---
name: "Daniel Dae Kim"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/daniel-dae-kim"
fi1m_id: "daniel-dae-kim"
imdb_id: "nm0196654"
tmdb_id: 18307
wikidata_id: "Q299700"
roles: ["Actor","Director"]
born: "4 August 1968"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-09-23T14:32:24.948724+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Daniel Dae Kim

## Identity

Daniel Dae Kim

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/daniel-dae-kim
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** daniel-dae-kim
- **IMDb ID:** nm0196654
- **TMDB ID:** 18307
- **Wikidata ID:** Q299700
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Dae_Kim, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q299700, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0196654/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/18307

Actor and director. Born 4 August 1968 in Busan, South Korea.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor, Director
- **Born:** 4 August 1968, Busan, South Korea
- **Active:** 1990–present
- **Also known as:** 김대현, Kim Dae-hyun, دنیل دِی کیم, Daniel Kim
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 7: 6 acting, 1 directing
- **SAG Awards:** 1 SAG Award (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 73, as actor, over 6 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 72 (1), 2000s 73 (3), 2010s 65 (1), 2020s 73 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 73 to 72 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Action & Adventure 2, Comedy 2, Crime 2, Animation 1, Fantasy 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $139m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Dae_Kim, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q299700, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0196654/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/18307

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*KPop Demon Hunters*](https://film.one/film/kpop-demon-hunters.md) (76)
- **Apple TV:** [*Hawaii Five-0*](https://film.one/tv/hawaii-five-0.md) (65)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Daniel Dae Kim

> Daniel Dae Kim makes an ensemble easier to believe in. We value the seriousness he brings to loyal or conflicted men, though *Hawaii Five-0* shows how often a programme can depend on his presence without giving him enough to do.

In *Hawaii Five-0* (2010), the team becomes easier to like when Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park have something to do together. Kim's Chin Ho Kelly helps a programme too often occupied with its central partners competing for the last word. We warmed to these colleagues because they made the team feel worth spending time with, away from the repeated insults. This is decent, undemanding television, and Kim is one reason to stay with it.

His breakthrough came as Jin-Soo Kwon in *Lost* (2004), alongside Yunjin Kim, in a role for which he relearned Korean. The move from that series to *Hawaii Five-0* kept him working within a long-running ensemble, where loyalty and moral conflict could be given time to develop. These roles suit an actor frequently cast as serious or dignified men. We value that seriousness, though it can encourage a programme to treat him as someone who will keep things steady while others get the attention.

That is the limitation of *Hawaii Five-0*: liking Kim does not make the balance of the programme any less frustrating. He and Park make us want more of the wider team, but the script keeps finding room for another exchange between the partners. The fault is not a lack of effort from the supporting cast. We would rather watch these colleagues work together than wait for another insult to land.

His later work provides alternatives to that supporting position. *The Good Doctor* (2017) gives him an executive producer credit as well as the recurring role of Dr Jackson Han, while his stage work includes the lead in *Yellow Face* (2024). The comic timing evident in his stage roles is a useful corrective to the assumption that dignity is all he has to offer. For *Hawaii Five-0*, the recommendation remains qualified: go for the team, and be prepared for the partners to occupy more of the evening than we would choose.

## Biography

Daniel Dae Kim is an American actor. Born in Busan, South Korea, he moved to the United States as an infant and grew up in Pennsylvania. He graduated from Haverford College with degrees in theatre and political science, and later earned an MFA from New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

Kim is known for his role as Jin-Soo Kwon in the series *Lost* (2004–2010) and as Chin Ho Kelly in *Hawaii Five-0* (2010–2017), on which he also directed one episode. His film credits include *Spider-Man 2* (2004), *Crash* (2005), *Insurgent* (2015), *Allegiant* (2016), *Hellboy* (2019) and *Raya and the Last Dragon* (2021). He provided the voice of Healer Han in the animated film *KPop Demon Hunters* (2025). Kim founded the production company 3AD and has worked extensively in theatre, including a Tony-nominated performance in the 2024 Broadway revival of *Yellow Face*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (7)

