Jason Lee is a multifaceted American creative, born in Santa Ana, California in 1970. His early life was marked by a successful career as a professional skateboarder, which spanned the pivotal late 1980s and early 1990s. However, Lee's passion for acting soon took center stage, and he began working in film, television, and voiceover in 1993, collaborating with esteemed directors such as Kevin Smith, Cameron Crowe, Lawrence Kasdan, and Brad Bird.
As a testament to his enduring connection to the skateboarding world, Lee retired from competitive skateboarding in 1995, but maintained strong ties to the industry through his partnership with longtime friend and fellow ex-professional skateboarder, Chris Pastras. Together, they co-manage the 25-year-old skate brand, Stereo Skateboards, which has remained a prominent force in the skateboarding community.
Beyond his work in skateboarding and acting, Lee has developed a profound passion for film photography, which he discovered in 2002. This newfound love has led him to become an active photographer and film advocate, with his work being published and exhibited throughout the years. In 2016, he published a limited edition book featuring his Polaroid and Fuji instant film photographs, which were met with critical acclaim. The book was released as a special hardbound issue of Refueled Magazine and featured a selection of small and large format photographs spanning a decade.
Lee's photographic work has also been recognized by several prominent museums, including the SFMOMA, Amon Carter, and Philbrook, which have acquired his photographs for their permanent collections. His next publication, set to release in 2017, will be a book featuring large format color film photographs taken throughout Texas.
In addition to his photographic endeavors, Lee has also been the subject of a 2018 documentary directed by Greg Hunt, which follows him as he exposes his remaining boxes of now-expired 8x10 Polaroid film. The documentary will be accompanied by a book featuring the large format Polaroids, as well as an exhibition showcasing the original photographs.
Furthermore, Lee has also produced and directed music videos for Beck and the band Midlake, as well as a short documentary and live concert film featuring Midlake. He has also worked on two Stereo Skateboards films and a previously unreleased short film starring Giovanni Ribisi and Beth Riesgraf, which will have its online debut in 2017.
