal is to not only protect and persevere but to fully integrate as community members. While audiences have become quite familiar with Regina Haywood (Warren) as the show's main star, Officer Quinlan (Olivia Luccardi) as her outspoken supporter, and Tommy Killian (Kevin Rankin) and Crystal Morales (Elizabeth Rodriguez) as some of her main oppositions, not much interaction has occurred with recurring character Sgt. Jimmy Kee just yet.
Kee is elusive to viewers other than the fact that he is a precinct supervisor, but fans shouldn't worry too much based on the actor's filmography; he joins an accomplished cast for "East New York." C.S. Lee has been active since 1998 and has played more than one memorable comedic character during his time in the spotlight. His many hats through different genres of TV show and movies speaks of his great range as an actor and make him someone that people should look out for. Here are some of Lee's most impressive roles that will help piece the puzzle together of where you've seen Kee's face before.
The overcompetitive, somewhat hostile Harry Tang on Chuck
For audiences who loved following Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi), a computer whiz, salesman, and secret CIA spy at the fictional "Buy More" tech store, they might remember hilarious C.S. Lee's performance as Harry Tang from the very first season of "Chuck". "He knows you won't leave the comfort of the herd," Harry says, about Chuck's position on the Nerd Herd Buy More team.
Harry Tang was an overly competitive coworker who delighted in making his fellow workers miserable. Every chance he had was spent teasing and belittling Chuck and Chuck's best friend, Morgan Grimes (Joshua Gomez); he had a personal vendetta against Morgan it seemed. While unaware of Chuck's secret life, Harry was delighted to take advantage by constantly tallying up Chuck's absence and distraction from the workplace as being a worker with little ambition or care. Of course, Chuck couldn't correct Harry, which made the situation extra painful.
One of the season's memorable moments with Harry was his exit from the show, when he walks in on Chuck with Major John Casey (Adam Baldwin) and CIA Officer Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski). Casey can solve the problem by telling Harry that he is the "big potato," Chuck is the "small potato" and to successfully continue his mission, Harry needs to relocate to Oahu. With his pride and his already big head inflated a little more, audiences sadly never saw Harry past that last episode.
The crude, Hawaiian shirt clad Vince Masuka on Dexter
C.S. Lee was still a comedic relief during his main character appearance as Vince Masuka on Showtime's "Dexter." Vince Masuka was known for pining after Dexter's (Michael C. Hall) adoptive sister, Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter), and also making sexual innuendos at every possible opportunity. He did, however, know when to hold back (though those moments weren't very frequent throughout the show). His inappropriate personality sometimes distracted audiences from how smart and articulate he was at his job as the lead forensic specialist for the Miami Metro Police department; Dexter often worried that Vince might discover the truth about him and his vigilante doings.
Vince Masuka is also notably the one character whom Dexter considers a friend because Dexter seems to believe that Vince is also hiding something and trying to fit in, just as he is. As a recurring character in the first season, Vince found himself a main character for the remaining duration of the series.
Fans might remember when Vince changed his personality, taking a pause from the inappropriate jokes, and dressing up in suits and ties instead of his patterned Hawaiian shirts after Joey Quinn (Desmond Harrington) tells him that he is "the vilest person" he had ever met. Debra becomes concerned with this reformation and is the one who encourages Vince to go back to being himself. After cracking another sex-centered joke, Vince is back to his roots for good.
Stints on True Detective and Chicago Med
C.S. Lee has had a fair number of appearances following his stint on "Chuck" and his long-running role on Showtime's "Dexter."
In 2015, Lee starred alongside Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, and Vince Vaughn in the second season of "True Detective." The anthology series has a different cast of characters and a different mystery every season, and Lee joined as State Attorney Richard Geldof. Geldof opened a special investigation concerning the murder of Ben Caspere, Frank Semyon's (Vince Vaughn) business partner. While Lee was only present for half the season, the season finale saw him elected governor, which was precisely his plan. Richard is notably a distinct break from Lee's typical roles; it was a more serious performance for this character.
Later on, in 2018, Lee joined "Chicago Med" as Bernard Kim, a man who dates Emily Choi (Arden Cho), Dr. Ethan Choi's (Brian Tee) adopted sister. He appeared in six episodes during the fourth season, and it was a surprise to both Emily and fans as well when both she and his wife and daughter showed up at the hospital at the same time. It hurt Emily, but it was for the best that Ethan orchestrated the uncomfortable meeting.
Lee is a memorable face for his very notable appearances across film and TV, but especially in television. Audiences can anticipate enjoying more of him in his new role as Sgt. Jimmy Kee in "East New York" as the series continues.