Daniel Day Kim is best known for his appearances in the television series Hawaii Five-0 and Lost. Throughout his career, he has advocated for diversity in Hollywood and spoken out against prejudice. In truth, Kim wanted to join Hawaii Five-0 to support his boys, Zander and Jackson Kim. During an interview with Vulture, the actor said that he chose to play in Hawaii Five-0 because he didn’t want his boys to feel isolated like he did growing up.
At the time, one of my kids was in elementary school and the other was about to start high school, and I wanted them to grow up with a sense of continuity. “I also loved what Hawaii had to offer to an Asian American family,” he continued, noting how, growing up in a steel town, he often felt like the Other. In the same interview, Kim said that his family, including his wife and boys, was his first focus.
Daniel Dae Kim and Mia Kim Family
Kim and his wife, Mia Haeyoung Rhee, have been married for almost 27 years. On June 12, 1993, the couple married and welcomed two children into their household. Kim and his wife had their first child, Zander Kim, in July 1996. He is presently an editing assistant at Black Dog & Leventhal, an illustrated book publisher for readers of all ages.
According to his official website, he generally focuses on non-fiction subjects like basketball, pets, and Schitt’s Creek. Zander graduated from Brown University and worked as a staff writer and co-creator of Ex-Bullpen, a baseball blog, until 2018. Kim and his wife have another kid, Jackson Kim, born in January 2002. Jackson is a fashion model with Wilhelmina Models and presently attends New York University.
Why Did Daniel Dae Kim Leave “Hawaii Five-0”?
Kim departed Hawaii Five-0 in 2017 after seven seasons. He left the show, which was one of his main efforts because he was unable to achieve wage parity with other original cast members Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan. Kim wasn’t the only one attempting to renegotiate equal compensation for the cast members. Grace Park, who portrayed Kono Kalakaua in the series, also advocated for equal pay. After their desires were not met, both of them quit the program at the conclusion of Season 7.
Kim spoke candidly about his experience on Hawaii Five-0 in the aforementioned interview with Vulture. He called the income disparity between himself and Alex and Caan “substantial.” Kim also said that he had accepted a significant wage reduction. “The amount of salary reduction I took to do ‘Hawaii Five-0’ from ‘Lost’ has never been accurately revealed. It was unexpected and never made up “He elaborated.
The actor went on to say that the objective at the bargaining table was to transform all of the castmates into the ensemble he believed they were when he first joined the program. He also requested that his compensation be restored to what it was when he was a cast member on Lost.
