Daniel Henney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daniel Henney
Henney in May 2024
Born	Daniel Philip Henney (1979-11-28) November 28, 1979 (age 45) Carson City, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation	Actor model
Years active	2001–present
Agent	Echo Global Group [ko] (South Korea) DNA Model Management (U.S.)
Known for	Matt Simmons in Criminal Minds
Spouse(s)	Ru Kumagai ​ (m. 2023)​

Daniel Philip Henney (born November 28, 1979) is an American actor and model. He first became famous around the world when he appeared on the Korean TV show My Lovely Sam Soon in 2005.

He has starred in many TV series, including the Korean drama Spring Waltz and American shows like Hawaii Five-0. He was also a regular on Criminal Minds for its last three seasons. Currently, he plays Lan Mandragoran in The Wheel of Time TV series, which started in 2021.

Early Life

Daniel Henney was born on November 28, 1979, in Carson City, Michigan. His mother, Christine Henney, was a nurse adopted from Busan, South Korea. His father, Philip Henney, was American and worked in a factory.

Growing up, Daniel was a talented basketball player. He led his high school team, the Eagles, to a second-place finish in a big regional tournament in 1998. After high school, he went to a few different colleges. However, he didn't finish his studies because his modeling career started to take off!

Career

Daniel Henney began modeling in the U.S. in 2001. He also worked as a model in France, Hong Kong, and other places. After living in Hong Kong and Taiwan for four years, he moved to South Korea.

In 2004, while in New York, he did some acting in small plays. He also auditioned for TV shows.

His big break in South Korea came in 2005. He was modeling for Olympus cameras when a talent manager noticed him. This led to a role in the Korean drama My Lovely Sam Soon. Daniel didn't speak Korean at the time. He played Dr. Henry Kim, an Asian American doctor who struggled with the language. The show was very popular, with many people in South Korea watching the finale.

Henney in an LG Border Wireless LED TV advertisement, September 2009

After that, Daniel starred in another romantic drama called Spring Waltz in 2006. He played Philip, a foreign music manager. He also continued his modeling career, appearing in a campaign with famous actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

His second movie, My Father, won many awards in South Korea. Daniel became the first non-Korean actor to win all the major "Best New Actor" awards there! He later learned to speak Korean and appeared on fun variety shows like Family Outing.

Daniel's first role in an American film was as Agent Zero in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). In 2009, he also played Dr. David Lee in the CBS TV show Three Rivers.

In 2010, Daniel returned to Korean TV for The Fugitive: Plan B. Since 2012, he has appeared in several American TV series. In 2014, he voiced the character Tadashi Hamada in Disney's animated movie Big Hero 6.

From 2016 to 2017, Daniel starred as Special Agent Matt Simmons in Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. This show was a spin-off of the popular series Criminal Minds. After Beyond Borders ended, Daniel's character, Matt Simmons, joined the main Criminal Minds cast. He was a regular on the show for seasons 13, 14, and 15, until it finished.

In 2019, Daniel Henney was cast as Lan Mandragoran in the TV show The Wheel of Time. This show is based on a famous fantasy book series by Robert Jordan.

Personal Life

On October 20, 2023, Daniel Henney married Ru Kumagai. She is a Japanese-American actress. Their wedding was a private ceremony held in the United States, with only family members attending.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Daniel Henney para niños

• Hines Ward — NFL player of African and Korean descent who brought interest in the sport to South Korea
• Sean Richard Dulake — American actor of Korean and British descent who acted in Korean dramas