Phillip Rhee

Phillip Rhee
Philip Rhee in 2008
Born
Phillip Rhee

(1960-09-07) September 7, 1960 (age 66)
OccupationActor
Years active1977-present

Phillip Rhee (born September 7, 1960) is a South Korean American martial artist, actor, director, screenwriter, and film producer, best known for his role as Tommy Lee in the 1989 American martial arts film Best of the Best, and its sequels Best of the Best 2 (1993), Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back (1995), and Best of the Best 4: Without Warning (1998). Rhee's 1980 representation of the United States' Taekwondo Team against the South Korean team in the championships of the Asia Games formed the basis of his screenplay for the film Best of the Best.

Rhee has advanced training in taekwondo (sixth-degree black belt), hapkido (third-degree black belt), wing chun and boxing.

Life and career

Rhee was born in South Korea and raised in San Francisco, California. He is a martial artist, actor, director and film producer who has created, produced and starred in numerous films including the Best of the Best film series. The first Best of the Best film spawned three sequels: Best of the Best 2, Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back and Best of the Best 4: Without Warning.

Family

Philip's brother Simon is also a martial artist and actor; Simon co-starred in the Best of the Best films and runs a taekwondo studio in Woodland Hills, California.

In 1990, Philip Rhee married his wife Amy, a former actress and model in Korea. Their son Sean appeared in his father's 2015 film Underdog Kids and is a professional stuntman.

Rhee announced in August 2025 plans to make the fifth installment of the Best of the Best series, "Best of the Best: Honor the Brave."

Filmography

Personal life

He has advanced black belts in Taekwondo (sixth dan) and Hapkido (third dan) and trained in Wing Chun and Boxing.

References

  1. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (November 10, 1989). "Plot Defeats 'Best' Karate Sequences". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
  2. ↑ Wilmington, Michael (March 19, 1986). "A BLEND OF TWO GENRES FOUND IN 'NINJA TURF'". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
  3. ↑ "Phillip Rhee". Black Belt. Vol. 32, no. 5. Active Interest Media, Inc. May 1994. p. 22. ISSN 0277-3066.
  4. ↑ Zirogiannis, Marc (July 2015). "Phillip Rhee Underdog Master". Tae Kwon Do Times Magazine (July 2015): 58. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Simon Rhee". SimonRheeTKD.com. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  6. ↑ Vo, David (2025-08-08). "Phillip Rhee Confirms Best Of The Best 5 In The Works". M.A.A.C. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  7. ↑ McMaster, Wade (August 17, 2018). "Martial Arts & Action Movies: Top 100 Martial Arts Movie Stars and their Training Backgrounds (Updated!)". Martial Arts Action Movies. Retrieved September 8, 2026.