Jin, Chin and Beyond

Not many people know that actor/director/producer Daniel Dae Kim is a member of the SAG-AFTRA Hawaii Local and keeps informed through our newsletters. 

In his sixth season of Hawaii Five-0, Daniel continues his string of creating multifaceted and stereotype-breaking roles.  

Born in Busan, South Korea, and raised in New York and Pennsylvania, Daniel received his training at New York University’s Graduate Acting Program, where he earned a Master’s degree in fine arts. Daniel’s film career began in earnest with roles in The Jackal, For Love of the Game, The Hulk, Spider-Man 2 and The Cave, as well as the Academy Award-winning Crash. On television, Kim received critical acclaim for his role as Jin Soo Kwon on the epic TV series Lost. His guest-starring roster includes roles on CSI, ER, 24, Seinfeld and The Andromeda Strain, among numerous others. In gaming, he is the voice of Johnny Gat in Saints Row. Daniel is currently starring as Jack Kang in the Divergent series, Insurgent and Allegiant. In theater, he previously headlined at London’s world-renowned Royal Albert Hall as the King of Siam in the iconic production The King and I.

In addition to his career onscreen, Daniel recently expanded his industry work to include development and producing. In January of 2014, he signed a first-look development deal with CBS Television Studios, the first of its kind with an Asian-American actor. With his new company, 3AD, he and his team are currently creating original content for both television and film.  

Though he spends time in Los Angeles and New York, Daniel spends most of the year in Hawaii for CBS and his philanthropic community work.

I sat down for an interview with Daniel to discuss how he prepares for his role as Chin Ho Kelly on the current CBS hit drama series Hawaii Five-0. We discussed what local actors can do to improve performance and preparation for when the cameras start rolling.  

Daniel spoke fondly of former board member and co-star Dennis Chun, whose father, Kam Fong, played the original Five-0 character. “Dennis has been a great resource in sharing memories of his father and the original Five-0 production,” Daniel said. “I’m glad that he’s on the show; he serves as a bridge between the current and original version.” 

Then we talked about some of the issues that are foremost for actors: getting hired and working.  

Q: What are the most recurring challenges that you see local actors face on set? 

A: Nervousness. It’s complicated, because every actor has a very unique personal history, so you cannot use a one-size-fits-all approach. What you can do is make sure that the actor has everything he needs to be comfortable and has a safe, secure environment to do their work. Hawaii Five-0 tries to provide that. The cast usually does not go over the scene prior to shooting and there may not be a rehearsal. They are expected to deliver their lines on take one, and if you do not have the experience and are nervous, it’s going to take you five, six, seven takes to do the scene. Anything further than that becomes a problem because of the tight schedule. We’ve had to replace our fair share of actors who could not handle the task that was given them.     

Q: What advice would you give to those actors?   

A: My first bit of advice would be to take a minute before you step on the set and find a place in your mind where you’re relaxed, comfortable and confident. So regardless of what chaos you see happening around you, you’re in a place where you can work and do your best. I’ve seen a fair share of both local and non-local actors come in, be nervous, lock up and freeze. When that happens, generally they will spiral downwards and descend into a place where they are not able to work because their brain locks up. You need to be able to stop for a second, go away, collect yourself and breathe! I can’t emphasize that enough, because so many actors stop breathing when they’re in that state.  

Q: Any advice on learning lines?   

A: If I were a guest actor coming on Hawaii Five-0, I would read the script once for the plot and then a second time to see what my character does. When you make sense of the plot, story and what your character does in relationship to the story, then you can start to understand what your character wants and how your character services the show. After that, start memorizing your lines using whatever technique is best for you. I personally will just walk around the house reading my lines over and over trying to get a sense of what the rhythm of the words are and what my character wants, then after that, it’s just repetition. It helps me to understand the ideas, as opposed to memorizing the words.  

Q: What is your advice to local actors trying to make a full-time career in acting? 

A: I think whether or not it’s acting, playing the violin or learning how to hula, you will not get better if you do not work on your craft, and in your field. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be in lessons all the time. Your mind has to be focused on what you want to achieve, so as an actor you should be willing to take any and every job that comes your way, whether it’s a student film, something on YouTube, or creating your own material and, of course, doing theater. Theater is the foundation. No job should be beneath you when you start. Anytime, anywhere that you get to practice your craft, you should take it. 

Q: A lot of local actors do background work. Do you think it hinders their career in any way?   

A: Not here in Hawaii. For an actor to understand how a big-budget production operates, background work provides valuable knowledge. Understanding the rhythm of the day, call times, how they shoot, camera angles, everything. If you’re a local actor working as background, there is a wealth of information to learn just being on set.  

Q: What would be the qualities of your ideal on-screen partner? 

A: Preparedness, generosity and playfulness. These three things can lead to the chemistry that makes a good scene. Prepare for the worst. At the end of the day, you are responsible for your own performance. When people watch the show, they are not going to say the actor gave a poor performance because he had a poor screen partner. They’re just going to say he was not a very good actor.   

This item was originally featured in the December 2015 local newsletter.