'Mulan' Voice Actress and Singer Coco Lee Dies, Aged 48

Hong Kong-born American actress and singer Coco Lee, has died at the age of 48.

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Sisters Nancy and Carol Lee made public that Coco Lee had attempted suicide over the weekend after “suffering from depression for a few years”. Her condition had allegedly “deteriorated drastically over the last few months” despite Lee seeking professional help, and “[doing] her best to fight depression”.

Her family announced that “sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her”, and on July 2, she was sent to the hospital after making the attempt. She remained in a coma until July 5, 2023, when she passed away “despite the best efforts” of the hospital’s medical team.

Sisters Nancy and Carol Lee, shared the sad news on Nancy Lee’s Instagram along with a heartwarming montage of the family together.

Coco Lee originated the Chinese role of Fa Mulan in the 1998 Disney classic, Mulan, starring opposite Jackie Chan as the voice of Li Shang in the Taiwanese Mandarin film, as well as providing the singing voice for the lead Disney Princess. Making her debut in 1994, the singer was notable for breaking boundaries, finding significant fame in Asia and Chinese-speaking countries as a pop diva — and eventually the international music realm, singing iconic theme songs for movies like Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), alongside roles like ones at Disney.

When the 1998 animated movie Mulan debuted in English, it saw Ming-Na Wen as the voice of Mulan, while Lea Salonga provided the singing voice of Mulan, alongside Eddie Murphy as Mushu, B.D. Wong as Captain Li Shang, Miguel Ferrer as Shan Yu. All of these stellar actors together with Disney’s animators brought the inspiring story to life — of a courageous young woman who disguises herself as a man to join the army and protect her family. As the Chinese-speaking face of Mulan, Coco Lee represented the role the same way Disney darling Lea Salonga (Princess Jasmine in 1992’s Aladdin) did, to many people around the world.

The two Mulan actresses came together to perform the powerful duet “Reflection” at the Opening Ceremony of Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005:

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Mulan has just reached its 25th anniversary since the animated film’s release, but Coco Lee had not stopped portraying the character, more recently reprising the iconic “Reflection” for the live-action Mulan (2020) movie.

Lee’s sisters shared openly about the singer, saying that Lee had “worked tirelessly to open up a new world for Chinese singers in the international music scene”, and shared their final wishes:

We hope that everyone will not only miss Coco, but also share her bright smile, treat everyone with sincerity, kindness and love, and continue her wish to let everyone around feel her love and happiness.

Inside the Magic offers our condolences to the Lee family, and everyone affected by this unfortunate passing.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the USA by calling or texting 988 on your phone or by visiting 988lifeline.org. If you live outside the USA, you can find a helpline in your country of residence at findahelpline.com.