# Daniel Dae Kim
**Daniel Dae Kim** (born 1968 in Pusan, South Korea) is a Korean-American actor, director, producer, and advocate whose career spans television, film, and Broadway. He became widely known playing Jin-Soo Kwon on the ABC drama *Lost* (2004–2010) and Detective Chin Ho Kelly on CBS's *Hawaii Five-0*, and in 2025 he became the first Asian nominee for the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a [Play](https://www.edgepedia.org/play-theatre).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/daniel-dae-kim/) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/d63d7f9395e9121445dffa50524001cd)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1968, Pusan (Busan), South Korea; Korean-American[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/daniel-dae-kim/) |
| Breakout role | Jin-Soo Kwon on *Lost* (ABC, 2004–2010); the cast won an ensemble Screen Actors Guild Award[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/daniel-dae-kim/) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65987234/) |
| Series regular | Chin Ho Kelly on *Hawaii Five-0* for seven seasons; left in 2017 after a contract dispute with CBS[4](https://time.com/4847554/hawaii-five-0-equal-pay-controversy/) |
| Education | Bachelor's in theater and political science, Bryn Mawr College; MFA in acting, NYU Tisch School of the Arts[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/daniel-dae-kim/) |
| Producing | His company 3AD executive produced *The Good Doctor* (ABC) and the 2023 documentary feature *Bad Axe*[5](https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2025/11/18/daniel-dae-kim-to-lead-and-executive-produce-new-host-led-travel-series-k-everything-from-cnn-original-series/) |
| Tony nomination | 2025, Best Leading Actor in a Play for *Yellow Face*; first Asian nominee in the category in the Tonys' 78-year history[2](https://apnews.com/article/d63d7f9395e9121445dffa50524001cd) |
| Advocacy | 2021 congressional testimony on anti-Asian hate helped lead to the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act; served on the White House Commission for Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders[5](https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2025/11/18/daniel-dae-kim-to-lead-and-executive-produce-new-host-led-travel-series-k-everything-from-cnn-original-series/) |
## Early life and education
Kim was born in Pusan, South Korea, and later attended [Bryn Mawr College](https://www.edgepedia.org/bryn-mawr-college), where he discovered acting. Against the advice of his parents, he changed majors and earned a bachelor's degree in both theater and political science, then received a master's degree in acting from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/daniel-dae-kim/) His first major stage role was a young Torvald in a Pan Asian Repertory Theater production of Ibsen's *A Doll's House*, and his feature debut came in the martial-arts film *American Shaolin: King of the Kickboxers II* (1993).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/daniel-dae-kim/)
His television career began in 1994 with a guest spot on *Law & Order*, but no further television work followed for three years, and he moved to Los Angeles in 1997 after exhausting his opportunities in New York.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/daniel-dae-kim/) There he built his résumé with guest roles on shows including *Beverly Hills, 90210*, *Seinfeld*, *Party of Five*, *Ally McBeal*, and *Walker: Texas Ranger*, and took small parts in films such as *[The Jackal](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-jackal-1997-film)* (1997), *The Hulk* (2003), and *Spider-Man 2* (2004).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/daniel-dae-kim/) His first regular series role was Lt. John Matheson, the telepathic first officer on the short-lived science fiction series *Crusade* (TNT, 1999), a spin-off of *Babylon 5*; the show was canceled during its first season.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/daniel-dae-kim/)
## Lost and Hawaii Five-0
Kim's career changed in 2004 when he was cast as Jin-Soo Kwon, a crash survivor on the hit drama *Lost* (ABC, 2004–2010). Despite the character's initial inability to speak English, Jin became a favorite among audiences, and Kim has called *Lost* the biggest and best project of his career.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/daniel-dae-kim/) • [6](https://vilcek.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/1008085.pdf) In 2004 he and his wife and two children moved to Honolulu for a month while he shot the pilot.[7](https://www.gq.com/story/daniel-dae-kim-hellboy-interview) The cast's ensemble work earned a Screen Actors Guild Award.[3](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65987234/) He has said he received substantial criticism during the show's run over his Korean pronunciation, which he described as painful at the time.[8](https://apnews.com/article/9912764b503651fedbadeaa5ea3711a3)
