Famous Friday: Peyton Elizabeth Lee
13 year old Peyton Elizabeth Lee is the star of the Disney Channel’s hit show Andi Mack, the number one TV series to date in 2017 among 6 to 14 year old girls. Peyton is the daughter of Chinese actor Andrew Tinpo Lee and Irish-Italian psychologist Jennifer Dormer Lee. Before landing this role she had danced professionally and acted in commercials.
When asked about her racial identity, Peyton said, “I would say that it definitely makes me stand apart from the crowd. I wouldn’t say that it’s really changed anything dramatically. Yes, when we see families from my dad’s side it’s different experience than seeing people from my mom’s side. But being mixed-race has definitely had no big effect on my life really.”
She has also explained that she never felt pressured to pick one part of her identity. “I’ve always just been half,” she said.playing a multiracial character.
Peyton feels lucky to be a role model for kids. “I always had my Disney Channel role models,” she said. “Wizards of Waverly Place was my favorite show of all time. I just remember looking up to Selena Gomez, and its crazy that I might be that sort of person for somebody else.”
“We’ve had a lot of people say how relatable it (the show)is to them, and that’s really the ultimate goal for me, at least — it’s that people all around the world see that they aren’t different and they’re not alone,” said Peyton.