Kim managed to see the current "The King and I" twice -- once with Ken Watanabe and once with Hoon Lee -- and said "it was treat to be able to watch both of them interpret the role."

The king, who is both imposing and romantic, will mark Kim’s Broadway debut, but he's played the same monarch before, at London’s world-renowned Royal Albert Hall in 2009.

"It was really a fantastic opportunity and I felt at the time that as much as I enjoyed it, there was more to be done with the role," he said by phone from Hawaii.

"The opportunity to revisit it is a really valuable one for me. I‘ve grown since then, my experiences have changed and I look forward to trying it again on Broadway."

Born in Busan, South Korea and raised in New York and Pennsylvania, Kim will be stepping into a role made famous by Yul Brynner, who was king for more than 4,600 performances. Kim saw the movie version, but the actor hopes to leave his own imprint.

"I have a healthy level of respect for what Mr. Brynner did, but, at the same time, I look forward to my bringing something of my own to it," he said.

"This work is strong enough where there can be many different interpretations of the same character. When you look at a Shakespearian play, you don’t say, 'Well, there is one definitive Hamlet.' There are many different Hamlets that you can find relatable."