Guy Lee, One of the Actors Who Played Charlie Wong on Dobie Gillis

Guy Lee, Dwayne Hickman,
and Shelia James from Dobie Gillis 

Guy Lee is not among the best known Asian American actors, but he is remembered by many for playing ice cream parlour owner Charlie Wong on the classic sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Guy Lee more or less shared the role with fellow actor James Yagi, and it was not unusual for Guy Lee play Charlie in one episode and then James Yagi to appear as Charlie in the next. Guy Lee was the first of the two play the part, in the episode "Maynard's Farewell to Arms." In the next episode in which Charlie appeared, "The Old Goat," it was James Yagi who played the role. Guy Lee ultimately played Charlie the most, appearing in five episodes. He last appeared in "A Taste for Lobster," episode 38 of the first season. As to James Yagi, he appeared in four episodes as Charlie Wong, last appearing in "The Flying Millicans," episode 18 of the first season. Charlie Wong no longer appeared on the show after the first season.

Aside from The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Guy Lee made two guest appearances on Bonanza (playing a different role each time), and also guest starred on episodes of Richard Diamond, Private Detective; Death Valley Days; Honey West; Ironside; and others. He also appeared in such movies as Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) and One More Train to Rob (1971).

Guy Lee's biggest impact may have been as an agent who represented such Asian American actors as B. D. Wong and John Lone, as well as an activist. He took over The Bessie Loo Talent Agency, which represented Asian American actors, from Bessie Loo, who had been an actress, when she retired. Guy Lee & Associates was still in operation as of 2019. Guy Lee was a co-founder and board member of the Association of Asian Pacific American Artists, which was founded in 1976 to right stereotyping and promote a more realistic portrayal of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in movies and television. He was among the many Asian Americans who protested the casting of British actor Jonathan Pryce as the engineer in the Broadway production of Miss Saigon rather than an Asian  actor.

Guy Lee died on November 22 1993 at the age of 66 from cancer. While it is likely he will always be best remembered as Charlie Wong on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, he did so much more.