### Performed in (6) — the average rests on these

- *KPop Demon Hunters* (2025), Fi1m 76, as Healer Han / Additional Voices (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/kpop-demon-hunters.md)
- *Joy Ride* (2023), Fi1m 70, as Dae — [page](https://film.one/film/joy-ride.md)
- *Crash* (2005), Fi1m 54, as Park — [page](https://film.one/film/crash-2005.md)
- *Lost* (2004), Fi1m 81, as Jin-Soo Kwon — [page](https://film.one/tv/lost.md)
- *The Shield* (2002), Fi1m 84, as Thomas Choi — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-shield.md)
- *Law & Order* (1990), Fi1m 72, as Dr. Harry Watanabe — [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)

### Directed (1)

- *Hawaii Five-0* (2010), Fi1m 65, as Chin Ho Kelly — [page](https://film.one/tv/hawaii-five-0.md)

## Complete filmography (87)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *K-Everything: A CNN Original Series* (2026), series, Executive Producer
- *Butterfly* (2025), series, as David Jung · Executive Producer
- *KPop Demon Hunters* (2025), as Healer Han / Additional Voices (voice) — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/kpop-demon-hunters.md)
- *Yellow Face* (2025), as DHH
- *Avatar: The Last Airbender* (2024), series, as Fire Lord Ozai
- *Unsolved Mysteries: Behind the Legacy* (2023), as Su Young Kim's brother
- *Mech Cadets* (2023), series, as General Aiden Park (voice)
- *Joy Ride* (2023), as Dae — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/joy-ride.md)
- *LOST: Circle* (2023), series, as Jin-Soo Kwon
- *Bad Axe* (2022), Executive Producer
- *Pantheon* (2022), series, as David Kim (voice)
- *Roar* (2022), series, as Harry
- *Star Wars: Visions* (2021), series, as Bichan (voice)
- *The Premise* (2021), series, as Daniel Jung
- *Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.* (2021), series, as Max Lee
- *Stowaway* (2021), as David Kim
- *Blast Beat* (2021), as Dr. Michael Onitsuka · Executive Producer
- *Raya and the Last Dragon* (2021), as Benja (voice)
- *Asian Americans* (2020), series, as Narrator (voice)
- *Ms. Purple* (2019), Executive Producer
- *Always Be My Maybe* (2019), as Brandon
- *The Hot Zone* (2019), series, as Matthew Ryker
- *Hellboy* (2019), as Ben Daimio
- *Flack* (2019), series, as Gabriel Cole
- *She-Ra and the Princesses of Power* (2018), series, as Micah (voice)
- *New Amsterdam* (2018), series, as Cassian Shin
- *The Good Doctor* (2017), series, as Jackson Han · Executive Producer, Director
- *Big Pacific* (2017), series, Actor
- *Finding Kukan* (2016), as Rey Scott (voice)
- *MacGyver* (2016), series, as Chin Ho Kelly
- *Dramaworld* (2016), series, as Doug
- *Allegiant* (2016), as Jack Kang
- *Insurgent* (2015), as Jack Kang
- *Ktown Cowboys* (2015), as David
- *Linsanity* (2013), as Narrator
- *The Legend of Korra* (2012), series, as Hiroshi Sato (voice)
- *Once Upon a Time* (2011), series, as Fast Food Worker (voice) — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/tv/once-upon-a-time.md)
- *Arena* (2011), as Taiga
- *G.I. Joe: Renegades* (2010), series, as Teddy Lee (voice)
- *Hawaii Five-0* (2010), series, as Chin Ho Kelly · Director — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/tv/hawaii-five-0.md)
- *NCIS: Los Angeles* (2009), series, as Chin Ho Kelly
- *Terra Incognita: Making the Andromeda Strain* (2008), Actor
- *The Onion Movie* (2008), as Ivy Leaguer
- *The Andromeda Strain* (2008), series, as Dr. Tsi Chou
- *The Cave* (2005), as Alex Kim
- *Crash* (2005), as Park — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/crash-2005.md)
- *Avatar: The Last Airbender* (2005), series, as General Fong (voice)
- *Lost* (2004), series, as Jin-Soo Kwon — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/lost.md)
- *Justice League Unlimited* (2004), series, as Metron (voice)
- *Spider-Man 2* (2004), as Raymond
- *Hustle and Heat* (2003), as Miyako
- *Miss Match* (2003), series, as Clifford Kim
- *Hulk* (2003), as Aide
- *Momentum* (2003), as Agent Frears
- *Cradle 2 the Grave* (2003), as Visiting Expert
- *Sin* (2003), as Lakorn
- *Without a Trace* (2002), series, as Mark Hiroshi
- *Street Time* (2002), series, as Vo Nguyen
- *The Shield* (2002), series, as Thomas Choi — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-shield.md)
- *24* (2001), series, as Tom Baker — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/24.md)
