K-dramas and k-movies are not the only places you can see k-drama actors work. A few like Lee Byung Hun, Claudia Kim and Rain appear in Hollywood films. But there are also a few notable k-drama actors currently acting on American television.
Three that have significant roles are Daniel Henney, Bae Doo Na and Yunjin Kim. And there are a few more k-celebs with English speaking parts.
Daniel Henney did not grow up in Korea. He was born in Michigan to a Korean adoptee mom, but he became a k-drama star when he appeared in "My Lovely Kim Sam Soon" with Kim Sun Ah. He spoke no Korean at the time. He did go on to appear in another drama "The Fugitive: Plan B" with Lee Na Young and two Korean films. But he has been busy in America too, appearing in the films "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and several TV shows. He recently appeared in "Criminal Minds" and is signed on to appear in "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders" in 2016.
Yunjin Kim is a Korean-American film and theater actress. Although she is best known for her recurring role in the popular series "Lost," she also appeared in a few k-dramas, such as the 1997 "Wedding Dress." She can currently be seen in the successful k-movie "Ode To My Father" and in the American TV series "Mistresses," playing Karen Kim.
Bae Doo Na became known outside of Korea when she played a role in Park Chan Wook's "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" and Bong Joon Ho's "The Host." She has appeared in k-dramas such as "How To Meet A Perfect Neighbor" and "Master of Study." Bae Doo Na recently appeared in the Hollywood film "Cloud Atlas" and the critically acclaimed Korean film "A Girl At My Door." She can currently be seen on American television in the sci-fi Netflix series "Sense8," playing one of eight people who have a special connection. As the characters live around the world, scenes are shot in various locations, including Seoul. The series stars actors who are famous in their own countries and Korea is no exception.
Bae Doo Na plays the martial artist and chaebol's daughter Bak Sun. Lee Geung Young, who appears in "D-Day" and had a role in "Misaeng," plays her father. Singer-actor Lee Ki Chan, who appears in the film "Into the Fire," plays her brother. Ma Dong Suk of "Bad Guys" does a cameo as a club bouncer. Yeo Jung Yoon, who played herself in "Producers," plays Bak Sun's fellow prisoner Min Jung. The Korean cast includes such well-known k-drama and k-movie actors as Cha In Pyo, Lee KyungYoung and actor-producer Myung Gye Nam.
And the Korean actors in "Sense8" are saying their lines in English.
