Famous Friday: Peyton Elizabeth Lee

 

13 year old Peyton Elizabeth Lee is the star of the Disney Channel’s hit show Andi Mack, the number one TV series to date in 2017 among 6 to 14 year old girls. Peyton is the daughter of Chinese actor Andrew Tinpo Lee and Irish-Italian psychologist Jennifer Dormer Lee. Before landing this role she had danced professionally and acted in commercials.

When asked about her racial identity, Peyton said, “I would say that it definitely makes me stand apart from the crowd. I wouldn’t say that it’s really changed anything dramatically. Yes, when we see families from my dad’s side it’s different experience than seeing people from my mom’s side. But being mixed-race has definitely had no big effect on my life really.”

She has also explained that she never felt pressured to pick one part of her identity. “I’ve always just been half,” she said.playing a multiracial character.

Peyton plays a multiracial character on her show, but when the show was being cast. Peyton’s audition performance convinced showrunners to cast a multiracial family similar to Lee’s Chinese and white heritage.
 
“They weren’t looking for an Asian American girl,” she explained. “They were just looking for a girl. So when I went to the audition there were people of all different races, white, everybody was there. So once I was cast, then the family became Asian American. That was never the first idea.”
 

Peyton feels lucky to be a role model for kids. “I always had my Disney Channel role models,” she said. “Wizards of Waverly Place was my favorite show of all time. I just remember looking up to Selena Gomez, and its crazy that I might be that sort of person for somebody else.”

“We’ve had a lot of people say how relatable it (the show)is to them, and that’s really the ultimate goal for me, at least — it’s that people all around the world see that they aren’t different and they’re not alone,” said Peyton.

And rumor has it that she is dating her co-star Asher Angel in real life!
 
-Karson Baldwin, Project RACE Teens Co-President
 

Cast of Disney's "Andi Mack," left to right: Stoney Westmoreland, Lauren Tom, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Lilan Bowden

Cast of Disney’s “Andi Mack,” left to right: Stoney Westmoreland, Lauren Tom, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Lilan Bowden 
Photo: Natalie Cass / Disney Channel