By Anne (amytych@yahoo.com)

The first time I noticed Lee was on Oz, where he played Tobias Beecher, a lawyer who was convicted of drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter. He played the role for the entire run of the series from 1997-2002.

My first Oz episode was "A Cock and Balls Story," which I saw when it first aired in July 2000. I was immediately drawn to the Beecher character -- his heart, his weaknesses, his strengths.

Beecher hates himself for his crimes but he also has a huge heart and tries to reach out to do good, even when it's not always the best idea.

I empathized with Beecher so strongly that I found myself justifying his actions, even when he was clearly making the wrong choices.

Lee's performance really struck me right in the gut and I defy anyone to watch an episode of Oz -- any episode -- and not be moved Lee's work.

A few weeks after watching that episode, I began to explore more about the man behind Beecher and was surprised to find out that I had seen Lee in a few movies and TV shows but did not remember him.

Lee played Terry ("I love you, man") in Wayne's World I and II, Officer Chris Thormann in Homicide: Life on the Street, and Rosie in Point Break.

But those roles don't begin to show the depth of Lee's talent. I highly recommend viewing Oz to get a real feel for how much Lee is capable of. He also did a phenomenal job as Frank Gilmore in Shot in the Heart. He's also wonderful in Bark, in which he plays a man dealing with his wife's mental breakdown. His performance is heartbreaking and spellbinding.

Lee also starred as Chett Donnelly in Weird Science, the TV show, which showcased his amazing comic timing. His best performance IMHO is in the "Funhouse of Death" episode, where he plays a sadistic clown.

I've been lucky and blessed to meet Lee in person several times over the past decade or so. Click on the links in the right-hand column on this page to read all about them!

Meeting Two
May 19, 2002

Meeting Three
October 7, 2002

Meeting Four
December 7, 2002

Meeting Five
January 28, 2003

Meeting Six
August 31, 2003

Meeting Seven
November 13, 2004

Meeting Eight
January 7, 2005

Meeting Nine
May 31, 2008

Meeting Ten
May 2, 2010

Meeting 11
Dec. 4, 2010

Meeting 12
Nov. 23, 2011

Meeting 13
June 9, 2012

Meeting 14
Aug. 17, 2013

Meeting 15
June 14, 2015

Meeting 16
October 15, 2017

Meeting 17
June 8, 2019