We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kang Kim a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kang, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
The fact that I live in the greatest country on the planet. It’s not perfect, and there’s a lot of concern right now on which way our great nation is headed, but it’s still the US of A. The opportunities available to me and any other hard-working individual is second to none. My father moved here from Seoul, South Korea with that in mind and worked his butt off to achieve the American Dream. He started his own company, and with the help of my mother blessed my little brother and I with a wonderful childhood. It wasn’t always smooth sailing, but perseverance and perspective was always key to coming out on top. This is where my optimism comes from.
Please tell our readers about what you do, what you feel is most exciting or special about it, as well as anything else you’d like folks to know about your brand/art/etc. If relevant, please also tell our readers about anything new (events, product/service launches, expansion, etc.)
As an actor, the typical answer to a question like this would be “to connect with people”. Whilst very true, I believe there’s so much more to it than that. What gets my juices flowing is story. I trained under the concept of “story first”, meaning story supersedes everything. So when I’m absorbing a script, I view everything in first person. And through that I have been able to submerge myself into whatever world I’ve been fortunate enough to be cast in. Connecting with people is one thing, but to experience a new world in first person can open up a side of you that you never knew existed. It can even be a characteristic that you would never exhibit otherwise, or one that you despise. But that’s the beauty of what I do; what all actors do. And that’s to embody and represent something or someone a writer has meticulously created. Experiencing this first hand has not only allowed me to connect with people, but also to connect with myself on a much deeper level. And none of this would be possible without collaboration. Collaboration with writers, directors, producers and every single person on set working to bring a story to life.
You can catch me in some of these new worlds as a co-star in “Beef” on Netflix (episode 3), and the upcoming new season of “For All Mankind” on AppleTV+ (episodes 9&10). You can also check out some of the shorts I’ve had the privilege of being cast in at:
https://youtube.com/@4lcfilm?si=ntch2F6Tojwd1VZL
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The ability to not take things personally, and knowing that rejection is part of the game. Trust me, it’s easier said than done but you have to be able to take rejection on a consistent basis. And the key to making all that possible, and tolerable, is stoking the flames that is your love of your craft. You have to keep that love alive.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My current girlfriend (and future wife; fingers crossed). But seriously, she is my rock, my lifeline, my everything. You know, after college I wasn’t successful in a traditional sense like some of my colleagues and acquaintances. Then I started measuring my success with the people I had in my life. More specifically, my friends, nay, my apers (aper means brother in Armenian). I met most of them in junior high and through thick&thin we stuck with each other and I was always very proud of that. So in my eyes, I realized I was even more successful (in a way) than some of my colleagues and acquaintances who always seemed to be in-between their so-called friends. And that’s how I feel about my girlfriend, times 1000. I hit the jackpot, better yet, I found my soulmate. I always knew I was blessed in the family department, so to be blessed with my apers (most of whom I am still close with til this day), and now my girlfriend I couldn’t be more grateful. So yea, she is how and why I am able to overcome my challenges in the industry and in life.
Contact Info:
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@4lcfilm?si=ntch2F6Tojwd1VZL
- Other: imdb.me/Kangkim
Image Credits
@a1_headshots @nagangsta
