Last month, Keith Lee returned to AEW television with a new look, which includes his prematurely gray hair and a cape.
In an interview with Grapsody, Lee stated that he wanted to be different and comfortable in his own skin. Lee’s new look has been inspired by the Tekken character Leroy Smith, who has white hair and sports a long coat. The former AEW World Tag Team Champion believes that his new appearance is a bold statement against society and companies that dictate how people should look.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On the personal motivation to change his look: “This is definitely the same Keith Lee that left. The Keith Lee that left was not the entirety of what Keith Lee is. I think that what inspired that look or return and all of that. I think in my previous interview, the exact terminology I used was a giant middle finger to society and a lot of companies that tell you what you need to look like. … I saw my first gray hair at 16, which means they were coming in long before that. I want people to be comfortable with who they are. Now, don’t get me wrong, I want people to be the best versions of themselves, but not at the expense of their natural looks.”
On how he pulled ideas from Tekken‘s Leroy Smith character: “He is actually the #1 inspiration behind that top. And that will actually be a style that I use going forward because it’s very fitting of who I am as a human being in terms of being not average when it comes to the brain and intellect and even having a spiritual approach to things. Not necessarily a religion, but when I say ‘spiritual,’ I mean consciousness and things of that sort.”
On his view of those who might disapprove of the changes: “Close-minded only ever see religion in that book. Open-minded people are curious. The people that dabble in the things I dabble in are like your friend [who spotted the Leroy inspiration]. And yeah, I have a picture in my phone, I literally sent the photo to my gear maker and was like, ‘Can I do something similar to this? Take out the dragon, because we already have a Bryan Danielson.’ This look, this visual appearance, is something I want to have when I’m doing promos, when I’m backstage, whatever it may be, that’s how I’m going to stand out because no one else does it. And I’m different. And I like being different. If that creates an uproar in the people and all that? Then so be it.”
