Daniel Dae Kim says ‘Lost' helped him with his new show, ‘Butterfly'
'Lost' star Daniel Dae Kim stars in and exec produces the new Prime Video spy thriller, 'Butterfly.'
'I've always wanted to make a show that bridged Korean culture with American culture,' Kim, 57, exclusively told The Post. 'Because that's who I am. And, I haven't seen anything like that on TV before.'
Advertisement
6 Daniel Dae Kim in 'Butterfly.'
©Amazon/Courtesy Everett Collection
6 Daniel Dae Kim at the 'Butterfly' Premiere at Regal Union Square on August 5, 2025 in New York City.
Getty Images
He added, 'And so I thought, why not try and make it if I haven't seen it? We were able to adapt this comic book…The original was set in Europe, and I thought if we transplant it to Korea, because of what I look like, then it's a natural segue to address the themes that I'm interested in.'
Advertisement
Premiering Aug. 13 on Prime Video, 'Butterfly' was based on graphic novels of the same name, and follows David Jung (Kim), a former US intelligence operative living in South Korea.
His life gets shaken up when he must evade agents sent to kill him. To make matters more complicated, this sends him back into his estranged daughter Rebecca's (Reina Hardesty) life. Piper Perabo plays Rebecca's boss.
Kim, who has been married to his wife, Mia Kim, since 1993, and shares two sons with her, told The Post, 'I'm a father, and so I was able to draw from the experiences I've had as a parent… because parent/child dynamics are rarely simple.'
6 Daniel Dae Kim in 'Butterfly.'
©Amazon/Courtesy Everett Collection
Advertisement
The Tony-nominated actor said that the crux of the difficult relationship between David and Rebecca is that, 'David is someone who thinks he's doing the right thing for his family. But, they're completely wrong decisions in the eyes of his daughter.'
Kim, who first rose to fame on 'Lost,' spoke Korean on that hit ABC show. The actor, who was born in South Korea but grew up in America, has stated in previous interviews that he had to brush up on the Korean language for his role on the iconic mystery show.
The 'Hawaii Five-0' actor mostly speaks English on 'Butterfly,' but since it's set in Korea, the language appears in the show, too.
6 Daniel Dae Kim and his son, Jackson Kim, at the 'Butterfly' premiere at Regal Union Square on August 5, 2025 in New York City.
Getty Images
Advertisement
'I always spoke Korean, and I always understood it,' Kim told The Post. 'But I didn't speak it as much as I used to when I was growing up. So, the speaking part is what I had to relearn [for 'Lost'].'
When he was filming 'Butterfly' in Korea, he said he found it 'easier this time around,' because 'I kept up [the language] a little bit since the days of 'Lost.''
The 'KPop Demon Hunters' actor added that it was also 'more challenging, because the levels of conversation I was having in Korea were more sophisticated, because I'm also producing this. But anytime I get to speak Korean, it's a thrill for me, especially on camera.'
'Lost' was on from 2004 to 2010 – but despite the fact that it aired over twenty years ago, new fans still flock to that show and debate its ending.
6 Daniel Dae Kim with Emilie de Ravin in 'Lost.'
©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection
6 Daniel Dae Kim on 'Lost.'
©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection
'What an honor it is that twenty years after a show is on the air, that people still remember it,' said Kim.
'A lot of actors will work in this industry for decades if they're lucky enough to even do that, and not have anything that they're known for. To be known for a show that people remember for that long – I feel fortunate,' he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Politico
7 minutes ago
- Politico
Trump leaves his mark on the Kennedy Center Honors
And Trump said Wednesday he personally approved of each nominee: 'I would say I was about 98 percent involved. They all went through me,' he said. 'I turned down plenty. I had a couple of wokesters.' Trump in his first term had chafed at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. He skipped the ceremony repeatedly, with some artists pledging to boycott if he attended. It was White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Trump said Wednesday, who convinced him to host the honors this year. 'I said I'm the president of the United States. Are you fools asking me to do that?' Trump said from the Kennedy Center. Despite his original criticism of the performing arts center, Trump on Wednesday said he had always wanted to be one of the honorees. 'Since 1978, the Kennedy Center honors have been among the most prestigious awards in the performing arts. I wanted one, was never able to get one,' he said. 'I would have taken it. I waited and waited and waited and I said 'to hell with it, I'll become chairman.' I will give myself an honor. Next year we'll honor Trump, okay?' Trump also announced the Kennedy Center will be undergoing renovations under his leadership. 'In a few short months since I became chairman of the board of the Kennedy Center, we've completely reversed the decline of this cherished national institution,' he said. 'In the coming months we'll fully renovate the dated — and really the entire infrastructure of the building — and make the Kennedy Center a crown jewel of American arts and culture once again,' Trump said.
