Everything to Know About Bobby Lee's Jin Jeong on Magnum P.I.
Bobby Lee — famed podcaster, comedian, and hilarious TV star — is also a Magnum P.I. fan favorite.
When investigating cases on Magnum P.I., Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez) often relies on his friend group's diverse expertise to get the job done.
When Magnum needs to catch a helicopter ride lickety-split, he's got his go-to pilot, T.C. (Stephen Hill), on standby. Need a waterside getaway or delicious mai tai? Magnum has his best friend, Rick Wright (Zachary Knighton), La Mariana owner and island networker, the source of endless connections.
Magnum often brushes paths with criminals and nasty lawbreakers. For these cases, the endlessly lovable Jin Jeong, played by comedian and podcaster Bobby Lee, always comes in clutch. Jin is a hilariously messy former outlaw whose humorous attempt at reform has led him to become a Magnum P.I. fan favorite. Below, learn all about Jin on Magnum P.I. and dive into Lee's side-splitting comedy career.
Who is Jin Jeong (Bobby Lee) on Magnum P.I.?
Lee plays Magnum's eccentric friend, Jin Jeong, in Magnum P.I.
Jin first brushed shoulders with Magnum and the gang in Season 2, Episode 2 ("Honor Among Thieves") and is still soaking up the sun with the squad in Season 5. At the time, Jin made a living as an incorrigible pickpocket, but his do-good nature broke through after he found a suspicious text message on a phone he stole. Since his introduction to the group, Jin has become a beloved recurring character on Magnum P.I.
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The best of Bobby Lee as Jin
Despite initially being a repeat criminal, Jin instantly charmed Magnum and his friends with his witty banter and endearing demeanor. In Season 2, Episode 14 ("A Game of Cat and Mouse"), Jin called Magnum and Juliet Higgins (Perdita Weeks) from jail with information about an upcoming assassination plot, prompting his release to help them. Was Jin being helpful for the greater good? Maybe, but he was equally invested in getting out of jail, much to the humorous dismay of Detective Gordon Katsumoto (Tim Kang).
Jin started to turn a new leaf in Season 3 of Magnum P.I., excitedly launching a new business in Episode 7 ("Killer on the Midnight Watch") with honest intentions of keeping operations legally copacetic. Jin's life of delinquency led him to become a valuable consultant to Magnum, frequently providing outlaw intel about gangs, organized crime, and general debauchery. In Season 4, Episode 3 ("Texas Wedge"), Jin agreed to attend his niece's career day at her school, coming clean to the young girl about his shady former ways before affirming his intentions to do better.
Bobby Lee's MadTV rise to fame and movie credits
Aside from his Magnum P.I., Lee has joined the cast of several must-see films and television projects since his rise to fame in the early 2000s. Lee got his start as a stand-up comedian, gaining recognition after opening for the comedian Pauly Shore. Lee's breakout role was as a cast member of the sketch comedy series MadTV, where he donned several hysterical characters from 2001 to 2009, later appearing in the 2016 revival.
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Lee has appeared in many cherished comedy films throughout his decades-long career. In 2003, Lee appeared in Pauly Shore Is Dead, and the following year starred as Kenneth Park in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. Lee reprised the role of Kenneth in 2011's A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas. Lee's other iconic comedies include 2007's Kickin' It Old Skool, Pineapple Express (2008), Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016), and 2020's Guest House.
Bobby Lee's television credits
After skyrocketing to fame as a MadTV cast member, Lee's charm and wicked-fast riffs led to several stand-up specials and appearances in reality television series as himself. Aside from playing Jin on Magnum P.I., Lee also starred alongside The Office's Jenna Fischer in the sitcom Splitting Up Together between 2018 and 2019.
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Recently, Lee has landed a recurring role as Jackie Lee in the Sex and the City reboot series And Just Like That... From 2021 to 2022, Lee had a recurring role in the comedy series Reservation Dogs as Dr. Kang.
In 2017, Lee starred in the sitcom What Would Diplo Do? and had a recurring role in the dramedy series Love from 2015 to 2018. Lee also boasts guest roles in NCIS: Los Angeles (2015), Another Period (2016), and Seth Meyers' comedy series The Awesomes from 2013 to 2015 as Tim.
Bobby Lee's podcasts TigerBelly and BAD FRIENDS
Since 2015, Lee has hosted the podcast TigerBelly alongside his best friend, Khalyla Kuhn. TigerBelly is "a no-holds-barred arena for half truths, social no-nos, and animal behavior," simultaneously recorded and filmed for their YouTube following of 846,000 subscribers and counting. Lee is also the Host of the comedy podcast BAD FRIENDS, which first began releasing episodes on YouTube in 2020. In 2023, BAD FRIENDS's YouTube channel reached over 1 million subscribers.
