Kwan Hi Lim

Kwan Hi Lim (Hangul:임관희; July 11, 1922 – December 22, 2008) was a Korean-American character actor, best known for his role as Lt. Tanaka in the television series Magnum, P.I..

Life and career A native of Hawaii, he was one of the many locals who have been used in TV series and movies that took place on the islands. Lim appeared frequently on the TV series Hawaii Five-O, where he primarily portrayed villains. He was known to many as the recurring character Lt. Yoshi Tanaka of the Honolulu Police Department on Magnum, P.I..

Lim worked as an attorney since 1953, retiring in the 1990s. Lim had an office on the third floor of an old mixed-use office building on King Street in the Chinatown section of Honolulu. He once was asked why he always played the "bad guy" in the Hawaii Five-O series. He attributed it to "the way I squint my eyes, I just look evil". He got his first television role in his 40s when he was flirting with some tourists after coming from surfing and a casting director from Hawaii Five-O spotted him. Lim never had any formal training throughout his acting career. After Magnum, P.I., he acted sporadically and was a per diem judge for the Family Court system in Honolulu.

Filmography YearTitleRolesNotes1970-1980 Hawaii Five-O Various roles 25 episodes1974 Inferno in Paradise Melik 1976 Acapulco Gold Wang 1979 Seven Mr. Chen 1983 Uncommon Valor Jiang 1982-1987 Magnum, P.I. Lt. Yoshi Tanaka 26 episodes1986 Murder, She Wrote Lieutenant Tanaka Episode: "Magnum on Ice"1987 Hard Ticket to Hawaii Henry 1991 Goodbye Paradise Dr. Lin (final film role)