XO, Kitty’s Hong Kong-raised breakout star Daniel Sang Heon Lee on his acting debut: the South Korea-born model will also be in Gran Turismo with Orlando Bloom and Geri Horner – exclusive interview

May 18 , 2023

Daniel Sang Heon Lee from XO, Kitty. Photo: @sangheonleesh/Instagram

XO, Kitty was just released on Netflix as a spin-off series to the To All the Boys hit franchise, with the new cast starring Anna Cathcart, Yunjin Kim, Choi Min-young and Peter Thurnwald

One of the new actors to come out of the series is Daniel Sang Heon Lee, the Korean-born, Hong Kong-raised breakout star who is currently based in Los Angeles and is inspired by Bradley Cooper

Those who have been eagerly anticipating the release of XO, Kitty, the Netflix romcom and spin-off series from the All the Boys film trilogy can prep the popcorn ahead of a weekend binge-a-thon – as it’s finally been released!

Sang Heon Lee in Itaewon, in January 2022. Photo: @sangheonleesh/Instagram

Gracing our screens today, on May 18, the new show serves as a follow-up to the franchise and narrates the captivating tale of Kitty Covey (played by Anna Cathcart) and her journey halfway across the world to reconnect with her long-term boyfriend in Korea.

Sang Heon Lee made his acting debut in XO, Kitty. Photo: Handout

Amid its fresh-faced ensemble cast, one name stands out as a rising star: Daniel Sang Heon Lee, the Korean-born, Hong Kong-raised talent who’s been making waves with his acting debut.

What some people may not know though is that Lee emerged in his first acting gig alongside his sister, Gia Kim, who plays Yuri in the show. It was Kim who implored her brother to seize the opportunity for the coveted role.

“My sister sent me an Instagram post [about the audition call] so I thought, OK, I should go for this,” Lee tells Style over a phone call from Los Angeles, where he’s been busy attending press events and interviews ahead of the show’s release. After three months of auditioning, he got the part – and so did his sister. “It was fun, we always congratulate each other and look out for one another,” he says.

Lee was born in 1996, in Seoul, Korea, and was raised in Hong Kong where he studied at an international school. He studied drama at university in Northampton, then returned to Seoul to complete Korea’s mandatory military training and pursue modelling before nabbing his first audition and subsequent role. Acting, he says, was always on the cards: “I took it more seriously though after university.”