Ever wonder what the man who portrays Gavin Park is really like? We did. Join The BronzeShelter as we get to know a little more about Daniel Dae Kim.

Gavin: Angel. Good afternoon.
Angel: Lawyers. Don't you people sleep during the day?
Gavin: I'm Gavin Park, and this is my associate, Mr. Hayes. We represent Wolfram and--
Angel: Already bored.

Angel may have already been bored, but the audience certainly wasn't. For with that less than auspicious exchange, the creators of Angel introduced a new Wolfram and Hart nemesis from their seemingly inexhaustible supply. On the surface appearing to be little more than an ineffectual real estate attorney, and a recurring thorn in Lilah's side, Gavin Park has since proven to be as wily and conniving as only a member of the covert Special Projects team can be. And while not exactly meeting with rousing success, he doggedly continues to forge ahead, concocting new schemes designed to bring about Angel's downfall. But what of the actor who brings Gavin Park to life? What do we know about him?

Let's begin with the facts readily available to the fans. Name: Daniel Dae Kim. Born in Pusan, South Korea, he's lived in the United States since the age of two. Growing up in Pennsylvania, he didn't do much acting beyond a high school role in Harvey, but he did edit the school paper and was president of the student government. He's a smart guy, holding a B.A. in both Theatre and PoliSci (Haverford College/Bryn Mawr College), in addition to a Master's Degree in Acting from New York University's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts. Although he first came to the attention of Sci-Fi fans as Lieutenant John Matheson in the short-lived Babylon 5 spin-off, Crusade, he has a list of acting credits in film, television, and theatre that is both varied and extensive in scope. In television, the medium in which he's perhaps best known, he's had roles in such diverse programming as NYPD Blue, Beverly Hills 90210, Ally McBeal, Star Trek: Voyager, The Pretender, and Seinfeld. He's appeared in numerous films and commercials, including a memorable and amusing spot for the California Milk Advisory Board in which he affects a very convincing "Fargo-esque" accent. And while not as well known to the public for his theatre work, it's perhaps here that his versatility as an actor is most evident, with parts in everything from Shakespeare, Moliere and Ibsen to contemporary pieces by David Henry Hwang, Han Ong, Matt Pelfrey and Philip W. Chung.

So, therein lies the framework, but as with any individual, there is much more to Daniel Dae Kim than meets the eye. Recently, The BronzeShelter caught up with Daniel and cornered him for our own special brand of questioning. Not only did he survive, he was exceedingly gracious, funny, and as unlike Gavin Park as one could imagine, giving even more credence to the opinion that he is one fine actor.

One thing which became readily apparent as we spoke was how seriously he not only takes the craft of acting, but also how carefully he selects his roles, doing his best to avoid those which pigeonhole him or seem stereotypical, especially with regards to his ethnic background. We discussed his guest turn on the series The Pretender, a role which on the surface appeared to be yet another retelling of the "immigrant boy makes good in USA" plot device yet, in the end, delivered a bit of a surprise. "That's precisely why I took that part," he explains. "I don't think I would have taken it, had it not been for that twist at the end where he actually starts speaking perfect English. It's been very important to me in my career, to represent who I am, both my race and my gender in an upstanding way, so I do tend to shy away from stereotypical roles. Although, if I happen to see a role that's a bit stereotypical, but still interesting in some way, I'll go to the producers and say, 'Listen, I like this and this about the character, but I'm having reservations about certain other things.'" He goes on to describe how, when approached in an honest and non-threatening way, many producers show themselves to be very open and amenable to change.

Daniel emphasizes that he's been very fortunate to work with producers who are willing to initiate change themselves, citing as an example Gavin's surname, which was originally written as 'Mitchell,' and was later changed to the more Asian 'Park' after he won the role. Another instance was when the writer/creator of Crusade, J. Michael Straczynski came to him at the series' outset and asked if he wanted to change 'John Matheson' to something more ethnic. (He didn't) "I have no problem with playing any 'name,' really. I think that it's a nice comment on the future of our society."

It's this kind of open-minded approach that continues to draw him to the Sci-Fi genre, despite his relatively recent introduction to it. When asked what keeps him coming back, he mentions the fact that producers of science fiction programming seem to have a much deeper history of multicultural casting than those from other genres. Daniel cites actors such as George Takei, Garrett Wang (Star Trek franchise), and Joel de la Fuente (Space: Above and Beyond) as successes within the genre. "There are a lot of Asian male actors, especially, who have been able to get work and have done good work on science fiction series. I think the precedent's been set there and I'm hoping that it'll expand to mainstream television in the way it has Sci-Fi."

So what's the biggest challenge facing Daniel right now, in playing the ostensibly 'nothing but nasty' Gavin? Is that all there is to the attorney, or should fans be on the lookout for more depth? "I really hope there's more to Gavin than what meets the eye," he laughs, "and that's the way I've been playing him." He continues thoughtfully, "I think it's tricky for any actor to go in and not try to flesh out a character in his own mind. To figure out what his individual circumstances are at this point to bring him to this state of aggression. So, yes, there are a lot of levels that I'm looking forward to playing in Gavin."

