Moonyeenn Lee

Moonyeenn Lee (February 1944 – 18 July 2020) was a South African casting director, talent agent and producer. She earned Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her work on the Hulu series The Looming Tower and the 2016 Roots remake. She became the first South African member of both the Motion Picture and Television Academies.

Lee founded the talent agency Moonyeenn Lee & Associates (MLA) in 1974 and Khulisa Productions in 1998. She was awarded the Lionel Ngakane Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 South African Film and Television Awards.

Early and personal life Lee was born in Johannesburg. She was named after a character from the 1932 film Smilin' Through. She moved to England, where she was mostly educated, when she was 7 for her mother Shirley Hepburn's work as a stage actress whilst her father stayed behind in South Africa. She began working for a knitwear company in London at 17.

Lee and salesman Leon Lee were married for five years and divorced in 1974. The pair had a son David and a daughter Cindy. After her divorce, Lee was looking for a new career. She trained to become an agent with James Fraser of Fraser and Dunlop in England.

Lee raised her children in Parkmore, who both now work in the entertainment industry. She later lived in Rosebank. A number of actors, other industry people, and Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa paid their tributes.

Filmography Film Year Title Notes 1979 Game for Vultures 1979 Plekkie in die son 1986 Nag van Vrees 1987 Nukie 1987 Jane and the Lost City 1988 An African Dream 1988 Red Scorpion Produced 1988 Blind Justice 1989 Jobman Produced 1991 Panga 1993 Friends 1997 Jump the Gun 1998 Tarzan and the Lost City 1998 The Quarry 1998 The Storekeeper Short film; produced 1999 A Reasonable Man 2000 The King Is Alive 2001 High Explosive 2002 Promised Land Produced 2003 The Wooden Camera 2004 In My Country 2004 Max and Mona 2004 Hotel Rwanda 2005 Tsotsi 2006 Catch a Fire 2006 Blood Diamond 2007 Goodbye Bafana 2008 Triomf Produced 2010 Life, Above All 2010 State of Violence 2010 The Bang Bang Club 2010 The First Grader 2011 How to Steal 2 Million 2011 Lucky 2011 Machine Gun Preacher 2012 Safe House 2013 Fanie Fourie's Lobola 2013 Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom 2013 Four Corners 2013 Cold Harbour 2014 Faan se trein 2014 Leading Lady 2014 Impunity 2014 The Good Lie 2015 The Endless River 2015 Eye in the Sky 2016 Shepherds and Butchers 2016 Vaya 2017 Beyond the River 2017 The Number 2017 Five Fingers for Marseilles 2019 Serenity 2019 This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection

Television Year Title Notes 1986 The Summer House Television film 1994 The Line Television film 1996 Inside Television film 1997 Mandela and de Klerk Television film 1998 Diamond Girl Television film 1998 Running Wild Television film 1999–2004 Yizo Yizo 2001 Dr Lucille: The Lucille Teasdale Story Television film 2002 In Desert and Wilderness 2007–2012 Wild at Heart 2007 Life Is Wild 2008 The Devil's Whore Miniseries 2009 Hopeville 2009 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 2009 The Prisoner Miniseries 2011 Leonardo 2012 Fynbos 2012 Dirty Laundry Short film 2013 Mary and Martha Television film 2014 Homeland Season 4 2015 The Gamechangers Television film 2016 Cape Town Miniseries 2016 Roots Miniseries 2016 Hooten & the Lady Miniseries 2017 Madiba Miniseries 2018 Black Panther 2018 The Looming Tower Miniseries 2019 The Girl from St. Agnes Miniseries 2019 Warrior 2019 The Hot Zone 2020 Shaina Television film; posthumous release

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Roots 2017 South African Film and Television Awards Dr Lionel Ngakane Lifetime Achievement Award 2018 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie The Looming Tower