THE GOOD DANIEL
Daniel Dae Kim talks about life a er Hawaii Five-0 and the kind of quality ente ainment the world needs right now
WHEN DANIEL DAE KIM was called to be part of the five-man jury for Singapore’s 29th International Film Festival (SGIFF), headed by Stanley Kwan, he accepted without hesitation. Best known for his roles in Lost and Hawaii Five-0, the Korean-American actor has since redirected his talents to producing. He currently heads 3AD, a Los Angeles-based film and television production company that he founded in 2013. We got some time with Kim when he was in Singapore to find out what he thinks about the future of entertainment.
How does it feel to be on the judges panel for SGIFF? I feel very honoured. I’ve been a judge for other film festivals before but this one is quite special.
Why so? Is this event of any particular importance to you?
Asian cinema as a whole is important to me. I also like that this festival has always encouraged young filmmakers to step forward. Plus, I like being in Singapore.
So it’s all good.
It’s sometimes said that Southeast Asia hasn’t been sufficiently recognised for its films. What are your thoughts on this?
I can’t generalise but I have been impressed by what I’ve seen in the competition. I really enjoyed the Singaporean piece called A Land Imagined. There were also some good Thai and Vietnamese films. I am excited to see an emerging market and a rising pool of talent. Do you think that there have been breakthroughs for Asians in Hollywood recently?
I do think so. Just look at the Crazy Rich Asians phenomenon. The fact that it was nominated for a Golden Globe says a lot. Something of this scale has never really happened before for Asian-centric movies and it has made stars of people acting in roles that used to be reserved for white folks. I hope this chapter will go on to provide opportunities for other Asian filmmakers, scriptwriters and actors.
What were some of the challenges you faced as an Asian-American actor in Hollywood?
They’re nothing new. The roles are few and far between. They’re not necessarily lead roles or even three-dimensional characters. Plus, you have stiff competition from colleagues and friends.
Non-Asian creators don’t understand the Asian-American experience, so they’re unable to write something that captures that accurately. It’s really important to have creators, producers, writers and directors who are also Asian.
You were part of the main cast in for seven seasons. Can you share with us how things have been since you left? I’d been running my production company, 3AD, for a couple of years, and this was happening even while I was on the show. Leaving the show gave me a lot more time to focus on it, resulting in a faster pace for project development and production.
Given your vast experience in the industry, what are you setting out to achieve with 3AD?
The first mandate is to entertain. But I’d also like to contribute to the conversation in our culture in a positive way. I hope to create entertainment that either elevates us, brings us together or tackles the issues we’re facing.
You’ve been making a conscious effort to ensure that meaningful messages are conveyed in your projects such as
Thank you. In my view, there are many in the industry who contribute to junk culture ‒ culture that neither elevates nor enriches us, but in fact divides and cheapens us with how it allows us to pass time mindlessly. That is not the kind of entertainment I’m interested in making.
What would you say to budding Asian filmmakers or artists who hope to make it big in Hollywood?
Well, there’s a lot that you can’t control in Hollywood. What you can control are your work ethic and abilities. You should be doing everything you can in order to be the best at what you do. AM
“I’M NOT INTERESTED IN MAKING JUNK CULTURE – IT NEITHER ELEVATES NOR ENRICHES US, BUT DIVIDES AND CHEAPENS US WITH HOW IT ALLOWS US TO PASS TIME MINDLESSLY”