Pui Fan Lee
{{Short description|English actress}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Pui Fan Lee
| image =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|44|2014|January|30}}
| birth_place = Birmingham, England
| occupation = {{hlist|Actress|television presenter}}
| nationality = British
| television = Teletubbies
CBeebies
Show Me Show Me
}}
Pui Fan Lee (born {{birth based on age as of date|44|2014|January|30|noage=1}}) is an English actress and television presenter. She is known for portraying Po in the original run of the children's television series Teletubbies between 1997 and 2001,{{cite news|url=https://www.entertainmentdaily.co.uk/soaps/eastenders/teletubbies-star-pui-fan-lee-makes-a-guest-appearance-in-eastenders/|title=Teletubbies star Pui Fan Lee makes a guest appearance in EastEnders|work=Entertainment Daily|date=13 November 2019|accessdate=9 September 2020}} and for presenting the CBeebies preschool education series Show Me Show Me.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.list.co.uk/article/55585-interview-cbeebies-chris-jarvis-on-the-chris-and-pui-roadshow/|title=Interview: CBeebies' Chris Jarvis on The Chris & Pui Roadshow|magazine=The List|date=14 October 2013|accessdate=9 September 2020}}
Early life and education
Lee's family came from Hong Kong.{{Cite web |title=BBC - Press Office - BBC Global Channels Asia-Pacific launches three channels on Hong Kong's now TV |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/bbcworldwide/worldwidestories/pressreleases/2007/10_october/now_tv.shtml |access-date=2022-05-04 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}{{Cite web |title=Pui Fan Lee |url=https://www.sheilland.com/pui-fan-lee |access-date=2022-05-04 |website=sheil-land}} She was born in Birmingham,{{cite web |last1=Broadhead |first1=Ivan |title=Diaspora diaries |url=https://www.scmp.com/article/738614/diaspora-diaries |website=South China Morning Post |accessdate=16 September 2020 |date=20 February 2011}} and grew up in Nottingham, where her family helped to run a Chinese take-away.
Career
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2024}}
Lee's first television experience came as a member of the Central Junior Television Workshop, set up by the ITV franchise holder of the time, Central Independent Television.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} The workshop was based in Central's two studio locations of Birmingham & Nottingham, and from the Nottingham workshop, she was selected and cast as Hannah in the Children's ITV drama series, Murphy's Mob at the age of 13.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}
She would later go on to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and once qualified, appeared in a number of tv shows before successfully applying and securing the role of Po in a new CBBC show called Teletubbies. Lee was not only the voice of the character but also was inside the costume for 365 episodes between 1997 and 2001.{{Cite web |title=Pui Fan Lee |url=https://www.nmplive.co.uk/pui-fan-lee |access-date= |website=www.nmplive.co.uk}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/tv-radio/2017/04/where-are-teletubbies-20-years|title=Where are the Teletubbies, 20 years on?|magazine=New Statesman|date=6 April 2017|accessdate=9 September 2020}}
Along with Sue Monroe, Chris Jarvis, and Sidney Sloane, Lee was one of the first presenters on CBeebies, the BBC digital television channel for younger children.{{cite news|last1=Swettenham|first1=Lee|title=CBeebies|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/gallery/cbeebies-8515582|accessdate=16 September 2020|work=Manchester Evening News|date=26 January 2015}} Lee, alongside Chris Jarvis, were the first presenters to introduce programming on the CBeebies channel.
In 2004, Lee had a minor role as a Thai jail girl in the 2004 film Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.{{cite news|url=https://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/leisure/theatre/10975844.red-teletubby-unmasked/|title=Red Teletubby unmasked|work=Enfield Independent|date=30 January 2014|accessdate=9 September 2020}}
In 2006, Lee presented the BBC programme Fun with Phonics.
In 2019, Lee made a guest appearance in the British soap opera EastEnders.
From 2021-2023, Lee appeared as Su Ping Lam on HBO's The Nevers.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}
Personal life
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0266623}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080313132455/http://www.blackburnsachsassociates.com/profile.asp?ClientID=233 Profile] at Blackburn Sachs Associates
- [http://cbeebies.com/asia/pui-fan-lee/ Interview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101005052017/http://www.cbeebies.com/asia/pui-fan-lee|date=5 October 2010}} on CBeebies.com
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120428195835/http://www.chrisandpui.com/ The Chris and Pui Roadshow website]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Pui Fan}}
Category:Actresses from Nottingham
Category:Actresses from Birmingham, West Midlands
Category:English people of Hong Kong descent
Category:English television actresses
Category:English television presenters
Category:20th-century English actresses
Category:21st-century English actresses