Views from the Edge
After his controversial departure from CBS hit Hawaii Five-0, actor Daniel Dae Kim has fallen into the role of being the poster child of the racial inequities that exist in the world’s entertainment capitol, whether it be in casting or in Hollywood’s creative decision-making process.
In his latest Q&A with The Hollywood Reporter, he touches on his successful series produced by his production company The Good Doctor and how it has become a vehicle for his beliefs; and his role as Hellboy’s Major Ben Daimo, the first Asian American comic book superhero to be depicted on the big screen.
The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Kim about what it means to play an Asian American superhero, his goals as a producer, and the aftermath of his taking a stand on salary parity
“I … think it’s really important that all of us do something to participate. It’s easy to point fingers and say well, it’s because of this, that. To get involved in the nitty-gritty is sometimes a daunting task, but a necessary one.
“Something I often say is, I stand on the shoulders of the people who came before [me], and I’m ready to lift up people to stand on my shoulders. And one of the ways we can do that is to hire them. And that’s why it was so important for me to be a job creator, because there is no substitute for on-the-job experience,” Kim said.
“A lot of us, and I can tell you from experience, just didn’t have the kind of opportunity it required to get better at the same rate as others.
“So it’s really important to me to create those opportunities,” Kim continued. “And as a producer, I think The Good Doctor shows that I’m not in it to create roles for myself, although I won’t rule that out, but it’s not my primary focus.”
RE: Actor Daniel Dae Kim Latest Role is Behind the Camera: Asamnews – you should be aware that there is a thriving Asian American theater and Storytelling world outside of Hollywood and we have been making huge impacts in the public eye with our work for decades that celebrate who we are and addresses important topics like racism and immigrant issues, our contributions and more. Whether a folktale or historical or personal stories, we build cultural bridges in schools, libraries, conferences, festivals, museums and more around the country and across the seas. Talk to me if you’d like to know more.