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The New Movie 'Weapons' Is All About the Dark-Suburbia Aesthetic
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Weapons is not a very scary horror film. It is, however, a fascinating movie about the suburbs and the way the architecture of family life supports silence and complicity. Horror movies often utilize the suburbs to interrogate the seedy underbelly of American promise. Whether exploring fear, ennui, racial tensions, or Satanic Panic, suburban horror films are about control—who has power and who desperately wants it. Weapons is Zach Cregger's sophomore feature, and it considers similar thematics to his first. If Barbarian was about gentrification and white flight, Weapons is about the fall-out of isolation, the way the suburban McMansion radiates dread. Weapons builds on a wave of recent creepy-past-inspired films like Longlegs, I Saw the TV Glow, and Talk to Me by considering how isolating the insulated, ostentatious Tuscan kitchen really is. Behind every manicured lawn is a secret, waiting for revelation. It's best to go into Weapons without knowing too much, so be warned, as some spoilers lie ahead. The basic plot of the film is deceptively simple. Opening with a child's voiceover, we discover that 17 kids vanished at 2:17 a.m. in a suburban neighborhood. Everyone suspects their teacher, the troubled Ms. Gandy (Julia Garner). From there, the film begins to shift perspectives, zooming in and out on different key players like Archer (Josh Brolin), one of the missing kid's dads, who is in the process of building a McMansion. The parents and school officials are desperate for someone to blame. The first to be deposed are the town drug addict and the slutty, alcoholic Ms. Gandy. Someone even paints 'WITCH' on the promiscuous teacher's car. Cregger, a graduate of the comedy sketch show The Whitest Kids U' Know, often uses humor to underscore the escalating tension. 'I'm phobic!' One kid yells at a pivotal moment. Sometimes, these excited utterances undercut the horror. 'What the fuck' is a common refrain throughout the movie. The image of a large, nearly empty house also recurs during Weapons. Of course, the economics of house ownership have been on a grim downward spiral. Since about 2008, suburban opulence has continued to feel more and more out of reach for younger generations. A recent book titled What Happened to Millennials? by Charlie Wells ties the emotional complications of that generation with its increasingly dismal economic options. Millennials have a lower home-ownership rate compared to Boomers or Gen X, and many claim they will be renting for the rest of their lives, according to Self. Their bank accounts are trapped under the shadow of 9/11 and the 2008 financial crash. Currently, millennials make up the largest renting population. Perhaps it makes sense that younger generations continue to glamorize a period in time when big, beautiful homes were the norm–even if those who grew up in them have a different story to tell. This frenzied panic—a lack of access to a stable future—may be reflected in nostalgia porn, the TikTok clips and architectural walk-throughs in praise of the McMansion that glamorize the hallowed halls of Tony Soprano's house. Few will ever achieve such architectural bliss. Still, nostalgic envy for the McMansion may not be the sole motivator for such TikTok trends. It's true that the suburbs offer a seductive fairy tale, but younger generations know how fairy tales go. Rarely do they end well for everyone involved. Horror movies, like neighborhoods, often rely on the tropes of fairy tales. The illusion of safety is evasive. Suburbia needs us to believe that its fortified walls are safe, that your neighbor is your friend—the traditional American mythology. But younger generations know that gated communities have failed to keep the danger out there. The kids have seen violence both at home and abroad, from sexual abuse to school shootings. Films like Weapons remind us that evil is often more familiar than strange. The concept of specific generations sometimes feels like astrology for policy wonks, but it does seem like Gen Z has a higher tolerance for irony and ambivalence. Its fascination with architectural trends may not be entirely sincere. While weathering a flood of memes, seven-second skits, and 9/11 jokes, younger generations may not see the need to distinguish between authenticity and artificiality. Certainly not in the same way Boomers desire clear, succinct definitions. Vibes are the new truth. The suburbs offer a vibe ripe for remixing, reinterpreting, and reinscribing. In Weapons, amber light filters through the hallways and landings of large two-story homes, capturing a familiar aesthetic. The film recalls the terrifying late-night walk in the dark to the bathroom. Slightly askew camera angles frame long corridors like menacing tunnels. At night, the blue light of the TV is the only illumination for miles, and security cameras can capture only so much. In a Cregger film, the basement is a horrible chamber, meant as a kind of prison. Trauma, he suggests, makes weapons of us all. For most of the film, he teases us regarding what exactly the weapon of mass destruction will be. Cue a shot of an AK-47 glowing in the sky. The real weapon, however, is the specter of child abuse. Ms. Gandy