'Lost' star wrote own script for fame
By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
While the destination may have always been clear for "Lost" actress Yunjin Kim, the path it took to get there was nothing she could have predicted.
From the "Lost" set to the golf course, Kim's profile in her adopted Honolulu is now prominent. On Friday, she'll greet fans and sign autographs at the Honolulu Marathon Expo at the Hawai'i Convention Center.
And last week, Kim dialed up The Advertiser to chat about her unusual path to stardom, her responsibilities as an Asian-American actress, her golf game and, oh yeah, her TV show.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kim emigrated with her family to Staten Island, N.Y., when she was 8. Her desire to be an actress led her to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and later to Boston University, where she earned a degree in acting.
It's here that the standard plot line might then call for a few lean years of off-Broadway shows, indie films, and countless film and TV auditions, but Kim chucked the script and headed for Korea, where she became an overnight sensation in TV dramas and feature films.
With representation from the powerful William Morris Agency, Kim signed a one-year contract with ABC and promptly auditioned for "Lost."
Kim wasn't exactly what producers had in mind for the character "Kate," a role that went to Evangeline Lilly. But Kim left such an impression that creator J.J. Abrams and his writing staff added a new character — "Sun" — specifically for Kim to play. The rest is fan-boy history.
Here's our questions, and her answers:
Q. What's the deal with the Honolulu Marathon Expo? Not busy enough?
A. I'm really excited about it. As actors, we get pulled to do red-carpet events like the season premiere at Sunset on the Beach, but you never get to spend quality time with the fans. This way, we get to talk a little bit as I sign. I can ask them their name before getting on to the next person.
Q. Ever thought about doing a marathon yourself?
A. I used to run every day, but since I've been here I've mostly been swimming. If I did try it, I'd want to train properly so I don't totally drain myself.
Q. We hear you're an avid golfer, too ...
A. I started golfing when I got out here. It's a great opportunity because there are so many great courses. I'm not really good at it, though. ... I love being outdoors with friends, and I love the spirit of the game.
Q. Ever bump into Michelle Wie?
A. Not on the course, but I did see her a couple of years ago on a plane when I was flying back from Korea. We just kind of looked at each other. I wasn't sure it was her until I saw her father. She's so tall and just physically stunning.
Q. We've already seen one major character from "Lost" written off this season, with the departure of Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje. As a cast member, is it still shocking when someone gets written out?
A. We'd known about that for some time, so we were more mentally prepared. With Cynthia (Watros) and Michelle (Rodrigues), last season it was more of a shock. I was on the set when Cynthia found out. It was most dramatic when we lost our first character (Ian Somerhalder), and then Maggie (Grace). Not having Harold (Perrineau) and Malcolm (David Kelley) around has been hard too, since they were there from the beginning. It's not a good feeling, but what are you going to do? It's the nature of the show.
Q. The prevailing assumption is that we're not going to find out the identity of Sun's baby-daddy until the end of the season. True?
A. The hard-core fans seem to know more than we do. I really don't know, and I'm dying to find out. I'd love to find out for sure.
Q. If it is true, it at least sounds like you have some job security.
A. The actors all knew that we'd be around for the end of Season 3 when we got the official pickup in July. But that's the only thing we know.
Q. So how does an immigrant Korean girl from Staten Island decide she's going to be a great Hollywood actress, anyway?
A. I loved acting so much, I didn't care what I had to do. When I (attended LaGuardia High), I'd get up at 5 a.m., catch the bus at 6, take the South Ferry to the city, then catch the subway. I was traveling four hours a day, but I didn't care. At 12 or 13, you care so passionately about what you want to do that you just do it.
Q. Your big break came when you were cast in a Korean mini-series ("Beautiful Vacation"). What was it like going back to Korea and working as an actress after all that time away?
A. It was more of a culture shock going there than coming to (New York). I didn't know Korea; I had forgotten. It was really challenging and I was thrown off at first. In Korea, like other Asian countries, the filmmaking is more guerrilla-style. I found myself working 24 hours straight sometimes. It was an amazing experience and I felt I did my best work when I was exhausted.
Q. The original plan was to stay for a few weeks to shoot the miniseries, but that's not how it worked out, right?
A. I was lucky to be able to work constantly. Overnight, I was a recognizable face. I got the lead in some big movies and I had to deal with overnight stardom. After "Swiri" ("Shiri" in the U.S.) the scripts started coming left and right. When I was in New York, I never dreamed I could work in Korea, but I ended up staying for six years. It was the most amazing time of my life.
Q. What was it like coming back to the U.S. after having achieved so much success in Korea?
A. It was hard. It meant I had to audition again. People didn't know my work. But I wanted to pursue it. I wanted to come back and see if I could hack it.
ABC was very generous in bringing me over with a holding deal. I knew I wasn't up for "Kate" because they had a specific image of her, but they wanted to see interesting actors, so they created "Sun" and "Jin." It was the same for Jorge (Garcia). They wanted someone in their 50s (for the part of "Hurley"), but they just fell in love with Jorge.
That's the best part of our executive producers — they want interesting actors and they have the sense to have ethnically different characters. Having two Asian actors on a show and to have them speak in another language for half the show — that's never been done before.
I feel we're making new, groundbreaking television. "Lost" is opening doors for a lot of different options. Now you have a show like "Heroes" with a Japanese actor who only speaks Japanese. It's not only all Caucasian 20-year-olds.
Q. As a Korean-American actress, do you feel any additional pressure to represent Asian-Americans?
A. Being Korean-American is a big part of who I am. I feel very responsible for the character I put out there because you don't see much of it. You have to be sensitive because it's mass media and there are few images (of Asian-Americans) out there.
When I was growing up, I didn't have many Asian role models. One reason I wanted to be an actress was because I didn't see anyone else who looked like me except maybe Jackie Chan. I was proud of him and I loved to see him as a featured star. I'd come out of the theater with my head held high. But I didn't see any women like me.
Q. How have your fans in Korea responded to your success in the U.S.?
A. They're right there with me watching my every move. I means a lot to them that I was able to cross over, especially since I was the first. Because I worked there, they root for me more.
I won't lie: The pressure is there. Whatever I do and say, they watch and read about it. But it's why I do what I do, to give people hope.
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