How Korean-American Tim Kang Became a Hollywood Success
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Tim Kang, 37, is one of the most sought-after Korean-American actors in Hollywood. Kang is currently playing the role of Kimball Cho in American TV series "The Mentalist", and has appeared in "Rambo IV", "The Ghost Whisperer", and "The Office" as well as a number of commercials.
Born in San Francisco, Kang speaks perfect English and understands Korean quite well, having learned the language at the Korea Language Institute at Yonsei University in 1998. "Because we all speak Korean at home, I naturally picked up the language from childhood. I pretty much understand most Korean", said Kang.
"The Mentalist", which began airing on CBS last year, is a psychological crime series. It will start screening in Korea from Apr. 6 every Monday and Tuesday through cable channel tvN. The calm, taciturn Kimball Cho, who Kang plays, is one of the five investigators on the show.
After graduating with a degree in politics from the University of California, Berkeley, Kang led the life of an ordinary office worker, working at a securities firm. But one day he was swept up with a passion for acting. "Nearby where I lived, there was an American Repertory Theatre (ART), Harvard's professional theatre in residence. I would pass by the ART on my way to and from work, and this idea of wanting to become an actor suddenly overwhelmed me", he said.
He never expected that something he started for fun would take over his life, especially after his acting career got off to a slow start. "I would barely get one role from about a hundred auditions", recalled Kang, probably because there weren't many roles available to Asians in Hollywood. But he never gave up and in the end achieved his dream.
His advice for Korean actors who want to work in the Hollywood is to master English. "The English language is the biggest obstacle they have to overcome to enter the Hollywood", said Kang.
Born in San Francisco, Kang speaks perfect English and understands Korean quite well, having learned the language at the Korea Language Institute at Yonsei University in 1998. "Because we all speak Korean at home, I naturally picked up the language from childhood. I pretty much understand most Korean", said Kang.
"The Mentalist", which began airing on CBS last year, is a psychological crime series. It will start screening in Korea from Apr. 6 every Monday and Tuesday through cable channel tvN. The calm, taciturn Kimball Cho, who Kang plays, is one of the five investigators on the show.
After graduating with a degree in politics from the University of California, Berkeley, Kang led the life of an ordinary office worker, working at a securities firm. But one day he was swept up with a passion for acting. "Nearby where I lived, there was an American Repertory Theatre (ART), Harvard's professional theatre in residence. I would pass by the ART on my way to and from work, and this idea of wanting to become an actor suddenly overwhelmed me", he said.
He never expected that something he started for fun would take over his life, especially after his acting career got off to a slow start. "I would barely get one role from about a hundred auditions", recalled Kang, probably because there weren't many roles available to Asians in Hollywood. But he never gave up and in the end achieved his dream.
His advice for Korean actors who want to work in the Hollywood is to master English. "The English language is the biggest obstacle they have to overcome to enter the Hollywood", said Kang.
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