Childhood & Early Life
Megan Lee was born on September 18, 1995, in Los Angeles, California. She was the eldest of the three children in the family. However, she was not markedly influenced by Korean culture. She became aware of the Korean musical phenomenon K-pop, only after she had grown up. She became increasingly attracted toward it, and by the time she was 10 years old, she had begun appearing in commercials.
She began training in dance, along with acting and singing. She starred in ads for ‘McDonald’s,’ ‘Nintendo,’ ‘Wal-Mart,’ and ‘Verizon.’ She appeared on several kids’ shows such as ‘iCarly,’ ‘Kidz Bop,’ and ‘Get Connected.’ Apart from performing on TV, she also appeared in many independent and short films before she turned 13. She continued her studies all the while.
Music remained her first love throughout her early years in the US. She was mostly in demand for acting and modeling assignments, and this led her to only practice music when she was alone in her house. She once came across a ‘YouTube’ channel made by a young kid, in which she sang the cover of a famous song. This inspired Megan to record herself singing and then upload the video on ‘YouTube.’ She was 12 years old at that time.
The channel started slow, but it eventually gained more prominence, mostly in her native land of South Korea. This led her to become increasingly interested in getting into the K-Pop scene. She also kept working in the US, looking for a major break. Her channel mostly showcases covers of her favorite songs. She also invites guests from time to time. The channel is still up and running, but Megan devotes less time to it due to her other engagements.
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Career
Megan Lee started her acting career as a kid. By the time she was 13 years old, she had become experienced in facing the camera. In 2008, she appeared in the short film ‘Tranquility,’ playing the key role of ‘Sun Kim.’ The same year, she appeared in another short film, ‘My First Crush.’ She ended the year with a small role in the feature film ‘A Quiet Little Marriage.’
In the next few years, she appeared in short films such as ‘Crush,’ ‘The Legend of Beaver Dam,’ ‘Choson,’ ‘Destiny,’ and ‘The Case against Jill.’ She also appeared in feature films such as ‘Prophecy of Eve’ and ‘Anita Ho.’ She had an active TV career, too, during those years.
In 2008, she played a small role in the series ‘Battleground Earth.’ In ‘Disney Get Connected,’ she played the role of ‘Julie,’ which ran for four episodes. In 2008, she appeared in the episode ‘Pissing in the Sandbox’ of the drama series ‘Crash.’ In 2009, she appeared on the kids’ game show ‘BrainSurge.’ She was a contestant in the first episode of its first season. She played a guest role in a single episode of ‘Lost Tapes,’ in 2009, and made an appearance on the game show ‘3 Minute Game Show.’
By then, her wish to visit South Korea had increased substantially, and she was finally allowed by her parents to visit the country. Megan wanted to become a part of the ever-thriving K-pop scene there. She soon started her musical journey in Korea, with an appearance on the ‘MBC’ show ‘Star Audition: The Great Birth.’ She appeared as a contestant in two seasons of the show and was mentored by ace singer Lena Park.
Lena Park had chosen Megan out of dozens of other singers. Despite Park’s mentorship, Megan could not win the title. However, she was one of the top 13 finalists on the show. Following her Korean stint, Megan returned to the US and continued her journey in the American entertainment industry.
In 2015, she earned a leading role in the ‘Nickelodeon’ musical comedy series ‘Make It Pop.’ What made her the ideal candidate for the role was her background in K-pop. The series narrated the tale of a group of American students who start their very own music band, ‘XO-IQ, ’inspired by K-Pop music groups. Megan played ‘Sun Hi,’ the leader of the group, who was portrayed as a chirpy, passionate, and weird teenager. The show received below-average ratings since its very start.
Despite discouraging reviews, the audiences came to love the series, and as a result, it was renewed for a second season. However, the fans soon gave up on their wait for the third season. Megan received great exposure to the industry, and her performance and music skills were highly appreciated. She continued making guest appearances in series such as ‘Modern Family’ and ‘The Other Kingdom.’
Apart from her acting career, she has a thriving career as a singer on ‘YouTube.’ Some of the songs that have earned her a massive number of views are her cover versions of Bruno Mars’s ‘The Lazy Song,’ Lil Wayne’s ‘How to Love,’ and Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Stronger.’ Apart from maintaining her very own ‘YouTube’ channel, she collaborates with other popular “YouTubers” from time to time. This has led to an increase in her overall fan base.
Her English covers are more popular in South Korea than in the US. Her cover for Adele’s ‘Someone Like You,’ which also featured popular South Korean singer Sungha Jung, became a rage when it was released. Apart from her English songs, she also recorded and uploaded covers of a number of popular K-Pop songs, such as ‘Monster.’
Megan has released three singles as an independent artist: ‘Love, Laugh & Live,’ ‘Destiny,’ and ‘In the Future.’
She was selected as the winner of the ‘Orange County Youth Talent Show’ in 2009. In early 2018, she auditioned for a spot on the singing reality show ‘The Voice.’ She was selected for the 14th season of the show. Although she could not make it to the finals, her performance on the show was appreciated.
