Actor-director Daniel Dae Kim says 'The show is like me'
American spy thriller “Butterfly,” which heralds Korean screen icon Kim Tae-hee’s Hollywood debut, fuses Korean sensibilities with American storytelling.
The series follows David Jung (Daniel Dae Kim), a former US intelligence operative who faked his death years ago and who now seeks to reconnect with his daughter Rebecca (Reina Hardesty), an assassin.
Kim, who took on the dual roles of executive producer and lead actor for "Butterfly," described the show as a reflection of himself.
“I think the show is a little bit like me,” Kim said during a press conference in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Thursday, describing the series as a hybrid of American blockbuster energy and a deeply personal Korean-rooted perspective.
Reflecting on the series’ dual heritage, Kim remarked on the production’s commitment to Korean talent. “Usually when American productions come here, they bring all their heads of staff from America and the only Korean people are the lower-level crew members. But here, for us, we did all of our heads of departments as Koreans because I felt that if we're going to tell a story in Korea with Koreans, then we need a Korean staff.”
He added that the series explores subtle cultural nuances that neither "Korean Koreans" nor white Americans typically experience, using these small details to enrich the narrative.
“I wanted to talk about a lot of different things about what it felt like to be Asian, Asian-American and in Reinna's case, half-Asian,” he said. “I felt like the way to do that was to talk about an American character coming back to a place where he looks the same but isn't quite the same as everybody else. And I like the idea that that parallels my own life because I was born in Busan but went to America when I was very young, but it never meant that Korea left my heart.”
Kim also highlighted the timing for the series as crucial, noting the global popularity of Korean culture. “Before, if we wanted to try to do this five or 10 years ago, I don't think there was as much interest in Korea. And so even though I would want to make this story, the studio wouldn't buy it. And so it was the right timing to tell a story that was very important to me.”
For Kim Tae-hee, “Butterfly” offered a fresh opportunity to explore a more grounded, everyday character.
“This particular project was especially fresh and new for me because it’s a collaboration between Korea and the US. It felt like such a unique opportunity. On the other hand, the character I play here is, in a way, more ordinary and typical than any I’ve done before — it’s just a regular Korean woman," said Kim Tae-hee.
“For me, being able to stand in front of the camera in an unstyled, natural way was a completely new experience. Personally, that felt very refreshing, though I’m not sure how viewers will perceive it," she added.
“Butterfly” premiered on Amazon Prime Video on Aug. 13 and airs on South Korea’s tvN at 10:40 p.m. on Fridays.
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