As an actor, the best thing Daniel Dae Kim did was to quit “Hawaii Five-0” in 2017, freeing him from the reins of prejudice and discrimination.
He exited the hit CBS series, filmed in Hawaii, when he and co-star Grace Park, portraying Chin and Kono respectively, asked for and didn’t get pay parity with the white actors in the procedural, Alex O’Loughlin (McGarrett) and Scott Caan (Danny).
This past Sunday’s (Sept. 15) annual Arts & Leisure sections in the New York Times – a showcase of the annual barrage of Broadway shows, upcoming dance and classical music – shows Kim all over the place.
The point: He’s become an international star, a big deal in all realms of entertainment. The sky’s the limit.
He’s the cover boy of the Theater preview section, that features a huge mugshot of Kim with a headline that reads, “It’s Time to Take a Risk.”
Inside, there’s a full page interview (by Robert Ito, done in Los Angeles) dubbed “Back on the Stage but Often in the Trenches.”
The peg is his current Broadway starring role in David Henry Hwang’s “Yellow Face,” at the Todd Haimes Theatre. It opened Sept. 13 for a limited run through Nov. 14.
Kim plays DHH, a director inspired by the playwright and make no mistake: the casting enables Kim to blend acting (this is a comedic role) with his ongoing mission of activism, since he has long been an outspoken advocate for the Asian community.
Of Korean ancestry, he supports Asian actors for Asian roles, he’s against bullying and hate crimes against the Asian community.
There’s a full-page ad for “Yellow Face,” with riveting dual faces of Kim with his name above the show’s title. (Clue: big names always have their names above the title, and often, one name will do – like AUDRA over “Gypsy”).
Kim’s mug also appears amid a bevy of luminaries amid a “Stars on Stage” glimpse of Broadway names: Robert Downey Jr. (“McNeal”), Mia Farrow (“The Roommate”), Jim Parsons/Katie Holmes (“Our Town”) and on a second page, George Clooney (“Good Night and Good Luck”), Nicole Scherzinger (“Sunset Boulevard”), Jake Gyllenhaal/Denzel Washington (”Othello”).
The interview contains revelations of his lifestyle: he has an apartment in Koreatown in New York, where he’s likely staying during the run of “Yellow Face.” He maintains his home in Honolulu and spends time here when he’s not on the road, and moving elsewhere was not in the cards because “my boys were growing up in Hawaii, and they loved it.”
Remember, he starred in ABC’s “Lost”’ prior to “Five-O” and even his wife was happy to remain in the islands instead of relocating to New York or Los Angeles.
Clearly, with casting in “Yellow Face,” Kim continues to be a saleable talent who can handle anything. He’s done a heck of a lot of other shows, big and small, serious and fun, streaming on your TV screen. Variety’s his middle name; what have his other three “Five-O” done to reflect a pulse in show biz?
I saw him portray the King of Siam in Lincoln Center’s “The King and I,” which marked his Broadway musical debut, and he had presence and a great voice, enjoying the regal role in 2016, and he was kind to pose for a backstage pic. He earlier played the King in 2009 at the Royal Albert Hall in London’s West End.
He’s become an international star, with more ahead. He spent six months in South Korea, filming “Butterfly,” adapted from a graphic novel, portraying a former Korean American spy hiding in Korea amid assassins. Since Korea has become a resource for thrillers, this one will be streamed via Amazon Prime Video.
For Kim, there’s always a new challenge. Nothing is impossible…
And that’s Show Biz..