Photo: PhilipRomanoPhoto / CC BY 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Daniel Dae Kim is the kind of actor whose quiet authority I keep returning to. From Jin on Lost to Chin Ho on Hawaii Five-0, he brings a grounded intelligence that never tips into showiness, the mark of a Haverford-educated performer comfortable in stillness. But what earns my deeper respect is the path he has cut for Asian American representation, both on screen and behind it. His 2025 inclusion in the Time 100 felt less like a surprise and more like overdue recognition. I admire performers who build their influence patiently, role by role, and let the work do the arguing.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Daniel Dae Kim
- Name (Japanese)
- ダニエル・デイ・キム
- Reading
- だにえる・でい・きむ
- Born
- August 4, 1968 (age 57)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Monkey
- Origin
- Busan, South Korea
- Occupation
- actor / television actor / film actor / voice actor / video game actor
2. Background
- High school
- Freedom High School
- University
- Haverford College
Awards & achievements
- 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
- Time 100
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Daniel Dae Kim born?
Born August 4, 1968 (age 57).
Where is Daniel Dae Kim from?
Daniel Dae Kim is from Busan, South Korea.
What does Daniel Dae Kim do?
Daniel Dae Kim works as actor, television actor, film actor, voice actor, video game actor.
Actor — see all → · Television actor — see all → · More people from South Korea →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.