This man is truly phenomenal in so many ways and I would like to say we are truly blessed to have him represent us with his talents, skills, knowledge, heart, and yes, even looks.
DISCLAIMER: the cover image for this post does NOT belong to me. It is taken from IMDB and is only used here for entertainment and discussion purposes.
Who is Daniel Dae Kim?
Um, why, one of the sexiest and most prominent Asian male faces in Hollywood, of course!
Background
Born on August 4th, 1968 in Busan, South Korea, this sexy hunk moved to America when he was only a year old and has been active in the film industry for almost 30 years! And that time has not been for nothing. Accomplishing several amazing feats, such as being one of People’s 2005 Sexiest Men Alive, and winning the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series as well as the Outstanding Television Actor for his role in Lost, Daniel has solidified his presence in Hollywood and the Asian American community.
Growing up in New York City, Easton, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, he graduated from Freedom High School and went to Haverford College where he double majored and received bachelor’s degrees in both theater and political science. This brilliant man then went on to earn his MFA from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program in 1996. From there, he began his rise in film, making appearances on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and episodes of Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, ER, NYPD Blue, and even Seinfeld. In 2004, he played a small role (Raymond) in Spider-Man 2 as a scientist for Doctor Octavius‘ lab.
Breakthrough
Later that same year, he finally broke into mainstream television as a regular cast member on the ABC series Lost, playing Jin-Soo Kwon. This role required him to tap back into his roots to relearn Korean for this exclusive role. For this part, he was awarded in 2006 with the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble and individually awarded with the AZN Asian Excellence Award, Multicultural Prism Award, and the Vanguard Award from the Korean American Coalition–all for Outstanding Performance by an Actor.
After the Lost series ended in 2010, Daniel then went to work on CBS’s reboot of Hawaii Five-0, being the first actor to be officially casted on the show, playing as Chin Ho Kelly, a role that the famous Kam Fong Chun had filled before Daniel did. When the series aired, it received strong ratings and solid critical aim, both cementing and highlighting Daniel’s presence in the industry as well as his strengths and talents as an actor. By season five, Daniel tried his hand with directing; however, unfortunately in 2017, he had to depart the show because of salary disputes (which I find very disheartening and upsetting. Come on, CBS, REALLY????!!)
In 2013, Daniel found the film and television production company 3AD which is currently producing the ABC television series The Good Doctor (which is based on the 2013 South Korean series with the same name) with Daniel, himself, as one of the executive producers. He later joined the acting team, playing Dr. Jackson Han, the chief of surgery. And in 2015, Daniel co-starred in The Divergent Series: Insurgent as Jack Kang.
Despite his wide success in both movies and television, Daniel’s achievements are not only attributed to his great looks; nope, the man has also been blessed with an incredibly sexy voice, which has allowed him to do voice acting for video games and other media as well. Some of those credits include Avatar: The Last Airbender – the Burning Earth as General Fong, Saints Row as Johnny Gat, and 24: The Game as Agent Tom Baker. He’s also had credit for voicing nature documentaries, such as the Big Pacific TV Mini-Series (2017) and the PBS Asian American history documentaries (2020).
Activism and Social Cause
Aside from his notable works and long list of accomplishments, Daniel is an extraordinarily wise, kind, considerate, intelligent, well-informed, and generous man. Using his platform and reputation in Hollywood, he is an activist for the Asian American community and the issues that affect us. The most recognizable social issue he is currently behind and bringing attention to is the coronavirus pandemic, which has sparked massive hate and racism against Asian Americans all across the country.
After he, himself, was infected with the coronavirus in March 2020, he released a video saying,
“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.”
As a result of certain politicians’ rhetoric, and although the coronavirus inception was traced back to Wuhan, China, many Asian Americans are becoming the scapegoat of the fear and ignorance that has spread along with the virus during the pandemic. Daniel has spoken out against the hate, racism, and atrocious crimes committed against and on Asians and Asian Americans, working with director, producer, and actor Daniel Wu to produce $25,000 to capture a man who was behind several attacks against elderly Asian Americans. He has also repeatedly went on air to different media outlets to spread awareness and positivity, to educate others, and to provide a voice for the Asian American community.
Support Daniel Dae Kim
This man is truly phenomenal in so many ways and I would like to say we are truly blessed to have him represent us with his talents, skills, knowledge, heart, and yes, even looks. Please support Daniel Dae Kim, and his work and activism by following him on his social media platforms, his website, and the AAPI organization:
In addition, please do not spread hate and racism. Be informed, ask and learn, and stay open-minded. These times are definitely stressful for everyone, but do not turn to physical violence, anger, and hatred on victims of the same atrocities and crises that we are all facing. Stand up against hate and racism, report all violence and hate crimes (and you can do so here), and please look out for other people. Stay safe and healthy, guys. And again #stopasianhate and #stopasianhatecrimes.
To help STOP AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Hate, please visit: stopaapihate.org
Raya and the Last Dragon: starring Daniel Dae Kim, Kelly Marie Tran, and Awkwafina
If you’d like to support Daniel Dae Kim, his latest work, AND Asian representation, please also check out Disney’s new movie releasing on March 5th, 2021, Raya and the Last Dragon (yes, I am aware that the Instagram post below says March 12th, 2021, but advertisements say March 5th, 2021). Daniel is a voice actor for one of the characters and stars alongside the voices of Kelly Marie Tran and Awkwafina.