Paradise found for ‘Lost’ star Daniel Dae Kim

updated 4:01 p.m. ET Jan. 13, 2006

HONOLULU - Beaten, kidnapped and tossed in a pit, Jin Soo Kwon hasn’t had many pleasant days on ABC’s hit drama “Lost.”

He’s stranded on a mysterious island with dozens of plane-crash survivors who don’t speak his language and carry way more baggage than the suitcases they brought on ill-fated Oceanic Airlines Flight 815.

In real life, actor Daniel Dae Kim, 37, who plays Jin, the Korean tough guy, couldn’t be happier.

He’s enjoying living with his family in Hawaii, where the show is shot; he’s earning a regular paycheck doing what he loves, and a day at the office means getting into filthy clothes and hitting the beach.

“I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity,” Kim said in an interview. “It’s the most stability I’ve had in my career. I have a family, and to think about the fact that we’re living in Hawaii and I have a fantastic job, I can’t think of anything better.

“Every day I’m at work and I look out at the ocean and see the crystal blue waves crashing on the beach, I just look up and thank the universe for putting me here.”

Working on “Lost” (Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET) wasn’t always so smooth for Kim, however.

Warming up to Jin
In the series’ Emmy-award winning first season, Jin was portrayed as a detached and chauvinistic thug who was overly protective of his wife, Sun. The character drew sharp criticism from some Asian viewers, who accused Kim of perpetuating stereotypes on national television.

“Initially, I was stung by it,” he said. “I rejected a lot of roles that were one dimensional and put Asian Americans in a bad light, so to receive the amount of criticism I did when the show came out, was hurtful.”

But as audiences learned more of the character through flashbacks, and as Jin warmed up, so did his critics.

“All these characters have layers, secrets inside of them,” he said. “It was difficult, but the thing that kept me hopeful was my trust in the producers.”

Other characters started out in a positive light, but their dark pasts are being divulged this season.

“I really like Jin. I don’t think he’s the hard, stern character that he was initially laid out to be,” Kim said. “I think he’s very complex. I think he’s very human.”

Besides Koreans, “Lost” also features an Iraqi, blacks, a Hispanic, an Australian and a Brit among the large, diverse and mostly unknown cast compiled by creators Damon Lindelof and J.J. Abrams.

“In a way, this show has an opportunity to make a lot of commentary on politics, human relations, human rights,” Kim said. “For Koreans, I think it’s the best opportunity that American television has ever had to be visited by Korean characters once a week and learn what it is to be Korean.”

MORE FROM LOST

‘Lost’ finale finds some answers

‘Lost’ finale finds some answers Answers we'd like to find on ‘Lost’ Best and worst moments of ‘Lost’ ‘Lost’ to answer nagging questions in finale Readers abuzz over ‘Lost’ shootings Dude! How well do you know Lost’s Hurley? Chart: Castaways discover new hatch   Add Lost headlines to your news reader: