Daniel Dae Kim

“When I wanted to be an attorney, I think I wanted to be a litigator; I wanted to be in a courtroom.”

“What's great in theater is that you can sustain the arc of a character for a full three hours, whereas in film or TV, you have to create that arc in little pieces, and usually out of sequence.”

“As an actor, I was often shielded from the big-picture decisions. But as a producer, I experience all the conversations where there's pushback or a difference of opinion.”

“Hawaii is so boring because it's always sunny.”

“Actors are at the mercy of roles that are offered.”

“I really missed the East Coast. I love living in Hawaii, but I miss the changing of seasons.”

“I think time travel is really tricky. But if there's a logic and a complete and well-thought-through paradigm for it, I think it can be really interesting. Some of my favorite time-travel movies just make me think and, you know, the 'what if' question becomes a big one.”

“I'm such a fan of films and books like 'Lord of the Rings' and even 'Star Wars,' despite the fact that, as an actor, I'll never be employed by them.”

“Diversity is more than just a buzzword to me. It's my life.”

“What I do know is how difficult it is in this industry to get a show on the air. There's so many different stages: getting a script bought by the network, then getting a pilot made and having that pilot go to series, and then, when that series gets on the air, having people watch it.”

“Well, here's what I'll say: The storytellers of 'Lost' have taken us on a pretty great journey, and there have been questions along the way, and criticisms along the way, but if you look at the totality of the show, or the experience of it as a whole, I think as long as you look at it from that perspective you'll be happy.”

“As someone of Korean descent, I am certain my road was a bit hard. I have to say anyone who's an aspiring actor has a difficult road regardless of race.”

“When you look at what's written under the Statue of Liberty, it's the immigrant story. It's about 'bring me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.' It's not about 'only bring me only your rich, your wealthy, your smart.'”

“I like to think that I'm not as ominous in real life.”

“There are people whose work I greatly admire who just don't write to my experience in any way.”

“I've lived in Hawaii long enough now where people don't make a big deal about me being there; I'm just a part of the community, thankfully.”

“My dad even likes to give me career advice. I'll let him know about some offers about films and TV shows that I get, and he'll ask me questions like, 'What's the money like?' and 'Who got this for you - was it your agent or manager, and what are they getting out of this?'”

“It's a fun job, but actors are like vagabonds and must go where the work is.”

“There's something about being in a house with an audience, and having that immediate feedback. I started acting because of that energy; it's what feeds me on stage and informs my choices.”

“It's one thing to talk about lack of diversity and lack of representation. But that doesn't matter if you're not good at what you're supposed to be doing.”