Daniel Dae Kim Biography


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A versatile actor who moves regularly between stage and screen, Daniel Dae Kim continues to build his career with his role as Jin on Lost. Among his numerous accomplishments, he has recurred on television's 24 as CTU agent Tom Baker, ER as social worker Ken Sung and attorney Gavin Park on Angel, as well as guest starring in many other popular programs, including CSI and Seinfeld.

On film Daniel was seen in 2005's The Cave as Alex Kim, a member of a team of expert scuba divers sent to explore a mysterious network of underwater caves. He has worked on everything from big budget films like Spider-Man 2 and The Hulk to critically acclaimed independent films such as Crash and the Onion Sketch Movie.

In addition to film and television, Daniel also remains committed to the stage, most recently performing in a production of Chekhov's "Ivanov" in New York. His body of work ranges from Shakespeare to Beckett to improv comedy, and he credits his love of theater to his training at N.Y.U., where he received his MFA from the Graduate Acting program.

Daniel is pursuing opportunities on the other side of the camera as well, having recently optioned the rights to the Leonard Chang novel, "Over the Shoulder." The story revolves around a man investigating the murder of his friend and partner, only to uncover dark secrets about his own past in the process. It is one of the first works of its kind to feature an Asian American protagonist, and Daniel is working to develop it into a feature film.
(courtesy of ABC) A handsome, chiseled actor of South Korean origins who labored for over a decade onscreen before officially landing his breakout role in the hit ABC series Lost, Daniel Dae Kim got his start with bit roles in such popular shows as Beverly Hills 90210, Angel, and 24 before turning heads as the only non-English-speaking passenger to be stranded on a mysterious island paradise inhabited by psychic smoke monsters and malevolent "Others." Born in Pusan, South Korea, and raised in New York and Pennsylvania, Kim earned his B.A. from Haverford college before briefly considering a career in law. It was a fateful early-career appearance on an episode of Law & Order that spurred the burgeoning actor to ditch the courtroom and take to the stage, with subsequent roles in +Romeo and Juliet and +A Doll's House providing all the encouragement Kim needed to continue developing his craft. Later, after earning his M.F.A. through the Graduate Acting Program at New York University, roles in such high-profile television hits as Seinfeld, Ally McBeal, The Practice, and Party of Five came fast and furious. Though additional appearances in such features as The Jackal and For Love of the Game showed big-screen promise as well, it was on the small screen that Kim seemed most comfortable. Increasingly prominent roles in Angel, Enterprise, ER, and 24 hinted at something big in Kim's future, and with the turbulent descent of Oceanic flight 815 that something big came crashing down in a very big way.

A virtual phenomenon from the very first episode, Lost proved the kind of television series capable of literally starting its own mythology -- and Kim was directly at the center of the firestorm from the very beginning. Cast as the son of a poor fisherman who eventually married into one of Korea's most powerful crime families, Kim proved a captivating presence on the show and was voted one of People Magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive" in 2005. Though Lost would indeed prove to be Kim's bread and butter, the actor continued to appear in features (Spider-Man 2, Crash) as well as branching out into the increasingly lucrative world of video-game voice-overs (24: The Game, Saints Row). Somehow, in the midst of his wildfire success, Kim has even found the time to keep his passion for the theater alive by appearing in a New York stage production of Chekhov's +Ivanov. Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide



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