A big perk of starring in — and producing — his own show is Daniel Dae Kim‘s ability to set up an onscreen reunion with a Lost costar.
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly about Prime Video’s Butterfly, Kim broke down how he got Henry Ian Cusick to appear in a surprise role.
“Ian and I have known each other since Lost. We’ve stayed friends and our families are friends. So when it came time for a British actor who could play the father of Oliver, he naturally came to mind,” Kim, 57, told Us about the show, which premiered on Wednesday, August 14.
Kim, who plays David, hints that bringing in old friends won’t stop there.
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“One of the best things about being a producer with a lot of experience with actors is I have a shortlist of people that I think are very talented actors and very kind people,” he noted. “Those are the ones that I want to be working with. Don’t be surprised if we do have a season 2 that you see more familiar faces.”
Based on the Boom! Studios graphic novel series, Butterfly follows a former U.S. intelligence operative living in South Korea whose past resurfaces to threaten his life and family. The six-episode season offered Kim the chance to lead a show where he is consistently performing extensive stunts.
“I can tell you it was definitely a pro,” Kim shared. “I love doing action. I love doing stunts. I’ve done it through most of my career. But I’ll also tell you, when I was waking my old bones up at 3 a.m. it felt like a con.”
Kim was “really glad” he was able to do as much as he did, adding, “I hope I’ll be able to for a long time to come.” According to the actor, there was only one stunt deemed too risky for him to attempt himself.
“There was something I wasn’t allowed to do and that was a repelling stunt from the top of the building to the ground floor,” he recalled. “I thought I was going to do it up until that morning and a word came down from on high that I was not allowed to.”
Playing a former spy also taught Kim some unexpected skills. “It really taught me how to surveil someone in a quiet and clandestine way,” he added. “Also just how much distance to keep and how frequently to be checking your position.”
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The best part though was allowing Kim to film in South Korea, which reunited him with his family.
“There were a few nights on set where my cousins and uncles and aunts would actually visit me on set. They always knew of me as the nephew who was living in America and who was doing some acting,” he quipped. “Now to bring it home and have my worlds come together in that way was really meaningful. I always want to make my family proud because I’m proud to be both Korean and American. I really felt like it was worth it to see the reactions on their faces and the way that I was embraced by Koreans in general”
Butterfly also let Kim cast actors he has admired.
“I had to check myself to make sure I wasn’t being a fanboy and I was actually being a fellow actor in the scene,” he added. “We get to introduce Korean actors to a global audience and we get to introduce American actors to a Korean audience. That to me is really meaningful because it’s uniting two different cultures, two different industries and creating a new kind of entertainment. I’m glad to have a small part in that.”
Butterfly is currently streaming on Prime Video.
