Less than two years after making a controversial exit from Hawaii Five-0 alongside actress Grace Park, Daniel Dae Kim is headed back to television. Kim is once again on a major network in primetime in a series that he already played a part in behind the scenes. The former Lost actor is back on ABC, although this time, he'll be playing a doctor in the back half of The Good Doctor Season 2.
Expect to see Daniel Dae Kim lurking around the operating roomm as his character Dr. Jackson Han is St. Bonaventure's new Chief of Surgery. TVLine reports Han's arrival will come in Episode 15, and his introduction will not be a quiet one. His presence "will put Dr. Shaun Murphy's career in jeopardy." Dun dun dun!
Daniel Dae Kim's recurring character will be featured within the final four episodes of Season 2. Assuming he isn't killed off in some devastating fashion, it's possible he could end up returning to the ABC hit for a potential Season 3.
As some may know, Daniel Dae Kim is largely responsible for the reason The Good Doctor is on American television. Kim was inspired by the original South Korean series and acquired the rights for an American adaptation that he'd first shopped to CBS. Things didn't work out there, but they did later on when Kim partnered up with House creator David Shore. As such, Kim has been an executive producer for the ABC series, in addition to his new recurring role.
Apparently, Daniel Dae Kim had been looking for a spot to appear on The Good Doctor for a while now, saying in a released statement that Dr. Han is a "dynamic and surprising" character that's a perfect fit. Kim also expressed that he's thrilled to be premiering in an episode that will be directed by the program's star, Freddie Highmore. Though he'd helmed one installment of Bates Motel, Highmore has not directed an episode of the medical drama to date, but did write the Season 2 premiere "Hello."
As previously mentioned, this will be a big network television return for Daniel Dae Kim, who left CBS in the summer of 2017 following a contract dispute on Hawaii Five-0. Whatever the network offered Kim, it was seemingly less than what other stars got, and it wasn't enough in general, as the actor released a statement alluding to equality when he confirmed his exit. CBS maintained on its end that both Kim and Grace Park were offered sizable wage increases.
The Good Doctor is just one of the projects Daniel Dae Kim has coming in 2019, and audiences can also get a chance to see him on the silver screen. Kim will play the part of Ben Daimio in the upcoming Hellboy reboot, having replaced actor Ed Skrein. Kim applauded Skrein for relinquishing the character, who was depicted in the comics as Asian.
With Daniel Dae Kim on the way, The Good Doctor returns to ABC Monday, January 14 at 10:00 p.m. ET. Keep tabs on the rest of what's coming to television in the near future by visiting our handy midseason premiere guide.
