Redefining beauty according to a Hollywood star

If you were ever a fan of Lost, then the name Daniel Dae Kim will mean something to you. Well-known for his role in the hit TV series as Jin-Soo Kwan, what most people wouldn't know is that Kim's talent extends far beyond acting. A producer and activist in his own right, South Korean-born Kim faced his own battles while growing up in central Philadelphia, America, where he looked different to everyone else. Now 48, Kim is spoke to Remix about what beauty means to him, and how his own production company is working to redefine this perception. 

What inspired you to get into acting?
I realised that there weren’t that many people that looked like me on the screen. Instead of being daunted by it, I took it as something of a challenge.

Growing up as an Asian American, where most people did look different to you, how did that shape your perception of beauty?
For me, the fact that my eyes didn’t look like everyone else’s, or that the food that I ate wasn’t like everyone else’s or my skin colour was different than everyone else’s, it marginalised me. I want to say that it was all in my head but it really wasn’t. Where I grew up, it was difficult to be a minority. I was told from a very young age that I was different and that different wasn’t attractive.

That is the great thing about your production company, 3AD; it is contributing to the conversation. There is no denying that even today minorities are misrepresented and underrepresented in TV and film.
That is one of the reasons I wanted to start a production company. I wanted to be responsible for creating worlds that I wanted to see in television, as opposed to waiting for roles to drop to me in worlds that other people had created.

How important is skincare to you?
Skincare is important to me because it is one part of a holistic way of taking care of yourself. I value it in the same way that I value eating well, exercising, sleeping and just taking care of yourself.

What are your best grooming tips for males?
Take care of yourself as it pertains to your health. That means, brush your teeth, floss, wash your face, wear sunblock. Do all of the things that older you will look back and say thank you for.

What draws you to Clinique?
I have actually used their products for decades and I have my wife to thank for it. Before I met her, I was a kind of wash your face once a day, brush your teeth, comb your hair and go. She is the one that introduced me to the Clinique Clarifying Lotion that Clinique  decades ago.

How do you practice self-love?
I lock the door and... No it’s not that kind of question (laughs). It is about taking care of yourself in the ways that you can and trying to find a little bit of joy in your life every day. It sounds really cliché but it is true. I really do think that those people who seek joy tend to find it.

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