Daniel Dae Kim

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Daniel Dae Kim

Role / Field:

Acclaimed American actor known for roles in Lost, Hawaii Five-0, and Broadway success.

Born:

1968-08-04

Century / Era:

1968s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Daniel Dae Kim (born August 4, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for his many roles in network television and theater. In 2025, Time magazine listed him as one of the world's 100 most influential people. On television, he portrayed Jin-Soo Kwon in the ABC sci-fi action series Lost (2004–2010) and Chin Ho Kelly in the CBS police procedural Hawaii Five-0 (2010–2017). He has also taken recurring roles in Angel, Star Trek: Enterprise, ER, and 24.

Career & Major Achievements

On film, he has taken roles in Hellboy (2019), Always Be My Maybe (2019), Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), and Joy Ride (2023). He also played Jack Kang in two of the Divergent films: Insurgent (2015), and Allegiant (2016). He runs production company 3AD, which produced the television series The Good Doctor. On stage, he starred in the revival of David Henry Hwang's play Yellow Face (2024) for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He has also portrayed The King in a revival of The King and I in 2009 at Royal Albert Hall and again in Lincoln Center in 2016.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Kim was born on August 4, 1968, in Busan, South Korea, to mother Jung Kim and father Doo-tae Kim. He moved to the United States with his family when he was one year old and grew up in New York City, and Easton and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Freedom High School in Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. In 1990, Kim graduated from Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania with double bachelor's degrees in theater and political science. While attending Haverford, he spent the 1989 spring semester studying at the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1968 (1968-08-04): Birth of Daniel Dae Kim — Acclaimed American actor known for roles in Lost, Hawaii Five-0, and Broadway success.
2. 1989: 1989 Milestone — While attending Haverford, he spent the 1989 spring semester studying at the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.
3. 1990: 1990 Milestone — In 1990, Kim graduated from Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania with double bachelor's degrees in theater and political science.
4. 2004: 2004 Milestone — On television, he portrayed Jin-Soo Kwon in the ABC sci-fi action series Lost (2004–2010) and Chin Ho Kelly in the CBS police procedural Hawaii Five-0 (2010–2017).
5. 2009: 2009 Milestone — He has also portrayed The King in a revival of The King and I in 2009 at Royal Albert Hall and again in Lincoln Center in 2016.
6. 2015: 2015 Milestone — He also played Jack Kang in two of the Divergent films: Insurgent (2015), and Allegiant (2016).
7. 2019: 2019 Milestone — On film, he has taken roles in Hellboy (2019), Always Be My Maybe (2019), Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), and Joy Ride (2023).
8. 2024: 2024 Milestone — On stage, he starred in the revival of David Henry Hwang's play Yellow Face (2024) for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
9. 2025: 2025 Milestone — In 2025, Time magazine listed him as one of the world's 100 most influential people.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Daniel Dae Kim

True or False: “Daniel Dae Kim was the first Asian American actor to be nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): He achieved this honor for his lead role in the Broadway revival of David Henry Hwang's play Yellow Face in 2024.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abrar-ul-Haq — Contemporary (Born in 1968) (1968): Esteemed Pakistani singer, philanthropist, and former politician from Punjab.
• Adam McKay — Contemporary (Born in 1968) (1968): Acclaimed American filmmaker known for satirical comedies and high-profile adaptations.
• Ajay Devgn — Contemporary (Born in 1968) (1968): Veteran Indian actor and filmmaker known for diverse roles in Hindi cinema.
• Abigail Spencer — Shared historical date (08-04 · Born) (1981): American actress, producer, and writer known for roles in soap operas and dramas.
• Alan Mulally — Shared historical date (08-04 · Born) (1945): Aerospace executive credited with revitalizing Boeing and saving Ford Motor Company.
• Akhtar Mansur — Historical peer (Born in 1968) (1968): Second Supreme Leader of the Taliban, assassinated in a 2016 US drone strike.
• Alejandro Sanz — Historical peer (Born in 1968) (1968): Iconic Spanish singer known for flamenco-infused ballads and global success.
• Alasdair MacIntyre — Historical peer (Died in 2025) (2025): Influential Scottish-American philosopher known for virtue ethics and political theory.
• Alfred Brendel — Historical peer (Died in 2025) (2025): Czech-born Austrian pianist, composer, and scholar renowned for Beethoven.
• A. A. K. Niazi — Historical peer (Died in 2004) (2004): Pakistani general who commanded Eastern Command during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
• 1968 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1968
• August 4 (08-04) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on August 4

Frequently Asked Questions about Daniel Dae Kim