Today we’d like to introduce you to Kang Kim.
Hi Kang, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Thanks for having me. I guess we can start from when the seed was planted. I was in 2nd or 3rd grade when I told my parents I wanted to be an actor. It was the first thing I remember wanting to be. That was in 1992 (which was four years before I wanted to be the first South Korean in the NBA, then a doctor, then a lawyer, then a stockbroker, then whatever job Mel Gibson had in “What Women Want”). It wasn’t until 23 years later that I started to pursue acting. And at first, it was just for fun. I had a desk job selling aerospace alloys at the time and was craving a creative outlet when a good friend of mine recommended an acting class. (I always had a creative and or athletic outlet growing up, and at the time it was the longest I had gone without one). That acting class was at Joe Anthony Studios, where I trained up until this past November. At the risk of sounding cliché, it truly was a life-changing five years and a lot of the things I learned from Joe will always be with me. Quite literally. I have ‘story first’ tattooed on my left hand. And that tattoo keeps me grounded ’til this day whenever I’m on set; even when it’s covered up with makeup *wink*.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, and I expect it to get more bumpy. But since my proverbial journey began in 2015, I had the opportunity to be a part of some great short films. Some of which that have gone onto win a few film festivals. Like “Just A Boy” that won the Tagore International Film Festival in 2020 and “Romance Deadline” that won the Audience Choice Award at the Toronto Short Film Festival, also in 2020. As grateful as I am for being a part of these accolades, I know things aren’t going to get any easier; they aren’t supposed to. Life isn’t supposed to be easy. And nothing worthwhile comes easy. My greatest advantage, if I had any, would be that I’ve been dumb enough and naïve enough to learn things in life the hard way. I always thought coming into the game of acting so late would be a disadvantage, and although I still think it is, having learned things the hard way has given me a head start in a way. I am expected to fail. This is the game of ultimate rejections. But I’m okay with that. It motivates me more that everyday I have the opportunity to prove people wrong, especially myself. Will I succeed? Who knows. But in the meantime, I promised myself that I will always have fun, and I’ll be grateful for every opportunity where I ‘get to play’. And for those opportunities moving forward, I owe it to my team at Evolve Talent Management and Jana Luker Agency.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Well, as an actor you’re always trying to build up your resume and I got a long ways to go, but I’ve listed some of the short indies I’ve had the privilege of working on.
•Loyalty (2019) Lead Antagonist – Bryan Lao Director – Michael Hugh
•Just A Boy (2020) Lead – Father Director – Angela Koh
•Romance Deadline (2020) Supporting – Dr. Kim Director – Angela Koh
•Found Family (2020) Supporting – Mr. Santiago Director – Esmee Lavalette
•Coromance-19 (2021) Lead – Jimmy Director – Dong Jun Kim
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Self-awareness and trusting my instincts. Like I mentioned before, life is hard. And I’ve learned that one of the few things that can make it easier are the relationships you build. Like this interview, for example. I was recommended to you by one of the recent directors I worked with from NYFA. I was cast in his thesis, “Coromance-19”, and it was one of the greatest experiences I’ve had to date. But I almost missed out on it due to a technical glitch. The director’s casting invitation was in hieroglyphics since he had written his email in Korean. The casting website did not pick up on it so the email came thru in all “?”s (see picture below). I thought it was spam or just junk mail at first, but my instincts told me to follow up. Sure enough, the project was real and through it, I was able to meet some of the coolest and most promising young filmmakers coming up today. In short, you never know what’s gonna happen. Good things can go bad, bad things can go great, and everything in between. The possibilities can be endless so just go for it; because, why tf not? Following your instincts isn’t the answer to everything, but learning when to trust them or not can be invaluable when things don’t go according to plan. (Spoiler alert: they usually don’t).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.me/Kangkim
Image Credits:
Mack Breeden DJ Kim
