MeeVee Interview with Lost Star Daniel Dae Kim
Published February 09, 2007
Daniel Dae Kim boasts an impressive television resume, including appearances on 24, CSI, Seinfeld, and ER, just to name a few shows. Now, Daniel’s role as Jin on the ABC hit Lost has made him a household name.
As Jin, Daniel is more than simply a plane crash survivor on a mysterious island. He's also become a symbol for change in network television. As one of the first Asian American male prime time leads, Daniel has paved the way for other Asian American actors to star in leading roles like Masi Oka on Heroes. He's also proved to network execs that Americans are willing to read subtitles - not an easy feat.
In this exclusive interview, Daniel talks with MeeVee about vanishing stereotypes of Asian Americans in the media, the value of hard work, and his philosophy of acting as storytelling.
Yul Kwon, this season's Survivor winner stated that his overall goal for the season was to improve the image of Asian Americans on television. Do you think it's changing for the better?
I think it is changing for the better. I think the fact that someone like Masi Oka has been nominated for a Golden Globe this year is a huge positive step. It validates Damon and J.J.’s [Abrams] choice to have characters speaking another language other than English. It’s nice to know that someone of Asian decent speaking a non-English language can be recognized for their work.
What inspired you to become an actor?
I think there’s been a love of storytelling in my family, and a need for expression. I think actors - without sounding too self-important - they do play an important role in our society. We’re the storytellers of our time, and the artists are the ones that really reflect our culture back to us.
What do you think has driven you to your current level of success?
I don’t know. I think it’s a combination of hard work, positive thinking, and preparation, and some luck. In this business, there is no formula for success. It happens individually and specifically for each person. I just feel very lucky that it happened at all.
When Lost began, did you ever think it would be this big?
Ah, no. There are a lot of obstacles to any show being successful. There are a lot of obstacles to any show actually making it on the air to begin with, from being a pilot. I just feel very glad to be on one that is successful.
Aside from Lost, what are your favorite TV shows?
I like Entourage. I like Friday Night Lights. I like The Office.
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- MeeVee Interview with Lost Star Daniel Dae Kim
- Published: February 09, 2007
- Type: Interview
- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Video: Television
- Part of a feature: MeeVee TV Interviews
- Writer: TV with MeeVee
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Woohoo for Asian-American actors on TV!! Daniel is hot!