While Daniel Dae Kim learned to separate real life from what is seen on the small screen because he works in it, he took for granted the impact television can have. He revealed that his death in ABC hit series "Lost" was traumatic for his 13-year-old son. Kim has been with the show for six years and in season 6, his character, Jin died unexpectedly.
The South Korean-born actor shared that such untimely demise of Jin was for his son, most unexpected. In 2010, he was working on a project while in hiatus, when he got a call from his family in a strange hour.
His son was in tears because the episode of ABC's series when Jin died on the submarine had aired. He was not at home and his son was worried.
Kim's then 13-year-old boy saw the death of his father's character and started to cry uncontrollably. His wife called him so he can talk to their son.
"We started talking and he was telling me about it and he asked me if I was okay, and I was like, 'Yeah, I'm alright, it's just TV,'" Kim told PEOPLE in an interview for the magazine's recent issue.
It was a proof that television is powerful. Hence, when Kim is offered a role, his son asks him, "Do you die?"
The funny thing though is Kim dies all the time. His son, who is now 19 years old, still asks the same question and encourages him to take roles where he does not die.
Kim is part of "The King and I" at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater until June 26. He dies in the play's story.
The "Hawaii Five-O" star has appeared on TV several times, such as on "24," "Angel" and "ER" but got more attention in ABC's TV drama series. Created by J.J. Abrams whose works include "Alias" and Damon Lindelof ("Crossing Jordan"), "Lost" is about plane crash survivors who landed on a mysterious island and they have to work together to be alive.
Kim had his first acting gig when he went to Pennsylvania's Haverford College where he majored in political science. A friend of his who wanted to write and direct a play asked him to act because there was no one else to do the job, Kim told Asia Society. It gave way to his interest in acting and he ended up taking another major because he enjoyed it a lot.
Kim then acted in school productions and went to Eugene O'Neill during his junior year. He loved the freedom of expression on stage and told the educational organization during the interview, "I think the ability to express yourself, tell a story, and not be asked to apologize for who you were in any way was pretty compelling."
Here is a video clip of "The King and I" which also stars Kim.