Daniel Dae Kim facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daniel Dae Kim
|
|
|---|---|
Kim in 2021
|
|
| Born |
Kim Dae-hyun
August 4, 1968 Busan, South Korea
|
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education |
|
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Mia Rhee
(m. 1993) |
| Children | 2 |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
김대현
|
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Gim Dae-hyeon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Taehyŏn |
Daniel Dae Kim is a famous American actor. He was born on August 4, 1968. You might know him from popular TV shows like Lost where he played Jin-Soo Kwon, or Hawaii Five-0 where he was Chin Ho Kelly. He has also been in movies like Hellboy and voiced characters in animated films such as Raya and the Last Dragon. Besides acting, Daniel Dae Kim also runs his own company called 3AD, which helped create the TV show The Good Doctor.
Contents
His Early Life and School
Daniel Dae Kim was born in Busan, South Korea. When he was just one year old, his family moved to the United States. He grew up in different towns in Pennsylvania, including Easton and Bethlehem. He went to Freedom High School in Bethlehem.
After high school, Daniel Dae Kim went to Haverford College. He earned two degrees there in 1990, one in theater and one in political science. Later, in 1996, he got a special degree in acting from New York University's Graduate Acting Program.
Daniel Dae Kim's Acting Career
After finishing school, Daniel Dae Kim started acting in many different TV shows. He appeared in popular series like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Star Trek: Voyager, Charmed, and ER. He also had regular roles on shows like Crusade, Angel, and 24.
He also acted in movies. He played a Shaolin monk in American Shaolin (1992), showing off his Tae Kwon Do skills. He had small parts in big movies like Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Crash (2004).
Becoming Famous with Lost
From 2004 to 2010, Daniel Dae Kim was a main actor on the hit ABC show Lost. He played Jin-Soo Kwon, a Korean man who crashes onto a mysterious island. For this role, he had to speak only in Korean. He worked hard to quickly remember the language he hadn't spoken much since high school.
The show was very popular, and Daniel Dae Kim and his castmates won an award in 2006 for being a great acting team. He also won other awards for his amazing performance as an actor.
Starring in Hawaii Five-0
Soon after Lost ended, Daniel Dae Kim joined another popular CBS show called Hawaii Five-0. He played Chin Ho Kelly, a detective. This show started in 2010 and was a big success.
Besides acting, Daniel Dae Kim also directed an episode of Hawaii Five-0. He left the show in 2017. This was because he had disagreements about pay with the TV network. He wanted to be paid the same as his co-stars.
He also acted in the movie The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015). He played a character named Jack Kang in that film.
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. This was a big step for an Asian-American actor.
His company, 3AD, is now producing the ABC TV show The Good Doctor. This show is based on a South Korean series. Daniel Dae 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, Daniel Dae Kim played Ben Daimio in the movie Hellboy. He took on this role to make sure the character, who was Asian-American in the original comics, was played by an actor of the right background. He also voiced Chief Benja in Disney's animated movie Raya and the Last Dragon (2021).
In 2023, he performed in a play called Peter Pan Goes Wrong in Los Angeles.
Standing Up for What's Right
Daniel Dae Kim cares about fairness for Asian Americans in the United States. When he got sick with COVID-19, he spoke out against unfair treatment and meanness towards Asian people. He said it was important to focus on helping sick people, not on where the virus came from.
He also used his voice to help people vote. Before an election in Georgia, he tweeted about laws that made it hard for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to vote. He shared information to help them.
Daniel Dae Kim's Family Life
Daniel Dae Kim married Mia Rhee on June 12, 1993. They have two sons, born in 1996 and 2002.
While working on Lost and Hawaii Five-0, he and his family lived in both Los Angeles and Hawaii.
He also loves collecting old, fancy watches. Some of his personal watches have even appeared in his movies!
Where You've Seen Him (Filmography Highlights)
Daniel Dae Kim has acted in many movies and TV shows. Here are some of the most notable ones:
- Movies:
- American Shaolin (1992) as Gao Yun
- Spider-Man 2 (2004) as Raymond
- Crash (2004) as Park
- The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015) as Jack Kang
- Hellboy (2019) as Ben Daimio
- Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) as Benja (voice)
- Stowaway (2021) as David Kim
- Television Shows:
- Angel (2001–2003) as Gavin Park
- 24 (2003–2004) as Tom Baker
- Lost (2004–2010) as Jin-Soo Kwon
- Hawaii Five-0 (2010–2017) as Chin Ho Kelly
- The Legend of Korra (2012–2014) as Hiroshi Sato (voice)
- The Good Doctor (2019) as Dr. Jackson Han
- New Amsterdam (2020–2023) as Dr. Cassian Shin
- Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024) as Fire Lord Ozai
- Video Games:
- Saints Row series (2006–2017) as Johnny Gat
Awards and Recognitions
Daniel Dae Kim has received many awards for his acting and his work.
- In 2006, he and the cast of Lost won a Screen Actors Guild Award for being an outstanding team in a drama series.
- He also won an Asian Excellence Award for Outstanding Television Actor for his role in Lost.
- In 2016, he won Broadway Beacon Awards for his work in the play The King and I.
- In 2017, he was recognized by the Asian Hall of Fame for his contributions.
See also
In Spanish: Daniel Dae Kim para niños