After *Lost* ended, Kim stayed in Hawaii to star as Chin Ho Kelly in the rebooted *Hawaii Five-0*, a role he played for seven seasons.[9](https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/daniel-dae-kim-yellow-face-tony-20317260.php) In 2017 he and co-star Grace Park left the show after failed contract negotiations; CBS said the two had been offered "large and significant salary increases," while Kim said in a Facebook post that he and the network could not agree on terms and that "the path to equality is rarely easy."[4](https://time.com/4847554/hawaii-five-0-equal-pay-controversy/) In later interviews he said he had taken a "drastic" pay cut moving from *Lost* to *Hawaii Five-0* that was never made up, and that the dispute changed his relationships with his former co-stars.[10](https://www.tvline.com/casting-news/daniel-dae-kim-hawaii-five-0-contract-dispute-interview-1234660791/)
## Film, voice work, and later television
Kim's film credits include *For Love of the Game*, *The Cave*, and the Academy Award-winning *Crash*, as well as *Stowaway* (2021) opposite [Toni Collette](https://www.edgepedia.org/toni-collette) and [Anna Kendrick](https://www.edgepedia.org/anna-kendrick).[11](https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU10/20210318/111343/HHRG-117-JU10-Bio-DaeKimD-20210318-U46.pdf) On television he played trauma surgeon Cassian Shin on NBC's *New Amsterdam* and appeared in *The Hot Zone: Anthrax* and *Pantheon*.[11](https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU10/20210318/111343/HHRG-117-JU10-Bio-DaeKimD-20210318-U46.pdf) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65987234/)
Recent roles have expanded his range. He voiced Healer Han in the animated film *KPop Demon Hunters* (2025), which became the most watched film of all time on Netflix, and played the villainous Fire Lord Ozai in Netflix's live-action *Avatar: The Last Airbender* (2024–2026).[5](https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2025/11/18/daniel-dae-kim-to-lead-and-executive-produce-new-host-led-travel-series-k-everything-from-cnn-original-series/) • [12](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0196654) In 2025 he starred and executive produced *[Butterfly](https://www.edgepedia.org/butterfly-2025-tv-series)*, a spy series filmed entirely in South Korea with Korean actors [Kim Tae-hee](https://www.edgepedia.org/kim-tae-hee) and [Park Hae-soo](https://www.edgepedia.org/park-hae-soo), which launched on Prime Video on August 13; Kim has described it as his first lead role in a drama series.[5](https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2025/11/18/daniel-dae-kim-to-lead-and-executive-produce-new-host-led-travel-series-k-everything-from-cnn-original-series/) • [13](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a66069589/daniel-dae-kim-butterfly-interview/)
## Producing and 3AD
Kim founded the production company 3AD, committed to storytelling featuring characters and cultures underrepresented in media. Its projects include *The Good Doctor* (ABC), on which he served as executive producer through the show's final season, and the 2023 multi-award-winning IFC documentary feature *Bad Axe*.[12](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0196654) • [5](https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2025/11/18/daniel-dae-kim-to-lead-and-executive-produce-new-host-led-travel-series-k-everything-from-cnn-original-series/) In 2026 he and 3AD signed with CAA for representation after a run that included *Avatar: The Last Airbender*, *Butterfly*, and *KPop Demon Hunters*.[3](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65987234/)
He also hosted and executive produced *K-Everything: The Global Rise of Korean Culture*, a four-episode CNN Original Series exploring South Korea's global influence in music, film, food, and beauty, which premiered on [CNN International](https://www.edgepedia.org/cnn-international) on May 9, 2026.[14](https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2026/03/26/cnn-original-series-k-everything-with-daniel-dae-kim-premieres-saturday-may-9-on-cnn-international/)
## Advocacy
Kim has been an outspoken advocate for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and [Pacific Islander](https://www.edgepedia.org/pacific-islander) communities. During the pandemic he was a constant media presence speaking out against anti-Asian hate, and in March 2021 he testified before Congress; his testimony helped lead to the passage of the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act.[2](https://apnews.com/article/d63d7f9395e9121445dffa50524001cd) • [5](https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2025/11/18/daniel-dae-kim-to-lead-and-executive-produce-new-host-led-travel-series-k-everything-from-cnn-original-series/) In December 2021 he was named to a White House advisory group of AAPI leaders addressing equity and anti-Asian xenophobia, and he served as co-chair of the Advisory Council of the Asian American Foundation.[15](https://www.axios.com/2021/12/21/daniel-dae-kim-biden-aapi-advisory-group) He also jump-started a campaign for veteran actor [James Hong](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-hong), then 91, to receive a Hollywood star.[2](https://apnews.com/article/d63d7f9395e9121445dffa50524001cd)