Most of the aggression that Daniel describes seems to be demonstrated in the lively verbal repartee featuring Gavin and rival attorney, Lilah Morgan (Stephanie Romanov). The reality, of course, is very different, with nothing but praise for his co-worker. "When I first got to the set, she was so welcoming, I really appreciated that. Anytime a new actor comes onto an established show, there's a rapport that the regulars have already built. It's so immediate and strong, that sometimes it can be a bit intimidating. Yet, when I saw how welcoming she was, it really made me feel comfortable and those reservations about being a 'first timer' were gone. She's a very open actor and very easy to work with. It's a real pleasure working with her."

Such high regard for a fellow actor must have made shooting a scene such as the one between them in this season's episode "Billy," all the more difficult. Their interaction, which is so pivotal to establishing the tone and subject matter of the episode, was shocking in its brutal intensity, even for a show which routinely has its fair share of violence, primarily because it was so unexpected. "I was actually really surprised at how difficult it was [to shoot that scene]. I haven't done anything like that on stage or on screen in a really long time and I certainly haven't done it in my personal life, so I knew it might be difficult, but I was still surprised by how moved by it I actually was. At the end of the day, I found myself a little bit shaken." He agreed that overall, the episode's subject matter of violence against women was terrifying, saying, "The reality of it is pretty grim." Daniel also acknowledges that the show dealt with a sensitive topic in a thoughtful and considered way, but from a personal standpoint it was still rather difficult to handle. Much in the way that many of the viewers did, he'd hoped that there would have been some scene of resolution written between Gavin and Lilah, showing the aftermath and like many of us, was a bit disappointed when it wasn't referred to again within the context of the episode. However, keep in mind, this is a Joss Whedon/David Greenwalt creation and one never knows when a seemingly forgotten plot point may return to haunt a character!

Fortunately for his fans, Angel is far from the only place to catch Daniel in action. This season alone, apart from his appearances as Gavin, he also guest-starred on The WB's Charmed as well as CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which, in an interesting coincidence, made him the third actor to appear on both Angel and CSI. (Jeremy Renner, "Penn" and Brigid Brannagh, "Virginia Bryce" were the other two.) Additionally, Daniel just wrapped work on a feature film, Sin, in which he co-stars with Gary Oldman and Ving Rhames. What does an actor take away from the opportunity to work with two such tremendous talents? "All I can say is that it was such a pleasure– at times I forgot I was supposed to be acting in the scenes with them. I felt like an audience member, just appreciating what they were doing." But, as he notes, "It was really, really something to watch because they both have very different styles and their approaches are very different but when it came to the actual take, they were right there with each other. It was a real learning experience." Working with actors like that "just keeps you on your toes. It makes you want to play better and that commitment raises the stakes for the entire scene. It also helps get both actors in the moment and that's when great things can happen. That's when things that aren't necessarily written in the script just occur and create those magic moments on screen."

Bit by bit, the character of Gavin Park is insinuating himself further into the Machiavellian workings of Wolfram and Hart, and by extension, Angel Investigations. "This season's been a total surprise for me. I had no idea that it was going to even last more than one episode. I guess the way things went at the end of last season just kind of led the producers to think, 'Well, maybe there's a future for him.'" As fans, we can only hope that this means getting to know Gavin a bit better and a long-lived run on Angel for the gracious and charming Daniel Dae Kim.

Shooting from the Hip with Daniel:

We told you that we had cornered Daniel for some of our special brand of questioning. Here's a few queries that demanded some quick answers and might tell you a little more about this talented actor.

BronzeShelter: One of your many idols is Jonathan Pryce- can you tell us why?
DDK: He's got such a simplicity about the way he works and I tend to like actors who do very little on the outside. There's such a relaxed quality to the way he acts and approaches his work that I find very compelling. He's simple, his voice is incredibly relaxed and he's also got an 'everyman' quality that makes him very vulnerable. Yet at the same time, he's very sophisticated and I think, elegant. It's an interesting combination.

BronzeShelter: What would be your dream project to work on with him?
DDK: Off the top of my head, I'd love to see him do Iago. I would love to do Shakespeare with him, anytime.

BronzeShelter: What would Gavin sing at Caritas?
DDK: (laughing) Maybe "Mack the Knife?"

BronzeShelter: What do you think you've learned about Gavin so far?
DDK: That he's competitive. That he's aggressive, yet at the same time, I think he is a team player. He asked Lilah to be a partner with him, he asked to be [in] on the way up and I think the fact that he threatens Lilah is something that's beyond his control.

BronzeShelter: Favorite movies?
DDK: Bladerunner, Brazil, Swingers, Henry V (Kenneth Branagh version), Resevoir Dogs, Wings of Desire and the Peter Brook version of King Lear, with Paul Scofield, another idol. This year, Moulin Rouge and Hedwig and the Angry Inch were also favorites.

* The BronzeShelter wishes to thank Daniel for his generosity in taking the time to speak with us and also extends many thanks to Rebekah at danieldaekim.org for all her assistance.

Photos courtesy of danieldaekim.org and TheWB. Images from Angel are property of TheWB, 20th Century Fox and Mutant Enemy. No infringement is intended.