seems the easiest target for parents to accuse of being a predator. A groomer, the film silently implies. Then a more grim picture emerges. The call is coming from inside the house. A witch has hexed the small suburban town, threatening a child with the death of his parents. Unlike this summer's earlier horror blockbuster Bring Her Back, however, the kids in Weapons are ultimately able to escape the violent spell of their abuser. Their triumphant moment of liberation, crashing through the windows, fences, and lawns of giant homes, is one of the film's most cathartic moments. The silent complicity of the suburbs will not stand. In the daylight, what was once a neighborhood of sinister empty homes becomes a playground for destruction. The gleefully violent appetite of children's liberation ravages their palatial excess. Watching the glass shatter and fences fall feels not unlike apocalypse porn—the inverse of suburban envy. If you can't have it, you can at least enjoy watching it be demolished by children avenging their stolen youth. Fairy tales often end up this way: Ding dong, the witch is dead. Still, it takes a long time to achieve victory. In the suburbs, no one does anything when they hear you scream. They wait for someone else to deal with it. You Might Also Like 4 Investment-Worthy Skincare Finds From Sephora The 17 Best Retinol Creams Worth Adding to Your Skin Care Routine Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Country Superstar Jelly Roll Jokes What It Will Take to Join NFL
Country Superstar Jelly Roll Jokes What It Will Take to Join NFL originally appeared on Parade. Jelly Roll is a chart-topping country star, a motivational speaker, and—if he keeps dropping pounds—maybe even the NFL's next unlikely recruit. On Wednesday, August 6, the Tennessee Titans posted a video to X (formerly Twitter) of the 40-year-old 'Save Me' singer addressing the team ahead of their road stretch. In the clip, Jelly Roll—whose real name is Jason DeFord—casually dropped a massive personal update. 'I lost 200 pounds," he said, adding, "I told coach I'm getting a contract if I lose another 50,' he said, drawing cheers from the room. 'I can't get on the field… but I'm close.' Jelly Roll (@JellyRoll615) motivational speech before we hit the road for two weeks. 🗣️ — Tennessee Titans (@Titans) August 7, 2025 Shortly after the clip went up, fans flooded the comments. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 'Wow! Jelly Roll looks amazing! That is such a great motivational message,' one person wrote. 'Hell yeah! Not a Titans fan but that's cool,' another said. '@JellyRoll615 your words are so inspiring… such a humble soul, god bless you,' a third commented. 'Put Jelly on the o-line,' someone else quipped. 'This man is the big brother we all need!!!!' another added. Jelly Roll's visit was more than a punchline. The Grammy-nominated artist spoke about the grind of touring—he spends about 300 days a year on the road—and how building trust and camaraderie offstage is what fuels performance. 'We learned it was the 23 hours we wasn't on the stage that we were building our connection,' he said. 'I started becoming a better songwriter when I started becoming a better husband. I started becoming a better performer when I started becoming a better human.' 🎤 SIGN UP for our The Voice newsletter to get access to exclusive news, interviews, insider info, sneak peeks & more 🎤 The Titans fan has been open about his health journey. In April, he told a Pittsburgh crowd, 'I started at 540 pounds, I'm 357 pounds this morning, baby. I'm going to lose another 100 pounds and go skydiving with my wife in Sweden, baby.' You look UNBELIEVABLE"I started at 540 pounds and I was 357 pounds this morning..I'M GONNA LOSE ANOTHER 100 POUNDS AND GO SKYDIVING WITH MY WIFE IN SWEDEN"@JellyRoll615 #BigNightAHT — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 10, 2025 He's also shared what's worked for him: lots of protein and vegetables, daily walks, and consistency. 'The battle was with the food addiction, changing the way I've looked at food for the last 39 years,' he told People last year. 'Once that little snowball started rolling, it was on its way.' 🍳 SIGN UP to get delicious recipes, handy kitchen hacks & fun food news in our daily Pop Kitchen newsletter 🍳 While some celebrities have turned to GLP-1 medications for weight loss, Jelly Roll has said he avoided them out of concern for potential side effects—particularly acid reflux, which he worries could harm his voice. 'As a singer, few things scare me more,' he told the Dumb Blonde Podcast, hosted by his wife, Bunnie XO, whom he married in August 2016. 'Like, you'll watch me get up out of a bed, I'll burp and wake up panicked and go take something for it. You know? Because that stuff will just rip the vocal cords.' Aside from hyping up Titans locker room, Jelly Roll's gearing up for his first headline run Down Under—hitting Australia and New Zealand in late 2025. The 'Beautifully Broken' hitmaker will appear at the Strummingbird Festival and headline arena shows in Melbourne (with a second Rod Laver date added), Sydney, Perth, Newcastle, Adelaide, and Auckland, all alongside Shaboozey and Drew Baldridge. Country Superstar Jelly Roll Jokes What It Will Take to Join NFL first appeared on Parade on Aug 13, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
