Take the BuddyTV Personality Quiz: What Lost Character Are You? Born on August 4, 1968 in Busan, South Korea, Daniel Dae Kim spent his childhood in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. He attended Freedom High School, where he was the editor of the school paper, the president of the student government and a talented athlete. After graduation, Kim enrolled at Haverford College, where he majored in both political science and theater. He was also a student at Bryn Mawr College, where he ended up finishing his theater studies.
After he completed his tertiary education, Kim thought about becoming a successful attorney. However, he was truly more drawn to the call of acting, and he launched his career in the entertainment industry by appearing in an episode of Law & Order. On the side, Kim grabbed the opportunity to perform on stage and appeared in such productions as Romeo and Juliet and A Doll’s House. From there, he decided to go back to school and eventually earned his Master of Fine Arts Degree from New York University.
Kim’s other television credits include NYPD Blue, Beverly Hills 90210, Seinfeld, Star Trek: Voyager, Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For, Crusade, Star Trek: Enterprise, Angel, Charmed and 24. Kim has also done several animated projects, lending his voice to cartoons such as Avatar: The Last Airbender, Justice League Unlimited and Tenchu: The Wrath of Heaven.
Based on his appearances on many television series, Kim has become a veteran of episodic television. Moreover, he attained true television stardom despite his character's inability to speak English in 2004 when he was cast as the mysterious, emotional crash survivor Jin-Soo Kwon on the hit drama Lost. In actuality, Kim cannot speak Korean fluently.
The movie industry has also not escaped Kim’s presence, as he was in numerous productions including The Cave, Crash, Spider-Man 2, Sin, Ride or Die, Hulk, Cradle 2 the Grave and the Jackal. In 2005, People Magazine included him in their annual list of Sexiest Men Alive.
Currently, Kim holds residence in Hawaii with his wife, Mia and their two sons. Among his favorite activities are playing tennis and football and going skiing. He was also trained in Tae Kwon Do.