Daniel Dae Kim has starred in many well-known projects over the years. While he has been a part of several successful films and shows, he has gotten the most attention for playing the role of Fire Lord Ozai in the live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Outside of the Netflix series, he was also a recurring character in the ABC series, Lost.
During an interview, Kim talked about how his character in the series, Jin-Soo Kwon, was almost killed off in the first season. However, after surviving six seasons, the actor revealed how he felt about where Kwon was left off.
He also touched on aspects of race and how those kinds of prejudices affected his character’s entire run.
Daniel Dae Kim’s Character in Lost Was Almost Killed Off Too Early
When Jin-Son Kwon was initially introduced, he seemed to be portrayed in an antagonistic light by Lost. During an interview with The Vulture, Daniel Dae Kim revealed the initial story that the writers and show’s creators had in mind for his character.
It would seem that the detachment that Kwon had from the rest of the group, both physical and psychological, was intentional. The character was written in a way that made audiences hesitant to sympathize with him, and he was made to not be attached to.
From what I understand, it was planned for me to be killed off in season one. I was not a very sympathetic character, so it would have been easy for me to get killed off without the show missing a beat
Such precautions were taken to make sure that fans did not get too attached to him, and the showrunners had a plan to eventually kill him off. However, they quickly realized the story that was waiting to be told and decided against writing him out.
What Started Off as a Stereotype Turned Into a Real Person
When looking at how Jin-Son Kwon was initially written, two stereotypes are evident; the controlling-Asian-husband trope and the fact that he was supposed to be killed off very early on. However, as the story progresses, he is given more layers and turns from a controlling husband into a protective one. His love story with Sun-Hwa Kwon changed into a beautiful one instead of a toxic one, and they died by each other’s side in the series finale.
Daniel Dae Kim talked about this specific evolution of his character, revealing that when he joined the cast of the series, he was simply looking for a job. He did not care that he was being stereotyped, he was simply looking to get paid.
As an Asian actor, you’re just looking to get hired. It’s about working within the system to try and change it when you have the opportunity. The character grew to a place where I don’t think you’d call him a stereotype by the end,
However, the moment he got some semblance of control over his character, he decided to change him for the better. So much so, that Kim does not think him to be any stereotype by the end of his story.
All seasons of Lost will be available for streaming on Netflix from July 1, 2024.
