Born & raised in Los Angeles to Korean immigrants, Danny Lee is an Emmy-winning director, writer, and producer known for crafting iconic stories rooted in culture and the human condition through a distinct narrative style. Lee helmed the critically-acclaimed Who is Stan Smith? which had a nationwide theatrical release in 70 markets and will debut on Peacock in 2025. Lee made his directorial debut, Rock Fresh, an intimate documentary about graffiti artists transitioning into commercial art, was highlighted by Variety as a standout at AFI Fest before premiering on Showtime.
Currently, Lee is working on Ghosts of Chinatown, a scripted crime thriller based around China Mac's turbulent upbringing in the violent underworld of Chinese street gangs in 90s New York City; 26.2, a sports drama about the San Quentin Marathon; and feature docs on Avril Lavigne, Rickey Henderson and Joey Bada$$. Previously in scripted, Lee directed the comedy feature Public Disturbance (Lionsgate) with Mike Tyson and Bobby Lee; and created, wrote and directed The Clinic (Hulu). In documentary, his work includes The Express Way with Dule Hill (PBS), 30 for 30: Friedman’s Shoes (ESPN), Defining Moments (Hulu), After The Raves (Netflix), and Road to Brooklyn, an all-access series around the Nets’ move to Brooklyn, executive produced by Jay-Z.
Lee has also directed and produced commercial campaigns for Nike, Keurig, Red Bull, Nissan, Head & Shoulders, adidas, Intel, Gatorade, McDonald's, American Express, Jaguar and more. For Nike, The Story of Air Max and The Story of Dunk legacy campaigns broke viewership records for the company. For Nissan, his branded series With Dad won the Best Branded Series at the Cynopsis Awards. For Red Bull, his doc Skate or Die on high-risk Native American skater kids on the reservation was exhbiited nationally as part of the Smithsonian Institute. Lee was the winner of the Korean Film Council Filmmakers Lab for his feature script Winter War and serves as an envoy for the American Film Showcase, the U.S. State Department’s cultural diplomacy program. His work has been featured in The New York Times, LA Times, The Guardian, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, ABC News, and GQ.