James Lee Guy

Who is James Lee Guy?

James Lee Guy is an American actor in film and television in China known in front of the camera by his stage name Gai Ji Li, meaning "very lucky". His name was given to him by his Chinese wife.

Guy, a native of Paragon, Indiana, first met his wife, Helen, when they were both students at IUPUI staying at the International House. Guy followed Helen to Beijing in the summer 1997 and then traveled together to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and proposed to Helen in front of their university classmates before returning to IUPUI. Guy returned to Beijing during the winter break 1997-98 to visit his fiancée and married under Chinese law on January 9, 1998, then returning to the university to continue his studies that spring, but the long distance relationship played an impact on his studies and dropped out that summer, returning to his wife start their life together.

Guy was asked by a close friend to join him as an extra in film the film The 38th Parallel. Upon meeting the assistant casting director, he was placed in a helicopter flying over Changping District, and during that scene the casting director, Max Wang, allowed for Helen to fly in the back of the helicopter out of the camera view. Guy was living a dream, but only for a day. Guy went go back to his day job selling concrete blocks. Years passed and Guy got a call from his now close friend Max, to star in a TV series. He took off that weekend and excitedly traveled to Dalian to shoot “The Korean War.” There he had the honor to work with Hollywood actors Robert Sutton and Frank Novak. He appreciated the opportunity of learning from them however he found it quite depressing because later that Sunday he and his wife would return to Beijing, this time, back to his real estate job.