Brook Lee
Miss Universe 1997
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Hawaii USA pageant?
It was my last year of eligibility, and I had been running in the Miss Hawaii America system for four years to pay for college…I never was very successful in the Miss Hawaii America system, but it paid my way though college.
What would be your most memorable moment at Miss USA?
There were a lot of memorable moments, but I would definitely have to say winning….no one in Shreveport thought I was a front runner, I hardly got any press during pageant week..and then out of no where I won.
What was going through your head when you were announced as Miss USA?
I just couldn’t believe it had happened, I couldn’t believe I could answer the questions as honestly and maybe not so “pageant” correctly and still get high marks.
What would be your most memorable moment at Miss Universe?
Winning Miss Universe was surreal, I had kind of given up the idea of winning , and thought I was good as Miss USAthere is no need to be greedy and ask for more, so I just decided to relax have a good time and enjoy the experience..and then winning on top of that was CRAZY. But I really had a great time with all the girls…there were no real problems, everyone got along great I still keep in touch with some of the contestants to this day.
What was going through your head when you were announced as Miss Universe?
I really was in pure shock, as you can tell in photo’s of my mouth dropping wide open..I kind of thought when I answered my question so frankly and short…that I was gonna be a runner up and that would be it..no one gets crowned for saying they would eat everything twice…but I did.
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Universe?
There are so many moments that were memorable..standing at the DMZ in Korea, where my father had served in the Army,..being able to travel to distant lands like Sri Lanka. It was all so memorable, but honestly the times I really look back on fondly is the people in the office, we were and a lot of us are still very close. I spent a LOT of time in the office, whenever I wasn’t traveling just learning about the pageants, and how the productions worked..it really taught me a lot about how live shows are produced, and made me appreciate what it takes to pull off an event as huge as the Miss USA/Universe Pageants.
Out of all the television and movie appearances you have made, which would be your most memorable and favourite?
I am actually not an actor, never have been never wanted to be, I was going to work behind the scenes in Hawaii with the film commissions office before I won MISS USA…my heart has always been in production…so I guess I would say being a part of the LIVE Miss USA and Universe pageants through the years have been memorable…it is very interesting to be able to see the event from both being a contestant and then being behind the scenes as part of the announcing and backstage…you get a whole different perspective.
Do you think you’ve made a difference during your reign as Miss Universe?
I would like to hope I made a difference during my year, sometimes I look back with a little regret because it was such a transitional year for the company with Donald Trump taking over the pageant as I was being crowned Miss USA so maybe my year was more about the whole company finding out who they were as opposed to me being able to be utilized…but I traveled to 13 countries in 12 months, met so many great people from princess to presidents and everyone in between..and twelve years later I am still in contact with people from that year so I would hope that means something.
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Universe ended?
Well since I gave up the title I will be honest the first three years were a complete blur…a lot of travel a LOT of catching up on life after a year of being on the run..and then I just sort of stayed in LA and figured what I wanted to do..I did some movie producing, and got married, had a baby..so I have been busy, and grateful that people still remember a girl from Pearl City, Hawaii who won Miss Universe once a long long time ago.
It was my last year of eligibility, and I had been running in the Miss Hawaii America system for four years to pay for college…I never was very successful in the Miss Hawaii America system, but it paid my way though college.
What would be your most memorable moment at Miss USA?
There were a lot of memorable moments, but I would definitely have to say winning….no one in Shreveport thought I was a front runner, I hardly got any press during pageant week..and then out of no where I won.
What was going through your head when you were announced as Miss USA?
I just couldn’t believe it had happened, I couldn’t believe I could answer the questions as honestly and maybe not so “pageant” correctly and still get high marks.
What would be your most memorable moment at Miss Universe?
Winning Miss Universe was surreal, I had kind of given up the idea of winning , and thought I was good as Miss USAthere is no need to be greedy and ask for more, so I just decided to relax have a good time and enjoy the experience..and then winning on top of that was CRAZY. But I really had a great time with all the girls…there were no real problems, everyone got along great I still keep in touch with some of the contestants to this day.
What was going through your head when you were announced as Miss Universe?
I really was in pure shock, as you can tell in photo’s of my mouth dropping wide open..I kind of thought when I answered my question so frankly and short…that I was gonna be a runner up and that would be it..no one gets crowned for saying they would eat everything twice…but I did.
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Universe?
There are so many moments that were memorable..standing at the DMZ in Korea, where my father had served in the Army,..being able to travel to distant lands like Sri Lanka. It was all so memorable, but honestly the times I really look back on fondly is the people in the office, we were and a lot of us are still very close. I spent a LOT of time in the office, whenever I wasn’t traveling just learning about the pageants, and how the productions worked..it really taught me a lot about how live shows are produced, and made me appreciate what it takes to pull off an event as huge as the Miss USA/Universe Pageants.
Out of all the television and movie appearances you have made, which would be your most memorable and favourite?
I am actually not an actor, never have been never wanted to be, I was going to work behind the scenes in Hawaii with the film commissions office before I won MISS USA…my heart has always been in production…so I guess I would say being a part of the LIVE Miss USA and Universe pageants through the years have been memorable…it is very interesting to be able to see the event from both being a contestant and then being behind the scenes as part of the announcing and backstage…you get a whole different perspective.
Do you think you’ve made a difference during your reign as Miss Universe?
I would like to hope I made a difference during my year, sometimes I look back with a little regret because it was such a transitional year for the company with Donald Trump taking over the pageant as I was being crowned Miss USA so maybe my year was more about the whole company finding out who they were as opposed to me being able to be utilized…but I traveled to 13 countries in 12 months, met so many great people from princess to presidents and everyone in between..and twelve years later I am still in contact with people from that year so I would hope that means something.
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Universe ended?
Well since I gave up the title I will be honest the first three years were a complete blur…a lot of travel a LOT of catching up on life after a year of being on the run..and then I just sort of stayed in LA and figured what I wanted to do..I did some movie producing, and got married, had a baby..so I have been busy, and grateful that people still remember a girl from Pearl City, Hawaii who won Miss Universe once a long long time ago.