Eugene Lee has spent more than 50 years entertaining the masses. His body of work spans from Broadway to the Silver Screen. For Lee, it's about much more than entertainment, but also, an educational experience for the audience.
From Baltimore Center Stage production of “Ohio Tip-Off” by James Yoshimura. Circa 1984 or so. Courtesy Eugene Lee
“"People don’t change until they get new information. I to think that I kind of shine a light on our darkness so that they can see. I don’t mean shining a light in a negative kind of way. I mean shining a light on our strengths, our assets and our commonalities," Lee said.
Eugene Lee’s acting credits include the Broadway productions of "American Son," "Two Trains Running" and "Gem of the Ocean." As a young man, he did a command performance of “A Raisin in the Sun” for President Lyndon B. Johnson. He has performed in over 200 television movies and series on ABC, NBC, CBS and most recently in Showtime’s “Homeland.” His television writing credits include episodes of hit shows on NBC, CBS, and Nickelodeon.
He has also appeared on stages across the country and the globe while working with other professionals such as Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Kerry Washington to name a few.
Eugene Lee’s written characters come to life through his plays, which have been produced on stages in areas such as Los Angeles, New York, The Royal Court Theatre in London and the Jubilee Theatre in Fort Worth. Lee is also an Artist in Residence and an Artistic Director of the Black and Latino Playwrights Conference at Texas State University, where he also has the honor of being a designated Distinguished Alumnus.
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Lee was honored in October 2020 by the Fort Worth Tarrant County NAACP at their annual Freedom Fund Celebration for his continued work in the arts.
“I said a long time ago that I am going to do this for the rest of my life. I made that commitment to tell the truth and to do it with clarity,” Lee said. "The same thing Cicely Tyson said just before she died when she was asked what she wanted people to remember her for. I want people to say that I did the best that I could.”
Lee still serves as Artist in Residence in the Theater Department at Texas State University.
