TV Hero James Kyson Lee was once hometown student (original) (raw)

“Heroes” hottie James Kyson Lee, who plays Ando Masahashi on the NBC hit show, started out studying at Boston University, thinking he was going to be a sports broadcaster.

“There was a group of guys who started doing improvisation. I didn’t know what that was. So I checked it out and loved it. I found an untapped talent,” said Lee, in town over the weekend to promote “Heroes.”

Lee, who chatted with the show’s fans at the New England Fan Experience in Cambridge, said he enjoyed his time going to school at BU, but later transferred to the New England Art Institute .

“Boston is probably one of the best college towns in the United States. I had a great time,” he told the Track. His favorite hangout spots were Faneuil Hall, the North End and Allston .

In 2001, he moved to the Left Coast and found work immediately, landing a guest-star role on the CBS drama “JAG.” Then he got the role of Ando. “I think being on ‘Heroes,’ overall, is fun because it’s successful. This is one of those shows that has become part of pop culture,” he said.

Lee’s role as Ando requires him to say his lines in Japanese. “Once we started the show, NBC got me a (Japanese) coach . . . I’ve been studying the language and getting better,” he said.

Lee, who is fluent in Korean, receives the script in English, and together with his language coach, translates it into Japanese.

Although recent reports say the show’s ratings are plummeting, Lee is optimistic. “The way people watch TV is changing. The number of people who are watching TV live is shifting and people are watching it online and TiVo, but they are still trying to measure it the old-school way,” he said.

Lee also blamed the 9-month-long hiatus caused by the writers strike. “It’s going to take some time to bring people back,” he said.

However, Lee is looking forward to working on the big screen, too. “Being on a TV show is a good, steady day job . . . but you definitely don’t want to be in a small part and just be associated with one character,” he said.

“My career is still young and I want to venture out and try out different characters and roles.”

Originally Published: November 24, 2008 at 12:00 AM EST