Meet Chris Naoki Lee | Filmmaker, Actor, & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Naoki Lee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris Naoki, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I’m a workaholic. So the idea of work/life balance in my 20s was so foreign to me. I prided myself in being a night owl who enjoyed writing or editing into the wee hours of the morning. There was always a voice in my head that whispered, “as soon as your head hits the bed, there’s someone else on the other side of the world trying to take your spot.” Clearly, I found ways to keep the fuel burning.

But after awhile, that fire can burn you out, and I realized as I got older, I had to understand the meaning of the simple yet profoundly-difficult-to-attain feeling of balance. I have come to understand that the output of your creativity and work is just as important as the input of your own mental/physical/spiritual health. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the middle of the hustle: you’re feeling productive, you’re busy, you’re growing your own value. But are YOU growing? Are you growing emotionally as a participant of this world? I started to ask these questions when the creative work and side hustles consumed me, and I knew it was important to find my own version of balance in order to not only grow personally, but to expand my perspective as a professional storyteller.

Today, balance is a recurring theme in my life. I understand to receive moments and events as they come, to not get too high or too low, not overwork or over procrastinate, and to give myself the proper time to recharge before tackling the next action. Though balance is important in my work/life as a producer and writer, it also applies in my work as an actor. From balancing the visceral emotions and technical know-how of TV/film acting to the balancing of how you expend your energy on any given day on a 12 hour set, there is a nuanced equilibrium to the way we live and the work we do. I’ve learned through others as well to listen to my body, to take breaks when needed. Especially with everything going on in today’s world, we as modern artists have to acknowledge a lot of the weight we carry, and sometimes that makes us want to crawl into a ball, do nothing and just watch your favorite “Friends” episode and sleep. (Just me?)

Don’t get me wrong, though. Those years in my 20s where I worked my tail off built a certain resilience in me, so even when it comes to going at my own pace and listening to my body, I also know when it’s go time. And when it’s time to get to work, I roll those sleeves right back up. But without the balance, I certainly would not be able to sustain that type of proactive consistency.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Currently, I’m very proud of my directorial feature film debut, “Dinner Party,” and am excited to share that with the world soon. To have such talented actors hop on to this indie project I wrote was a humbling experience. We even produced this film during the pandemic! The film deals with a lot of topical issues that are very important to me as an artist and human, and it was made with so much love among a diverse cast and crew. It’s so dang hard to get a movie done from start to finish in this business, so I am incredibly proud to have conquered my first of many to come.

As a filmmaker and actor, the path to success in this business can be challenging. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart and I always tell anyone who is interested in diving in that they have to really want it. I couldn’t tell you there was one thing I did that made this journey any easier, since it was an accumulation of a lot of different actions I took, small and big, that helped pave my path. Sure, there were pragmatic lessons I learned like structuring my schedule to be productive while finding time to recharge, or expanding my network within the industry to organically create further relationships and work down the line. But I’d say one of the lessons I learned on a deeper level was about trust, I learned to keep trusting the work I do will lead to the end goal. We’re all climbing this proverbial mountain, and our doubts tell us we won’t get to the top, but trust that you will. It’s not going to be easy all the time, but it’s the constant practice of instilling those thoughts. We all call it different things: trust, manifestation, affirmations, etc, but the results are the same. You are the one in charge of your narrative. Trust that it will work out in the end, and if it doesn’t, it just means it’s not the end yet.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Wow. Too many to name, honestly. I credit so much of my success to so many people, but off the top of my head..

My parents first and foremost, since they supported this silly little kid at the age of 10 who wanted to star in movies because he watched a questionably age appropriate Jean Claude Van Damme movie. My partner, Imani, has been a queen and a rock for me on this journey, and am humbled by her love and support everyday. I give a huge credit to my team who continues to find opportunities. I also credit all of the artists/content creators I have collaborated with over the years, and owe a lot of my growth as a professional to them. And to my family and friends who have constantly supported me through the harder years, I truly recognize the importance of that type of unconditional encouragement. Lastly, a special shout out to my mentor, Dave, who has guided this still silly kid through the winding roads of the entertainment industry.

Instagram: Http://www.instagram.com/chrisnaokilee

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrisnaokilee

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Image Credits
Logan Walcher, Imani Hakim, Muneki Nakamoto