Daniel Dae Kim

Daniel Dae Kim (born August 4, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for his many roles in network television and theater. In 2025, Time magazine listed him as one of the world's 100 most influential people.

On television, he portrayed Jin-Soo Kwon in the ABC sci-fi action series Lost (2004–2010) and Chin Ho Kelly in the CBS police procedural Hawaii Five-0 (2010–2017). He has also taken recurring roles in Angel, Star Trek: Enterprise, ER, and 24. On film, he has taken roles 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 films: Insurgent (2015), and Allegiant (2016). He runs production company 3AD, which produced the television series The Good Doctor.

On stage, he starred in the revival of David Henry Hwang's play Yellow Face (2024) for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He has also portrayed The King in a revival of The King and I in 2009 at Royal Albert Hall and again in Lincoln Center in 2016.

Early life and education Kim was born on August 4, 1968, in Busan, South Korea, to mother Jung Kim and father Doo-tae Kim. He moved to the United States with his family when he was one year old and grew up in New York City, and Easton and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Freedom High School in Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.

In 1990, Kim graduated from Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania with double bachelor's degrees in theater and political science. While attending Haverford, he spent the 1989 spring semester studying at the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. He later earned a Master of Fine Arts from New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 1996.

Kim's film credits include a Shaolin monk in American Shaolin (1992), which enabled him to showcase his skills in taekwondo. Then came a small part in Spider-Man 2 (2004) as a scientist working in Doctor Octavius' laboratory, and the drama Crash (2004). He also had minor roles in films such as The Jackal (1997), For Love of the Game (1999), Hulk (2003), and The Cave (2005). Kim portrayed Jin-Soo until the 2010 series finale.

Throughout the show's run, Kim and fellow cast members received numerous accolades, including a 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble. He 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. Kim was named one of People Magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive" in 2005.

Kim provided the voice of the character Johnny Gat for the Saints Row video game series, which debuted in 2006. That same year, Kim provided the voice for Metron in the final two episodes of Justice League Unlimited.

Kim played the King of Siam in Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I from June 12 to 28, 2009 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England.

In January 2016, it was announced Kim would make his Broadway debut as the King of Siam in Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I from May 3 – June 26, 2016, at the Lincoln Center Theatre in New York.

2010–2017: Hawaii Five-0

In February 2010, shortly after Lost 's conclusion, it was announced that Kim would join the CBS reboot Hawaii Five-0 as Chin Ho Kelly, originally portrayed by Kam Fong. He was the first actor to be officially cast on the show.

He served as a speaker at the 2014 University of Hawaiʻi commencement ceremony.

Kim made his directorial debut with the Hawaii Five-0 season five episode "Kuka'awale". He departed the show together with Grace Park, the female lead, in late June 2017 prior to the eighth season due to a salary dispute with CBS. They had been seeking pay equality with co-stars Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan, but CBS would not agree to it. It was the first time since the reboot started that the show did not feature any Asian actors in the main cast.

Kim co-starred in The Divergent Series: Insurgent, the sequel to 2014's Divergent, playing Jack Kang, the leader of the Candor faction.

2018–present: Producing and The Good Doctor

As the founder of the film and television production company 3AD, Kim in January 2014 signed a first-look development deal with CBS Television Studios, the first of its kind with an Asian-American actor. 3AD produced the ABC television series The Good Doctor from 2017 to 2024, based on the 2013 South Korean series of the same name. He was an executive producer on The Good Doctor and joined the show during its second season in the role of chief of surgery, Dr. Jackson Han.

In 2019, Kim played the role of Ben Daimio in the reboot film Hellboy. He replaced Ed Skrein in the role to avoid a whitewashing controversy, as the character was Asian-American in the original comics. Kim provides the voice of Chief Benja in the Disney animated film Raya and the Last Dragon, which was released in March 2021.

In August and September 2023, he portrayed Francis in the Los Angeles production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong.

Kim played the lead role in the Broadway production of Yellow Face in 2024, becoming the first Asian American actor to be nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

In 2025, it was announced that Kim would serve as the host and executive producer of a documentary series on CNN International titled K-Everything, examining how South Korean pop culture spread around the world. It is set to premiere in May 2026.

Activism Kim has voiced concerns about Asian American discrimination in the United States. After testing positive for COVID-19, he spoke out against the xenophobia and racism related to the COVID-19 pandemic, stating: "Please, please stop the prejudice and senseless violence against Asian people. ... Yes, I'm Asian. And yes, I have coronavirus. But I did not get it from China, I got it in America. In New York City. Despite what certain political leaders want to call it, I don't consider the place where it's from as important as the people who are sick and dying."

