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Daniel Henney
20240514 Daniel Henney 02.jpg
Henney in May 2024
Born
Daniel Philip Henney

(1979-11-28) November 28, 1979 (age 45)
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.

Daniel Henney in an LG advertisement in 2009
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

Year Title Role Notes
2006 ... Mr. Perfect Robin Heiden
2007 My Father James Parker
2009 X-Men Origins: Wolverine Agent Zero
2012 Papa Music producer Cameo
Shanghai Calling Sam Chao
2013 The Last Stand Agent Phil Hayes
One Night Surprise Bill
The Spy: Undercover Operation Ryan
2014 Big Hero 6 Tadashi Hamada Voice role
2017 Mowgli Gool Voice role
2019 Money Roy Lee Cameo
2022 Confidential Assignment 2: International Jack
2023 Missing Elijah Park
2024 Dog Days Daniel

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2005 My Lovely Sam Soon Dr. Henry Kim Main role
Hello Franceska Elizabeth's first love Guest star; 2 episodes
2006 Spring Waltz Philip Main role
2009 Three Rivers Dr. David Lee Main role; 13 episodes
2010 The Fugitive: Plan B Kai Main role
2012–2013 Hawaii Five-0 Michael Noshimuri Guest star; 3 episodes
2014 Revolution Peter Garner Guest star; 3 episodes
NCIS: Los Angeles NCIS Agent Paul Angelo Episode: "Three Hearts"
2015–2020 Criminal Minds Matthew "Matt" Simmons Special guest (seasons 10 and 12)
Main role (seasons 13–15)
49 episodes
2016–2017 Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders Main role; 26 episodes
2016 The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show Akashi Shiganosuke Voice role; episode: "Sherman from A to Zzzz/Akashi Shiganosuke"
Dear My Friends Mark Smith Cameo
2017–2019 Big Hero 6: The Series Tadashi Hamada Voice role; 6 episodes
2021–present The Wheel of Time Lan Mandragoran Main role

Awards and Nominations

Award Year Category Works/Recipient Ref.
MBC Entertainment Awards 2005 Best Dressed Daniel Henney
MBC Drama Awards Best New Actor My Lovely Sam Soon
Dong Ah TV's Fashion Award 2006 Best Dressed Daniel Henney '
27th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards 2007 Best New Actor My Father
28th Blue Dragon Film Awards
6th Korean Film Awards
3rd Premiere Rising Star Awards
45th Grand Bell Awards 2008
31st Golden Cinematography Awards
16th Chunsa Film Art Awards
People's Choice Award 2010 Nomination for Favorite On-Screen Team X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Newport Beach Film Festival 2012 Outstanding Achievement in Acting Shanghai Calling
Shanghai International Film Festival Best New Actor
Blue Dragon Film Awards 2022 Popular Star Award Confidential Assignment 2: International

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Daniel Henney para niños

  • Hines WardNFL 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
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