Elaine Mani Lee

Elaine Mani Lee was born and raised in Bay Area, California where she greatly enjoyed playing sports, performing in the school choir and orchestra, and writing for/directing classmates on stage. At 17, she packed up her Honda, and moved to Los Angeles to study at UCLA, ultimately graduating with a BA in Psychology. An a-ha moment struck Lee while visiting St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy. She returned to LA, quit her office job, and went back to school to study music and dance. She landed at a music studio, working the front desk during the day and performing her poetry and music at open mics at night. She quickly transitioned to film/tv, cast as Fan Dancer in Joss Whedon's film Serenity. She trained at classical theatre A Noise Within, and continues to study film/tv acting, most influenced by Meisner and Viola Spolin improv. Lee has worked several roles on various shows, including The Mentalist, iCarly and Book Club (hulu). Her most recent credits include Hot In Cleveland, Code Black and Rush Hour. She's also appeared in the feature films Dear Lemon Lima and Behaving Badly. Lee enjoys dance, tennis and meditation. She speaks Cantonese Chinese and a bit of Mandarin, and is an avid sports fan.