Randall Duk Kim (born September 24, 1943) is an American actor. On stage, he is known both for his extensive classical repertoire and as an interpreter of the works of playwright Frank Chin. He is the co-founder of the American Players Theatre.[2][3] To film audiences, he is best known for his portrayal of the Keymaker in The Matrix franchise, and as the voice of Master Oogway in the Kung Fu Panda franchise. He is an Obie Award winner and an Outer Critics Circle Award nominee.[4]
Randall Duk Kim | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 24, 1943 |
| Other names | Randy Kim |
| Alma mater | University of Hawaii |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, artistic director |
| Years active | 1968–present |
| Known for | Co-founding American Players Theatre Playing the Keymaker in The Matrix Voicing Master Oogway in Kung Fu Panda |
| Spouse | Anne Occhiogrosso |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 김덕문 |
| Hanja | 金德文 |
| Revised Romanization | Gim Deokmun |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Tŏk-mun |
Early life
editKim was born to a fundamentalist Baptist family of Chinese and Korean descent in Hawaii.[5] He grew up on a farm near the Koko Head Crater. He developed an interest in acting as a child after seeing the musical Oklahoma! at the Honolulu Community Theatre. In high school, he often watched plays at the University of Hawaii. After graduating high school, while visiting family in San Diego, he visited the Old Globe Theatre where he saw The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, and Richard III. He credited Morris Carnovsky for inspiring him to become an actor.
In 1964, Kim and his friend Charles Bright moved to New York City to pursue acting careers. Bright became an apprentice with the Association of Producing on the Phoenix at 74th Street. Kim and Bright befriended the house manager and the house manager gave Kim unsold seats at shows. Kim spent time in London between 1966 and 1967 where he acquired a part time job and watched shows from the Royal Shakespeare Company.[6][7][8][9]
Career
editTheater
editKim began doing theater when he was 18 years old.[10] He has portrayed a wide variety of roles on the stage, focusing upon Western classical works, including Shakespeare, Chekhov, Ibsen and Molière. He has spent most of his career in theater.
Kim starred in the first play written by an Asian American to be produced professionally in New York, The Chickencoop Chinaman by Frank Chin, which was mounted by The American Place Theatre in 1972.
Kim co-founded the American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin with Anne Occhiogrosso and Charles Bright in 1977.[11] He was the theater's artistic director.[12]
In 1974, Kim starred in Chin's second play, The Year of the Dragon. Also that year, he became one of the first Asian-American actors to play a leading role in an American production of a Shakespeare play when he played the title role in The New York Public Theater's 1974 production of Pericles, Prince of Tyre.[13] Kim played the title role in Hamlet at the Guthrie Theatre in 1978–79.[14]
He played Kralahome in the 1996 revival of The King and I on Broadway, later succeeding to the leading role. Other Broadway credits include Golden Child and the revised version of Flower Drum Song, both written by David Henry Hwang.
