Film and stage actor Jay Kim’s passion has burned strong since his teenage years. His latest film, The Dragon’s Lair, is set to blow audiences away next year, and a look at Kim’s past work shows just how incredible this young show-stopper’s range is.
Kim’s first film role came at just 15, when he played the lead in Writer’s Block, an introspective drama about the fears and struggles every writer experiences when the creative process fails and they see a dreaded blank page like a deer in the headlights. An artful view of the torments of a deadline, Writer’s Block perfectly captures the anxiety, tension and tendency to obsessively self-critique, which any viewer can relate to, and any writer worth their salt has lived.
“The use of music, lighting and cinematography made the film incredibly interesting, and allowed the story to come across in a symbolic way,” Kim said, noting that he himself has faced that trial in his own creative experience.
Writer’s Block follows a young writer on a tight deadline, as he repeatedly fills page after page, only to toss them out the window in disgust. He conjures up one idea after the next, but rejects all of them in the same fashion. Eventually Anthony, Kim’s character, has a sort of revelation and jumps out the window himself; a sort of dark metaphor for the judgment with which many writers view themselves in relation to their work.
“Looking back, that memory always serves a purpose for me. Always have fun with your work,” Kim said, expressing the important distinction he discovered between taking a role seriously and taking it too seriously to appreciate the creative opportunity involved. “Yes, one should be professional and serious while preparing for a role, on set, and when working with other actors. But when the slate claps or the curtain rises, it’s really about letting it all go and having fun while trusting the work you’ve done.”
Another of Kim’s film roles, The Lock-in, is a sort of adolescent coming of age story. Set in a high school, the film follows three students from vastly different backgrounds and social cliques who are locked inside the school overnight while working on a group project. When they begin their project, the trio initially believe they have nothing in common, but by the time they spend a night together in the closed school, they build a bond they never expected would exist.
“I played Matt, the jock, which was actually a lot of fun,” he said, and revealed that he actually had a bit of real-life experience in that role. “I played varsity sports, and was also the varsity swim team captain at one point, but I wasn’t one of those stereotypical jocks one would think of. So given the opportunity I really let loose, and had a lot of fun with this character.”
His exceptional abilities as an actor make him a natural shape shifter, his creative vision makes his roles incredibly believable, and his vast real world experience makes him able to empathize and embody any character he’s cast as.