Chin Ho Five-O
LOST no more, Daniel Dae Kim resurfaces in the new Hawaii Five-0 as the iconic character Chin Ho Kelly, played in the original by Kam Fong Chun. This time, Chin Ho rides a motorcycle
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ing while a student at Haverford College.
“I had some electives and thought taking an acting class would be a nice change of pace from my normal studies,” he explains. “Little did I know at the time that it would turn out to be my career!”
Atalented actor with great looks (People magazine named him one of the Sexiest Men Alive in 2005, as did TV Guide, which named him one of TV’s Sexiest Men in 2006), Kim continued his studies in acting in the graduate acting program at New York University, where he earned a master’s degree in fine arts. Since then, he has built a resume of more than 50 film and TV credits, including The Jackal, Hulk, Spider-Man 2, The Cave, Crash, as well as guest roles on popular TV shows CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, ER and 24. He also lends his voice to video games, such as Saints Row and Saints Row 2, Scarface: The World is Yours, Tenchu and 24: The Game, as well as the animated TV series Justice League Unlimited and Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Most recently, he shot a film with Samuel L. Jackson called The Killing Game, scheduled for release next year, and has a small part in the next Matt Damon film titled The Adjustment Bureau, due out in September.
“I’m also developing a film project to be shot here in Hawaii based on the well-known novel The Tattoo,” adds Kim. “My partners and I are currently in the process of fundraising.”
As for his goal in acting, Kim says he’s still driven by the desire to tell interesting stories through characters he’d like to explore. He names LOST as the most significant single job in his career, but believes it’s too early to say what he’s most proud of because he’s “too young to have a retrospect.”
With LOST fans mourning the end of the TV series, Kim lists the things he’ll miss most as the high that comes with being on a hit show for the first time, being with a cast of actors who would become friends, and being on a show that he could be proud of.
“One moment I’ll never forget was the first time I walked out onto the set at Police Beach,” he recalls. “It was an unbelievably gorgeous morning, orange haze on the horizon, and the surf was gently making its way through the rocks to the shore. At that moment, I remember thinking how fortunate I was to be able to call this ‘my office.’
“No matter what happens with the rest of my career, LOST will always hold a special place in my heart.”
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As for the LOST finale, which left many viewers confused on whether the events on the island ever actually happened, primarily because of images at the end of the episode showing wreckage of Oceanic 815 on the beach, Kim says it’s open to interpretation.
“That said, what I believe is that the characters are dead in the final scene and they’re dead in the flash sideways, but everything that happened on the island actually occurred and the characters did not die in the plane crash,” he explains. “What happened on the island did actually occur while the characters were alive, and Jin (Kim’s character) and Sun actually did die in the submarine.”
Now, back to Kim’s life on the island of Oahu, which is very much real. When he’s not busy filming, Kim loves to play tennis and some golf. He also likes to stay active by running, hiking or hitting the gym, although these days, between the demands of work and wanting to spend time with his family, Kim says he doesn’t find himself with a lot of time for hobbies.
“I think Koko Head is an incredible hike and I’ve actually done it with my 9-month-old Shiba Inu puppy, Kona, and it’s something I want to make a regular occurrence for the two of us,” says Kim. “And I enjoy running around Diamond Head. It’s beautiful, it’s right by the water and it’s nice to see other people enjoying the outdoors the same way.”
He also partnered with restaurateur D.K. Kodama, Ed Robles and Pablo Buckingham to open The Counter, a build-your-own-burger restaurant, in Kahala Mall last year.
“The restaurant’s doing well,” he says. “I’m not as involved day-to-day. I have incredible partners, like D.K., who are much more capable than I in that department, and I’m happy to benefit from their expertise.
“I’ll pop in every so often, though, and have a meal with the family. I really do think it’s the best burger in town. I can’t say I have a favorite item, though, because we have so many toppings that I’m honestly still trying them all out.”
Kim may have made his way to a successful acting career while being able to live and work in paradise, but it’s his thoughtful and caring personality that makes him shine even more, which is a big bonus for Hawaii Five-0 and the state of Hawaii.
“I know how much this project (Hawaii Five-0) means to the people of Hawaii, and I will do what I can to be mindful of that,” Kim continues. “Whether it means hiring as many local actors and crew as we can, or just making sure the people and culture are represented with respect, taking care of Hawaii will definitely be a priority for me.
“If our show is done right, Hawaii will be a big reason for its success.”
In the meantime, before the re-imagined Hawaii Five-0 makes its way into homes this fall, fans can follow Kim on Twitter@danieldaekim, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/officialdanieldaekim and on his Web site at www.danieldaekim.com.
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