Paradise found for ‘Lost’ star Daniel Dae Kim

Lindelof has said speaking English was not an option for Jin and Sun, who exclusively talk to each other in their native language (although Sun, it was revealed, speaks English). He noted that subtitles are not used when Jin speaks to other castaways, because he wants the viewer to share the frustration of trying to communicate.

The show is making a commentary on language because of “this sort of interesting American conceit, ‘Everybody else on the planet should speak English,’ “ Lindelof said.

Kim, trained in classical theater, said acting in Korean has been a challenge and an opportunity.

Not only did he have to master the language quickly, but he tried to shed his rural Gyeongsang-do accent from the southeastern region of the peninsula, from where his family emigrated.

Jin did speak perfect English in a short scene in which Hurley, played by Jorge Garcia, was dreaming and speaking Korean.

“His pronunciation was fantastic,” Kim said. “I was going around, saying maybe he should be the one speaking Korean and I’ll speak English and say, ’Dude,’ a lot.”

As Jin starts to communicate more with his fellow castaways, Kim is now practicing to speak broken English with a Korean accent.

Born in Busan, South Korea, Kim grew up in the blue-collar steel town of Easton, Pa. He was on a path to becoming a lawyer but decided to pursue an acting career. It was an unpopular decision with his family.

After earning a masters from New York University, he had recurring roles on “24,” “ER,” and “Angel.” He had small appearances in “Seinfeld,” and “NYPD Blue,” as well as on the big screen in “Spider-Man 2,” “The Hulk” and “Crash.”

“It’s not about money or fame. I really enjoy the craft of acting,” he said. “Whether it’s on a small stage in front of 50 people or on a television screen in front of 20 million, it’s still what I enjoy doing. It’s the same.”

Even the actors don’t know what will happen
Unlike his character, Kim is easygoing, educated and quick to smile. Some fans have approached him with caution, however, fearing he’ll be like Jin.

“One of the great things about being an actor, you get licensed to be people who you would never be in your real life,” he said. “I think it’s a real compliment when people come up to me and say you’re nothing like your character.”

Recently, Kim was featured as one of People magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive.” Not bad for a married guy closing on his 40s with two sons, ages 9 and 4.

“It’s flattering,” he said. “It’s something you can’t ever take seriously. On a larger level, for Asian Americans, I think it’s really a fantastic step.

“Asian-American men are not historically considered to be sexy. They’re considered to be anything but — the nerdy, geeky guy who never gets the girl,” he said. “I’m really happy that America is changing to include Asians in that way. ... I think it’s a nice testament to how far we have come as a society.”

As for “Lost,” Kim said he’s just as anxious as devoted fans are to see how the stealthy story unfolds.

“We don’t have answers as actors,” he said.

He does promise many more surprises and turns.

“One thing viewers will be reminded of, the stakes are very high on this island. It’s always life and death,” Kim said. “They may have been lulled into a sense of security in the past few episodes. That may change again soon.”

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