- *Star Trek: Enterprise* (2001), series, as Corporal Chang
- *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (2000), series, as Special Agent Beckman
- *Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For* (2000), as Everett Jang
- *Angel* (1999), series, as Gavin Park
- *Once and Again* (1999), series, Actor
- *For Love of the Game* (1999), as ER Doctor
- *Crusade* (1999), series, as John Matheson
- *Charmed* (1998), series, as Yenlo
- *Fantasy Island* (1998), series, Actor
- *Brave New World* (1998), as Ingram
- *Nightman* (1997), as Roland Yates
- *The Jackal* (1997), as Akashi
- *Ally McBeal* (1997), series, as Police Officer
- *Addicted to Love* (1997), as Undergrad Assistant
- *The Practice* (1997), series, as Testifying Officer
- *The Pretender* (1996), series, as Lenny Duc
- *Star Trek: Voyager* (1995), series, as Gotana-Retz
- *ER* (1994), series, as Ken Sung — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *All-American Girl* (1994), series, as Stan
- *Walker, Texas Ranger* (1993), series, as Kahn
- *American Shaolin* (1991), as Gao
- *Beverly Hills, 90210* (1990), series, as Dr. Sturla — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/beverly-hills-90210.md)
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Dr. Harry Watanabe — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Seinfeld* (1989), series, as Student #1 — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/tv/seinfeld.md)
- *Great Performances* (1971), series, as DHH
- *This Is Always*, Actor
- *The 23rd Annual Unforgettable Awards*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Daniel Dae Kim (2006)](https://film.one/media/person/358627/gallery-fb474fc30e2f.jpg) Daniel Dae Kim (2006) — Ewen Roberts from San Diego, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Dainel_Dae_Kim_At_Comic-Con.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Daniel Dae Kim at the Opening Night of "Old Friends" on Broadway, 2025](https://film.one/media/person/358627/gallery-57ddb304c8fb.jpg) Daniel Dae Kim at the Opening Night of "Old Friends" on Broadway, 2025 — PhilipRomanoPhoto, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/DanielDaeKim-byPhilipRomano.jpg/1280px-DanielDaeKim-byPhilipRomano.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Daniel Dae Kim, Hawaii Five-0 (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/358627/gallery-a4f647c0e7dc.jpg) Daniel Dae Kim, Hawaii Five-0 (2010) — Kristin Dos Santos from Los Angeles, California, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Daniel_Dae_Kim%2C_Hawaii_Five-0_%284832302280%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![I was so happy to get three great shots of DDK this year! (Last year all I got was a fuzzy shot of his hand waving from an SUV.) Taken at "Hawaii Five-0" Season (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/358627/gallery-104fd9005494.jpg) I was so happy to get three great shots of DDK this year! (Last year all I got was a fuzzy shot of his hand waving from an SUV.) Taken at "Hawaii Five-0" Season (2011) — Michele Meyer from Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Daniel_Dae_Kim_%286142490689%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Daniel Dae Kim](https://film.one/media/person/358627/gallery-38cd928f79af.jpg) Daniel Dae Kim — Image via TMDB
- ![Daniel Dae Kim](https://film.one/media/person/358627/gallery-68ffbb4551fc.jpg) Daniel Dae Kim — Image via TMDB
- ![Daniel Dae Kim](https://film.one/media/person/358627/gallery-60441f30a98b.jpg) Daniel Dae Kim — PhilipRomanoPhoto, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/Daniel_Dae_Kim_2025_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Daniel_Dae_Kim_2025_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### SAG Awards — 1 won

- 2006: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (won), for *Lost*

### Other awards — 1 won, 2 nominated

- Time 100 2025: Time 100 (won)
- Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor Action 2012: Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor Action (nominated), for *Hawaii Five-0*
- Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor Action 2011: Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor Action (nominated), for *Hawaii Five-O*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/daniel-dae-kim