# Robert Lee (British actor)

Robert Ya Fu Lee (30 November 1913 – 1 December 1986) was a Chinese actor based in the United Kingdom.

## Background

Born in Tianjin, he arrived in England as an international student, attaining a BA in history from Trinity College, Cambridge. He then worked at a Chinese restaurant and a Japanese restaurant before being encouraged by friends to become an actor in 1944. Lee played supporting roles in many films and television programmes throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and was frequently called upon whenever a production required an East Asian character. His film appearances include You Only Live Twice (1967) and Half Moon Street (1986), and his television appearances include The Avengers, The Chinese Detective and The Bill, but his best known role is as Tarō Nagazumi, the Japanese business executive and English language student, in the sitcom Mind Your Language from 1977 to 1979. He never married, citing marriage in a 1984 interview as "Too much responsibility", and lived in a flat in Hampstead, North London, where he died after two years of ill health on 1 December 1986, aged 73.

## TV and filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1944 | Dragon Seed | Young Farmer | Uncredited |
| 1951 | Outcast of the Islands | Extra in Snooker Room scenes | Uncredited |
| 1954 | The Desperate Women | Publisher | |
| 1960 | The World of Suzie Wong | Barman | Uncredited |
| 1961 | Visa to Canton (also known as Passport to China in the USA) | Chinese Officer | |
| 1961 | The Sinister Man | Nam Lee | |
| 1962 | Satan Never Sleeps | Chung Ren | |
| 1967 | You Only Live Twice | 2nd Chinese VIP | Uncredited |
| 1967 | The Mini-Affair | Manager - Chinese Restaurant | |
| 1967 | Jackanory | Narrator | TV series, 5 episodes - Narrating traditional Chinese tales |
| 1968 | Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River | Bruce | |
| 1969 | The Chairman | Hotel Night Manager | |
| 1969 | Moon Zero Two | Hotel Employee | Uncredited |
| 1971 | The Projectionist | Usher / Henchman | |
| 1974–1979 | Hawaii Five-O | Airport Guard / Kauai Police Captain / Capt. Tanaka / Lew Kameka / Tas | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 1975 | Bakit May Bilanggo Sa Anak Ni Eba | | |
| 1975 | Rollerball | Executive | Uncredited |
| 1976–1978 | It Ain't Half Hot Mum | Bandit / Chung Soo | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1977–1979 | Mind Your Language | Tarō Nagazumi | TV series, 29 episodes |
| 1978 | Gangsters | Shen Tang | TVseries, 4 episodes |
| 1979 | Grange Hill | Ling Ching | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1979 | Porridge | Tinkler | |
| 1980 | The Professionals | Shusai | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1981 | The Chinese Detective | Joe Ho | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1982 | Tout feu, tout flamme | aka All Fired Up | Tout feu tout flamme (France: DVD title) |
| 1982 | Britannia Hospital | Mr. Banzai | |
| 1983 | High Road to China | Zura | |
| 1983 | Reilly: Ace of Spies | Admiral Togo | TV mini-series, 1 episode |
| 1984 | Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense | Chong Woy | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1984 | The Bill | Chinese Restaurateur | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1984 | Tenko | Mr. Ling | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1985 | John and Yoko: A Love Story | Eisuke Ono | TV movie |
| 1986 | Half Moon Street | Chinese Ambassador | |
| 1987 | A Cor do seu Destino | The Officer | |
| 1987 | Ping Pong | Mr. Chen | (final film role) |