Daniel Dae Kim facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daniel Dae Kim
Kim in 2025
Born	Kim Dae-hyun (1968-08-04) August 4, 1968 (age 57) Busan, South Korea
Citizenship	United States
Education	Haverford College (BA) New York University (MFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Mia Rhee ​ (m. 1993)​
Children	2
Korean name
Hangul	김대현
RR	Gim Daehyeon
MR	Kim Taehyŏn

Daniel Dae Kim (born August 4, 1968) is an American actor. He is famous for his many roles in TV shows and on stage. In 2025, Time magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people.

On television, he played Jin-Soo Kwon in the ABC science fiction series Lost (2004–2010). He also starred as Chin Ho Kelly in the CBS police show Hawaii Five-0 (2010–2017). He has also appeared in other popular shows like Angel, Star Trek: Enterprise, ER, and 24. In movies, he has been in Hellboy (2019), Always Be My Maybe (2019), Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), and Joy Ride (2023). He also played Jack Kang in two of the Divergent movies: Insurgent (2015) and Allegiant (2016). Daniel Dae Kim also runs a company called 3AD which produced the TV series The Good Doctor.

On stage, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in David Henry Hwang's play Yellow Face in 2024. He also played The King in The King and I in 2009 and again in 2016.

Early Life and Education

Daniel Dae Kim was born on August 4, 1968, in Busan, South Korea. He moved to the United States with his family when he was just one year old. He grew up in New York City and in towns in Pennsylvania. He finished high school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

In 1990, Kim graduated from Haverford College. He earned two degrees, one in theater and one in political science. He later earned a master's degree in acting from New York University in 1996.

Acting Career Highlights

After finishing school, Daniel Dae Kim began his acting career. He appeared in many different TV shows. These included CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Star Trek: Voyager, Charmed, Seinfeld, and NYPD Blue. He also had regular roles in Crusade, Angel, and 24.

Kim also acted in several movies. He showed his taekwondo skills in American Shaolin (1992). He had a small part in Spider-Man 2 (2004) and appeared in the drama Crash (2004).

Becoming Well-Known with Lost

Kim at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2006

From 2004 to 2010, Kim was a main actor in the ABC series Lost. He played Jin-Soo Kwon, a character who crashes onto a mysterious island with his wife. For this role, Kim had to speak only in Korean. He quickly relearned the language, which he had not spoken much since high school.

During his time on Lost, Kim and the other actors won many awards. They received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in 2006. Kim also won individual awards for his acting. .....

Kim also lent his voice to the character Johnny Gat in the Saints Row video game series. He also voiced Metron in Justice League Unlimited.

In 2009, Kim played the King of Siam in the musical The King and I in London, England. He played the role again on Broadway in New York in 2016.

Starring in Hawaii Five-0

Kim on the cover of the April 2010 KoreAm

In 2010, after Lost ended, Daniel Dae Kim joined the CBS show Hawaii Five-0. He played Chin Ho Kelly, a police officer. The show became very popular.

Kim left Hawaii Five-0 in 2017 before its eighth season. This was because of a disagreement about pay. He and another actress, Grace Park, wanted to be paid the same as their co-stars, but an agreement was not reached.

Producing and The Good Doctor

Daniel Dae Kim started his own film and TV production company called 3AD. In 2014, his company made a deal with CBS Television Studios. His company, 3AD, produces the ABC TV series The Good Doctor. This show is based on a South Korean series. Kim is an executive producer for The Good Doctor. He also joined the show as an actor in its second season, playing Dr. Jackson Han.

In 2019, Kim played Ben Daimio in the movie Hellboy. He took over the role to avoid a problem where an Asian character was played by a non-Asian actor. Kim also voiced Chief Benja in the Disney animated movie Raya and the Last Dragon, which came out in 2021.

In 2024, Kim played the main role in the Broadway play Yellow Face. He became the first Asian American actor to be nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for this role.

Activism

Daniel Dae Kim has spoken out about unfair treatment towards Asian American people in the United States. After he got sick with COVID-19, he asked people to stop being prejudiced and violent against Asian people. He said that where the virus came from was not as important as helping those who were sick.

He has also used his voice to support voting rights. For example, he tweeted about laws that made it hard for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to vote.

Personal Life

Daniel Dae Kim married Mia Rhee on June 12, 1993. They have two sons.

While working on Lost and Hawaii Five-0, Kim and his family lived in Hawaii.

Kim enjoys collecting special vintage watches. Some of his watches have even appeared in his movies.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Voice Roles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Daniel Dae Kim para niños