A Conversation with Raymond Lee on Quantum Leap

American science fiction television series Quantum Leap was created by Donald P. Bellisario, and first began airing in 1989. Combining humor, drama, romance, social commentary, and science fiction, the series quickly earned a cult following. Airing for five seasons from 1989 until 1993, fans were saddened when the show was left in the past. In 2022, NBC announced a revival series set 27 years after Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator. This continuation of the series, also titled Quantum Leap, began airing in September 2022. Ahead of the premiere of the last two episodes of season two, HypnoticAsia spoke with the show’s star, Raymond Lee, about his career, the show, and his love for the 90’s Quantum Leap.

You first started your acting career by switching majors to acting and attending CSULB, with your original major being Kinesiology. What prompted this huge change? 

I actually switched majors when I was in community college, even before I got to Long Beach, [and it was because] I found what I really wanted to do. Kinesiology was something that I was excited about, but it was something that had no weight to me other than the fact that I wanted to tape up Shaq’s foot for the LA Lakers. But, I took an elective course in theater at community college, and I thought, wow, is there anything better? And so I wanted to pursue it and I wanted to study it properly, so I went to Cal State Long Beach to pursue theater. From then on, it’s just been the journey of getting here.

Were your family and friends supportive of this transition?

It was actually pretty okay. My mom was an actress in Korea, so she understood a little bit about what I was going through and, you know, she’s seen me at that point, you know, 20 years of life as an absolute idiot. I was a clown. I was not good at studying, I wanted attention, and I was really good in performative spaces. I was good at choir and martial arts, and anytime, I’d make a fool of myself to my friends to get them to laugh. I think, for her, it was almost a relief that I found something that I loved, because I was searching for those 20 years and I fell in love with something. [My major switch] was very much supported.

You’ve mentioned before that you were a fan of the original 90’s Quantum Leap series. Do you think your interest in the original series has impacted your approach to portraying your character?

It did and it didn’t. I knew I had to know the original to know what the story is and what the heart of the story was. But, I distinctly remember when we were in Vancouver, shooting the pilot, I was watching episodes of the original series to sort of, kind of, get an idea or to see if it would inspire me, and it was actually doing me a disservice because what we were doing was not that. We’re living in a different time. The way that we watch something is different, and the way that we like to see stories unfold is different. So, very quickly, I shut it down. I was like, okay, we’re making our own show, and I know what the show is about. I saw the best episodes that I needed to watch, but really, we were embarking on a brand new trail.

If you could choose one character from the original Quantum Leap as your dream cameo in the current series, who would you choose, and why?

I mean, it would have to be Scott Bakula! Dr. Sam Beckett (Bakula’s character) would be [amazing to see] for fans of the old series and current fans that have never seen it. He is always referenced for our current fans, so I think, to introduce him back into the Quantum Leap, would probably be pretty exciting.

The second season of Quantum Leap is coming to an end in just a few days. How do you think you’ve grown and your character has grown throughout the past two seasons?

Oh, I think Ben has had to grow because of his environment. I think he was very reactionary to everything that was happening around him, and I think he realized what was really important to him, which was his sense of purpose. At the end of the day, I think to him, whether it’s really crystallized or not, the importance is not necessarily to get back home now. It might be like, okay, how do I save as many lives and put right as many wrong things as possible? And I’d have to say my job is kind of parallel to that in the sense where, you know, I’ve always loved doing the show. I’ve always felt the sense of purpose with the show, but knowing that it’s actually touching people’s lives the way that it has been, I feel like now I have a bigger service to continue to tell these stories because they are helping people. 

Thank you Raymond Lee for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with us. The Quantum Leap’s two-hour season finale will air on February 20th! Don’t miss out.

Interviewed by: Ephney Tsai