Film and television
editKim played the part of General Alak in the 1999 movie ‘Anna and the King’. Kim portrayed the Keymaker in the film The Matrix Reloaded (2003).[15] He was originally asked by casting director Mali Finn for the role.[10] In 2008, he played mathematician Dashiell Kim in the episode "The Equation" of the television series Fringe. He played Grandpa Gohan in the live action Dragonball Evolution (2009).[16] Kim voiced Po's and Shifu’s teacher, Grand Master Oogway, in Kung Fu Panda (2008) and Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016).[17]
Personal life
editHe is married to actress and fellow American Players Theatre co-founder, Anne Occhiogrosso.[18]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | The Hawaiians | Asia at 19 | Uncredited |
| 1970 | Tora! Tora! Tora! | Tadao - Japanese Messenger Boy | Unconfirmed; uncredited |
| 1974 | Nourish the Beast | Actor | Credited as Randy Kim; television film |
| 1995 | Prisoners in Time | Nagase Takashi | Television film |
| 1998 | The Replacement Killers | Alan Chan | |
| 1998 | The Thin Red Line | Nisei Interpreter | Uncredited |
| 1999 | Anna and the King | General Alak | |
| 2001 | The Lost Empire | Shu | |
| 2003 | MTV Movie Awards Reloaded | Keymaker | Short television film |
| 2003 | The Matrix Reloaded | Keymaker | |
| 2005 | Memoirs of a Geisha | Dr. Crab | |
| 2006 | Falling for Grace | Mr. Hung | |
| 2007 | Tailor Made | Wong | Short film |
| 2007 | Year of the Fish | Auntie Yaga/Old Man/Foreman | |
| 2008 | Kung Fu Panda | Master Oogway | Voice |
| 2008 | Secrets of the Furious Five | Master Oogway | Voice |
| 2009 | Dragonball Evolution | Grandpa Gohan | |
| 2009 | Ninja Assassin | Tattoo Master | |
| 2010 | The Last Airbender | Old Man in Temple | |
| 2011 | Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters | Master Oogway | Voice |
| 2014 | John Wick | Continental Doctor | |
| 2016 | Kung Fu Panda 3 | Master Oogway | Voice |
| 2019 | John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum | Continental Doctor |
TV series
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968–1969 | Hawaii Five-O | Eddie/John Lo/Oscar | 3 episodes |
| 2001 | 100 Centre Street | Pham Van Trong | Episode: "Hostage" |
| 2006 | Thief | Uncle Lau | 3 episodes |
| 2008 | Cashmere Mafia | John Mason | Episode: "The Deciders" |
| New Amsterdam | Donald Chen | Episode: "Legacy" | |
| Fringe | Dashiell Kim | Episode: "The Equation" | |
| 2011 | Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness | Master Oogway |
Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Person of Interest | Mr. Han | Episode: "Many Happy Returns" |
| Elementary | Old Man | Episode: "You Do It Yourself" | |
| 2022 | The Boys Presents: Diabolical | John | Voice, episode: "John and Sun-Hee" |
| 2024 | Avatar: The Last Airbender | Wan Shi Tong | Voice, episode: “Spirited Away” |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Enter the Matrix | Keymaker |
| 2005 | Red Ninja: End of Honor | Shingen |
| 2007 | Stranglehold | James Wong |
| 2015 | Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends | Master Oogway |
References
edit- ^ "Keymaker role enthralls 'Matrix' actor | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper". the.honoluluadvertiser.com.
- ^ "Artist Biographies". Division of the Arts. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ^ "Randall Duk Kim – A Performing Arts Legacy Project site". performingartslegacy.org. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ^ "Randall Duk Kim theatre profile". www.abouttheartists.com. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ^ A sojourn in the embodiment of words jadtjournal.org May 23, 2022 [dead link]
- ^ "Randall Duk Kim – A Performing Arts Legacy Project site".
- ^ "Home". randalldukkim.com.
- ^ "Randall Duk Kim - Filmbug". www.filmbug.com.
- ^ Theatre, American Players. "History". American Players Theatre.
- ^ a b Epstein, Daniel Robert. "Randall Duk Kim". Underground Online. Archived from the original on February 6, 2005. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
- ^ Christians, Lindsay (May 24, 2017). "Players' Progress: American Players Theatre celebrates big changes in Spring Green". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
- ^ Shipp, E. R. (1986-09-16). "WISCONSIN SAVES A RURAL THEATER". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
- ^ Pericles, Prince of Tyre at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- ^ George, David (Spring 1979), "Shakespeare in Minneapolis", Shakespeare Quarterly, 30 (2), Folger Shakespeare Library: 219–221, doi:10.2307/2869313, JSTOR 2869313
- '^ Hiatt, Brian (May 22, 2003). "The Matrixs Keymaker speaks out". EW.com. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
- ^ Marshall, Rick. "Three Exclusive 'Dragonball Evolution' Clips -- See 'Em Here First!". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
- ^ "'Kung Fu Panda 3' continues the franchise's awesomeness". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
- ^ Nutt, Bill (April 10, 2015). "'Then Came Each Actor' comes to Centenary Stage". Daily Record. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
