Most people in the United States might not know Lee Thompson Young, but they will remember his face. He was born September 1984 in Columbia, South Carolina.
At the age of 10, he started getting roles in several local theater productions and put on one man shows at churches and libraries. He played Martin Luther King Junior in two productions, A Night of Stars and Dreams and Young Treasures. Young Treasures was a one-man show that featured a speech written by him. He used the money that was earned and convinced his mother to move to New York. Once there he got an agent and manager.
His first TV spots included Wonder Bread (he’s the kid that was making faces about eating white bread) and Cheerios. Fox provided him some roles on New York Undercover (until an episode guide can be found exact episodes can’t be provided). He had a role in a film called Peroxide Passion.
Disney was in need of an original series to replace the retiring Avalona series and decided to create a series about a boy that was a star of his own show. The result was The Famous Jett Jackson with Lee playing Jett Jackson, who played Silverstone on his own series.
The series is filmed in Toronto, Canada like Flash Forward before it. Playing Jett and Silverstone suited Lee very well. He is a devoted fan of James Bond and he learned various martial art skills to do most of the stunts on the series. Despite not being on one of the big six networks, the series has developed a following. In fact stars such as Britnay Spears, Usher, Destiny’s Child and Lindsay Booth (Relic Hunter).
Lee found time to star in the Disney movie Johnny Tsunami, where he took a page out of the book of 90210. He played a 13 year old. Lee skipped a grade to be a 16 year old high school Senior.
Lee wrote the episode “Something to Prove” where Jett had to deal with a school bully. The Famous Jett Jackson: The Movie premiered June 2001 where Jett and Silverstone switch places.
With Jett Jackson ended, Lee got a semiregular role on CBS's The Guardian. He had a cameo on ABC's Philly.
Lee Thompson websites
Disney
Jett Jackson Home Page
Jett Jackson episode guide
