She gained prominence for her starring role in the romantic drama film Past Lives (2023), for which she received a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.

[2] Lee began her career in theatre, making her Broadway debut in the musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2007).

[1][3][4][5] Lee made her television debut in 2006 playing Heather Kim in the Law and Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Taboo" in .

The following year Lee made her Broadway debut as high-achieving, multilingual honor student Marcy Park (replacement) in the musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

[10][11][12] In 2020, she portrayed Princess Vicky of Valdroggia in Miracle Workers: Dark Ages, Celeste in What We Do in the Shadows, and Ellen Jones in The Twilight Zone.

[14] Lee gained critical acclaim for her starring role in the 2023 Celine Song–directed romantic film Past Lives playing Nora, a woman who reconnects with her childhood friend from South Korea.