## Broadway and the Tony nomination
The first monologue Kim ever performed was by playwright David Henry Hwang, a scene from *FOB* done for a college summer program at the National Theater Institute in [Connecticut](https://www.edgepedia.org/connecticut).[2](https://apnews.com/article/d63d7f9395e9121445dffa50524001cd) His earlier Broadway credits include *The King and I*.[2](https://apnews.com/article/d63d7f9395e9121445dffa50524001cd) In 2024–2025 he starred in the Roundabout Theatre Company's Broadway revival of Hwang's *Yellow Face*, playing a satirical version of Hwang himself, and earned a 2025 Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, the first Asian nominee in that category in the awards' 78-year history.[2](https://apnews.com/article/d63d7f9395e9121445dffa50524001cd) • [16](https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2025/category/any/show/any/) The award went to [Cole Escola](https://www.edgepedia.org/cole-escola) for *Oh, Mary!*.[17](https://apnews.com/article/337e617e5b3601503d65dbd7159856e9) Kim was one of seven Asian acting nominees that year, and the show's two-month run brought the [Roundabout](https://www.edgepedia.org/roundabout) a 50 percent increase in first-time audience members.[2](https://apnews.com/article/d63d7f9395e9121445dffa50524001cd)
## References
1. [Daniel Dae Kim – Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/daniel-dae-kim/)
2. [Daniel Dae Kim making history at the Tony Awards and pushing for Asian representation on Broadway, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/d63d7f9395e9121445dffa50524001cd)
3. [Daniel Dae Kim and His Production Company 3AD Jump to CAA (Exclusive), via The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65987234/)
4. [Everything to Know About the Hawaii Five-0 Equal Pay Controversy, TIME](https://time.com/4847554/hawaii-five-0-equal-pay-controversy/)
5. [Daniel Dae Kim to Lead and Executive Produce CNN's "K-Everything," CNN Press Room](https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2025/11/18/daniel-dae-kim-to-lead-and-executive-produce-new-host-led-travel-series-k-everything-from-cnn-original-series/)
6. [The Vilcek Foundation Celebrates LOST](https://vilcek.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/1008085.pdf)
7. [Daniel Dae Kim Wants to Stop Talking About Diversity—But Not Yet, GQ](https://www.gq.com/story/daniel-dae-kim-hellboy-interview)
8. [Daniel Dae Kim is still waiting for his rom-com moment. In the meantime, there's 'Butterfly', AP News](https://apnews.com/article/9912764b503651fedbadeaa5ea3711a3)
9. ['Yellow Face' star Daniel Dae Kim reflects on breaking barriers, San Francisco Chronicle](https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/daniel-dae-kim-yellow-face-tony-20317260.php)
10. [Daniel Dae Kim Talks 'Hawaii Five-0' Contract Dispute In New Interview, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/casting-news/daniel-dae-kim-hawaii-five-0-contract-dispute-interview-1234660791/)
11. [Daniel Dae Kim congressional testimony biography, U.S. House Judiciary Committee](https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU10/20210318/111343/HHRG-117-JU10-Bio-DaeKimD-20210318-U46.pdf)
12. [Daniel Dae Kim – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0196654)
13. [Daniel Dae Kim on 'Butterfly,' Fatherhood, and the 'Lost' Finale, Esquire](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a66069589/daniel-dae-kim-butterfly-interview/)
14. ["K-Everything" With Daniel Dae Kim Premieres Saturday, May 9 On CNN, CNN Press Room](https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2026/03/26/cnn-original-series-k-everything-with-daniel-dae-kim-premieres-saturday-may-9-on-cnn-international/)
15. [WH names AAPI advisory group addressing equity, anti-Asian hate, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2021/12/21/daniel-dae-kim-biden-aapi-advisory-group)
16. [2025 Tony Award Nominees, American Theatre Wing](https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2025/category/any/show/any/)
17. [Tony Awards laud android rom-com 'Maybe Happy Ending' and history-making 'Purpose', AP News](https://apnews.com/article/337e617e5b3601503d65dbd7159856e9)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of East and Southeast Asia*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license