Daniel Dae Kim

Biography

Through the diversity of his roles on stage and screen, Daniel Dae Kim continues to expand our perceptions of the Asian-American man. In characters ranging from the King of Siam, a Shakespearean hero, a social worker for the Chicago needy, to a counter-terrorist agent, his work has consistently proven to transcend the historical barriers of race and stereotype. Daniel's most recent work on ABC's Lost (2004), is no exception. As "Jin Soo Kwon", a Korean businessman and reluctant enforcer for his father-in-law, his character transformed from an overprotective "traditional" husband to a man who re-learns how to live and love. His portrayal of this multi-faceted character signaled a breakthrough for primetime network television, and has helped make Lost (2004) a worldwide hit since its debut in 2004. Since then, both Daniel and the show have been widely recognized for their excellence. Sharing a 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble, the Korean-American actor's universal appeal was also recognized by "People" Magazine, which named him one of the "Sexiest Men Alive" in 2005, as well as "TV Guide", which recognized him as one of "TV's Sexiest Men" in 2006. In that same year, Daniel was individually honored with an AZN Asian Excellence Award, a Multicultural Prism Award and a Vanguard Award from the Korean American Coalition, all for Outstanding Performance by an Actor. In 2009, his recognition continues with the prestigious KoreAm Journal Achievement Award in the field of Arts and Entertainment. Born in Busan, South Korea and raised in New York and Pennsylvania, Daniel discovered acting while a student at Haverford College. Though briefly considering a career as an attorney, he decided to follow his true passion and moved to New York City, where he began his work on stage. There, he performed in classics such as "Romeo and Juliet", Anton Chekhov's "Ivanov" and Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House", as well as working with an improv comedy troupe. Despite his early success, however, he decided to deepen his dedication to the craft by studying at the Graduate Acting program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a Master's Degree in Fine Arts in 1996. Upon graduation, Daniel's film career began in earnest with roles in The Jackal (1997), For Love of the Game (1999), The Hulk (2003), Spider-Man 2 (2004) and The Cave (2005), as well as the Academy Award-winner for Best Picture, Collision (2004). Most recently, he completed production on The Adjustment Bureau (2011), starring Matt Damon and directed by George Nolfi. On television, he's guest-starred on numerous shows, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000), ER (1994) and, for two seasons, 24 (2001) as CTU Agent "Tom Baker". In 2008, he also starred in the Emmy-nominated mini-series adaptation of Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain (2008). Kim has also complemented his television work by lending his voice talents to video games, creating characters in "Saints Row" 1 and 2, "Scarface: The World Is Yours", "Tenchu" and "24", as well as the animated TV series' Justice League (2001) Unlimited and Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005). Daniel rekindled his love for the stage by performing the role of the "King of Siam" in the iconic production, "The King and I", directed by Jeremy Sams, at London's world-renowned Royal Albert Hall. In 2010, Kim was cast as Chin Ho Kelly, a disgraced police officer who is recruited by Commander Steve McGarrett and Danny "Danno" Williams to work for the governor's task force "Five-0", in Hawaii Five-0 (2010). His cousin Kono Kalakaua joins them in the first season as an officer just finishing her training as a new addition to the Five-0 team. The show is launching the sixth season in September 2015. Though he spends time in Los Angeles and New York, Daniel spends most of the year in Honolulu, where he devotes his free time to a number of different charities, his restaurant and his family.