Daniel Dae Kim is no stranger to the spotlight, and this year he has achieved something that once again places him at the forefront of the acting world: becoming the first Asian American to be nominated for Best Leading Actor in a Play at the Tony Awards. The honor comes in the wake of his performance in a Broadway revival of David Henry Hwang’s semi-autobiographical comedy “Yellow Face.”
“Yellow” Face tackles complicated themes with equal parts absurdist humor and introspection. The play dramatizes how even well-meaning efforts to promote representation can be misguided, with Hwang basing the story on a fictionalized account of him accidentally casting a white actor in an Asian role while producing his play “Face Value.”
The story also explores more grounded themes through the lens of Hwang’s immigrant father (played by Francis Jue, who is another nominee this year), who was wrongfully investigated for ties to the Chinese government. In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Kim emphasized that it is this perspective on anti-Asian sentiment that makes the work more relevant than ever.
“It shines a light on why those misperceptions are so harmful,” Kim shared. “A play like this is a way of explaining and shedding light on this subject without a textbook or a sermon or a lecture.”
The Tony nomination is just one part of a landmark year for Asian American representation at the Tonys. According to Gold Derby, prior to 2025, there had “never been more than two Asian performers nominated at the Tonys in the same year.” This year, a record seven Asian performers received nominations in 2025. However, Kim remains cognizant of the path ahead, remarking that he is “a little sad” in an interview with ABC that no other Asian actor has been in this category until now, and noting that “the barrier we really want to break is to actually have someone win, and hopefully that happens sooner rather than later, whether it’s me or not.”
Recognizing the cultural significance of the play and the relevance of its message, Kim helped to lead fundraising efforts to cover the cost of recording it for PBS’s “Great Performances” series, where it aired May 16 and will be available to stream until June 30.
“[The show] is not just about … the few who can go to the theatre,” Kim told Playbill. “It’s about all of us. It has a powerful message about what it means to be American.”
The 78th annual Tony Awards are set to air on CBS on Sunday, June 8, from 8-11 PM EST.
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