Meet Brian Tee, Nicole Kidman’s husband in Expats, Amazon Prime Video’s new show set in Hong Kong – the prolific Korean-Japanese star was also in Chicago Med, Wolverine and Jurassic World
Set in Hong Kong in 2014 amid the protests, the six-part show follows the lives of three American women – Margaret (Nicole Kidman), Hilary (Sarayu Blue) and Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) – whose lives change after a sudden family tragedy brings them together. Brian Tee plays Margaret’s husband, Clarke.
Either way, people are eager to see the show that will air in early 2024, according to Amazon Prime Video.
So what do we know about the man playing Kidman’s husband?
Brian Tee was born in Okinawa
Jae-bum Takata, known professionally as Brian Tee, was born in Okinawa, a Japanese island known for its nature and cultural heritage, in 1977. His name, according to NBC News, reflects his Japanese and Korean roots.
The same source states that his parents met in Okinawa, had two sons, and moved to the US to raise their family in Hacienda Heights, a suburb in Los Angeles.
He has an impressive acting résumé
Graduating from UC Berkeley’s dramatic arts programme, Tee told NBC News he realised his love for acting during his university years. He moved to LA’s Koreatown and worked odd jobs like waiting tables and bartending to cover his rent, while shooting short films at local colleges, states the source. By 2002, he landed a role as a soldier in the Vietnam war drama We Were Soldiers featuring Mel Gibson.
Since then, Tee has starred in a variety of TV shows and films including The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), The Wolverine (2013) with Hugh Jackman, Jurassic World (2015) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016). Tee has a whopping 77 acting credits to his name today, per his IMDB.
Tee was also part of the main cast of Chicago Med. He left the show in 2022 after eight seasons of playing Dr. Ethan Choi.
He’s a director too
Since his departure from Chicago Med, the actor announced that he’d be returning to the show – but this time, to make his directorial debut with the NBC medical drama.
He told Variety that while his request to direct the show he once starred in was “not necessarily an easy yes”, his directing talent came naturally. “There weren’t any nerves. It was really fun to come back and see everyone,” he said.
He’s vocal about Asian representation
Tee is very vocal about his Asian-American heritage. “There’s so many stereotypes that I’ve had to try and demystify and/or break,” he told Today in 2022, referring to his role in Chicago Med and playing Eddie Choi in Crash.
“I feel no longer do we need to keep our heads down and put our nose to the grindstone. But we need to stand up. We need to speak out,” he said. He said he was working with Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an organisation which strives to empower Asian-Americans.
His mum still jokes about him becoming a lawyer
Although his parents are very supportive of him wanting to “explore new things”, they always dreamed of him becoming a successful businessman, doctor or lawyer, he told Today. Even now, his mum jokes that he still has time to go to law school to become a lawyer, he said in his interview. Tee isn’t upset about this though, adding that his mum’s remarks come from “a place of love”.
His family life
Tee is happily married to Mexican-American actress Mirelly Taylor, best known for her performance in ABC series Lost. The couple share one daughter, Madelyn.
- Asian-American star Brian Tee plays Clarke in Lulu Wang’s Expats, which just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, with Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue and Ji-young Yoo and more
- He’s starred in over 70 films and TV shows like Wolverine with Hugh Jackman, Jurassic World and NBC’s hit Chicago Med where he had a directing stint, and he’s married to ABC’s Lost star Mirelly Taylor