Another 'Lost' star arrested for DUI in Hawaii
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Video: 'Lost' actor arrested for DUI |
By Mike Gordon and Dave Dondoneau
Advertiser Staff Writers
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Daniel Dae Kim, who stars as Jin-Soo Kwon on ABC's hit TV series "Lost," yesterday became the third actor from the show arrested on drunken-driving charges.
Kim was stopped by an officer who had seen him driving "erratically" about 2:30 a.m. on South King Street, said police department spokesman Capt. Frank Fujii. Kim, 39, was booked at the main station for allegedly driving a vehicle while intoxicated and released at 5 a.m. after posting $500 bail, Fujii said.
Kim had a blood-alcohol concentration of .168, more than twice the legal limit of .08 percent. His initial court appearance is Nov. 23 at Honolulu District Court.
"Officers who came in contact with him said he was very cooperative and respectful with everyone," he said.
Someone driving a silver van picked Kim up at police headquarters after he was released. Wearing a polo shirt and khaki shorts, Kim kept his head down as he brushed past media, stepped into the front passenger seat and was driven away.
Kim, who lives in Hawai'i Kai, didn't answer his cell phone yesterday, and neither ABC nor his publicist would comment.
The other "Lost" actors who have gotten into trouble with drunken driving charges on O'ahu are former cast members Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros, who both pleaded guilty.
Those who watch the show closely, from fans to pop culture experts, don't think Kim's arrest will hurt "Lost."
"I think people have short memories and they are more interested in the show" than the actors' personal lives, said Nancie Brown, a fan who lives on Maui. "I think there are so many moving pieces in the 'Lost' puzzle that we are into the characters more than the personalities."
BAD-LUCK TREND
Jennifer Self, a Waikiki resident who watches "Lost" religiously, figures there may be viewers who judge Kim harshly, but she won't, and neither will her friends or pretty much anyone she's met who enjoys the series.
"We watch the show to see the development of the plot," Self said.
Self said the cast of "Lost" has had its share of bad luck.
"It seems like there is one thing after another with the actors on that show," she said.
It would be hard to argue with that. In addition to the arrests:
JAIL FOR RODRIGUEZ
Earlier this month, Rodriguez was sentenced to six months in jail in Los Angeles for failing to complete community service and alcohol monitoring as part of her probation for previous drunken-driving violations. She has been ordered to report to county jail on Christmas Eve.
Rodriguez had been on three years probation after pleading no contest to hit-and-run, driving on a suspended license and drunken driving in connection with two incidents in Hollywood in 2003.
State Film Commissioner Donne Dawson couldn't say if Kim's arrest would hurt the reputation of a show that is "extremely important" to Hawai'i.
"This show is extremely popular, as is his character," she said. "I really don't think you can draw any kind of conclusion as a result of this."
Kim was born in Busan, South Korea, but grew up in Easton, Pa., and has a masters degree from New York University.
On the show, he portrays a chauvinistic thug who at first was overly protective of his wife, Sun, but then began to warm up to other characters on the mysterious island where "Lost" is set. Trained in classical theater, he had to learn Korean for the role and then had to learn to practice speaking English with a Korean accent as his character learned to speak English.
In addition to work on several TV series before "Lost," he had small roles in "Spider-Man 2," "The Hulk" and "Crash."
Pop-culture expert Robert Thompson, head of Syracuse University's Center for the Study of Popular Television, said keeping episodes fresh and timely is a greater problem for the drama than actors accused of drinking and driving.
"I can't think of a single person who will say, 'Wow, three people have gotten moving violations and I am going to quit watching that show, even though I am totally into it,'" he said. "I really don't think in the end that any of this stuff will mean much."
Well, maybe. All three of the "Lost" actors previously arrested on the streets of Honolulu shared something else besides having a booking photo.
Each's character was killed off.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com and Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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