In January 2017, Kim took a government-sponsored trip to Israel, together with actors Mark Pellegrino, Meagan Good, Sonequa Martin-Green and Kenric Green, as part of an effort to combat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. He attended the Anti-Defamation League's Never Is Now conference in 2021.

Personal life On June 12, 1993, Kim married Mia Rhee. They have two sons who were born in 1996 and 2002.

During production of Lost, Kim and his family split their residency between Los Angeles and Hawaii. He continued his residency in Hawaii after being cast in Hawaii Five-0.

Kim is an avid collector of fine vintage watches. Some of his watches from his personal collection have been featured in some of his films.

Acting credits Film Year Title Role Notes 1992 American Shaolin Gao Yun 1997 Addicted to Love Undergrad Assistant Akashi 1998 No Salida Hu-jan 1999 For Love of the Game E.R. Doctor 2001 Looking for Bobby D Timmy Short 2002 Superman Must Die Bradley 2003 Cradle 2 the Grave Visiting Expert Hulk Aide Ride or Die Miyako Video Sin Lakorn 2004 Spider-Man 2 Raymond Crash Park 2005 Alex Kim 2008 Ivy Leaguer 2011 Arena Taiga Mori/White Samurai 2015 Ktown Cowboys David The Divergent Series: Insurgent Jack Kang 2016 The Divergent Series: Allegiant Jack Kang 2018 Mirai Great-Grandfather (voice) 2019 Hellboy Ben Daimio Always Be My Maybe Brandon Choi 2020 Blast Beat Dr. Michael Onitsuka Also executive producer 2021 Raya and the Last Dragon Benja (voice) 2023 Joy Ride Dae Han 2025 KPop Demon Hunters Healer Han (voice)

Television Year Title Role Notes 1992–1993 Unsolved Mysteries Su-Ya's Brother-In-Law 2 episodes 1994 Law & Order Harry Watanabe Episode: "Golden Years" All-American Girl Stan Episode: "Ratting on Ruthie" 1995 All My Children Dr. Kim Episode #1.6501 1997 Pacific Palisades Kate's Attorney Episode: "Sweet Revenge" Night Man Roland Yates Episode: "Pilot: Part 1" Beverly Hills, 90210 Dr. Sturla Recurring cast: season 8 NYPD Blue Simon Lee Episode: "It Takes a Village" 1998 Lenny Duc Episode: "Collateral Damage" Seinfeld Student No. 1 Episode: "The Burning" Brave New World Ingram Television film Testifying Officer Episode: "Axe Murderer" Ally McBeal Police Officer Episode: "The Inmates" Fantasy Island Chip Weston Episode: "Dreams" 1999 Crusade Lt. John Matheson Main cast Walker, Texas Ranger Kahn Episode: "The Lynn Sisters" 2000 Star Trek: Voyager Astronaut – Gotana-Retz Episode: "Blink of an Eye" Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For Everett Jang Television film 2001 Once and Again Co-Worker #3 Episode: "Won't Someone Please Help George Bailey Tonight" Charmed Yen Lo Episode: "Enter the Demon" CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Special Agent Beckman Episode: "Ellie" 2001–2003 Angel Gavin Park Guest: season 2, recurring cast: season 3-4 2002 Any Day Now Mr. Chung Episode: "Call Him Macaroni" 2003 Street Time Vo Nguyen Episode: "Born to Kill" Miss Match Clifford Kim Recurring cast Momentum Agent Frears Television film 2003–2004 Star Trek: Enterprise Corporal Chang Recurring cast: season 3 ER Ken Sung Recurring cast: season 10 24 Tom Baker Recurring cast: season 2-3 2004 Without a Trace Mark Hiroshi Episode: "Exposure" Thomas Choi Episode: "Riceburner" 2004–2010 Lost Jin-Soo Kwon Main cast 2006 Avatar: The Last Airbender General Fong (voice) Episode: "The Avatar State" Justice League Unlimited Metron (voice) 2 episodes The Premise Daniel Jung Episode: "Butt Plug" The Hot Zone Matthew Ryker Main cast: season 2 2022 Roar Harry Episode: "The Woman Who Was Kept on a Shelf" 2022–2023 Pantheon David Kim (voice) Main cast 2023 Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. Max Lee Episode: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Doctor" Star Wars: Visions Bichan (voice) Episode: "Journey to the Dark Head" 2025 Butterfly David Jung Also executive producer 2026 K-Everything Self Host

Theater

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2006 24: The Game Agent Tom Baker Saints Row Johnny Gat 2007 Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Burning Earth General Fong

Documentary Year Title Role Notes 2013 Linsanity Narrator 2016 Finding Kukan Rey Scott (voice)

Awards and nominations